These grilled BBQ chicken breasts are juicy and succulent with a flavorful dry rub seasoning and a sticky coating of caramelized BBQ sauce. You can use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or boneless, skinless, depending on your preference. It's an irresistible summer BBQ chicken recipe you'll want to make year after year.
You can serve with baked potatoes or some fluffy butter swim biscuits. A fresh fruit salad is the perfect after-dinner dessert too! Check out my page on what to serve with BBQ chicken for more great pairings.
Jump to:
Barbecue Chicken Breasts (Cutlets, Boneless, or Bone-In)
These juicy BBQ chicken breasts are the only excuse you need to fire up the grill this summer. They're finger-licking-good with loads of flavor from my simple dry rub and a thick, caramelized coating of smokey BBQ sauce.
I've included tips for grilling with boneless chicken breasts versus bone-in, and either way, the results are delicious. If you happen to have any leftovers, they make for some delicious wraps, burritos, quesadillas, and more!
🥘 Ingredients
Besides the chicken, you only need some BBQ sauce, liquid smoke, and a few simple seasonings. If you're a regular here and you happen to have some of my BBQ chicken dry rub on hand, you could use that for this recipe too!
- Chicken Breasts - 2 pounds of bone-in or boneless chicken breasts (8-ounce chicken breasts, see chart below for both boneless and bone-in cooking times).
- BBQ Sauce - ½ cup of BBQ sauce (see my honey BBQ sauce or use your favorite brand)
- Liquid Smoke - 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke.
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
- Dry Rub - ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of paprika (or smoked paprika), and ¼ teaspoon each of ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts
You'll need to keep a close eye on your chicken, but the recipe itself is simple. Grab your measuring utensils, a couple of small mixing bowls, a meat thermometer, and your grilling utensils, and make sure your BBQ grill is cleaned, oiled, and ready.
I typically get about 4 servings out of 2 pounds of chicken breasts.
Easy BBQ Chicken Breasts Instructions
- Prep. Set up your grill with a 2-zone cooking area. For boneless chicken breasts, you will want direct medium-high heat. For bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, you'll want direct medium heat.
- Brush with oil. In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup of BBQ sauce and 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke and set aside. Brush each of the 2 pounds of chicken breasts all over with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Season. Combine ½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of paprika, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of onion powder, then season the chicken liberally on all sides.
- Char. Add the chicken breasts to the grill skin-side-down and let cook for 5-6 minutes or until nicely charred.
- Grill. Flip the chicken breasts over (bone-side-down) and transfer the chicken to indirect heat. Close the lid to your grill and let cook for 10 minutes for smaller chicken breasts or 15 minutes for larger chicken breasts.
- Add sauce. Brush the chicken breasts all over with the BBQ sauce/liquid smoke mixture and flip them over again (bone-side-up). Close the lid and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Flip. Continue flipping the chicken every 5 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165-180°F (74-82°C). You can keep basting while you flip if desired.
- Rest. Transfer the BBQ chicken breasts to a plate and tent a piece of foil loosely over the top. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes
- I used bone-in, skin-on, split chicken breasts, but I also included the instructions for boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- If you like to marinate your chicken before grilling it, my BBQ chicken marinade would taste excellent with this recipe!
- If you don't have liquid smoke on hand, you can leave it out. However, the rich smokey flavor combined with BBQ sauce is truly delicious.
- The internal temperature should reach a minimum of 165°F (74°C) when taken at the thickest part of the breast. This means you can remove the chicken about 5 degrees shy of 165°F (74°C) because it will continue to cook some after it is removed from heat. I prefer to aim closer to 180°F (82°C) for bone-in chicken.
⏲️ Cooking Time Table For Grilled Chicken Breasts
All of the times below are an approximation. The best way to truly know if your chicken is ready is to check its internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
| Type of Chicken Breast | Thickness | Grill Temperature | Grilling Time per Side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boneless, skinless chicken breasts | ½ to ¾ inch | Medium-high (375-450°F) | 5-7 minutes |
| Boneless, skinless chicken cutlets | ¼ to ½ inch | Medium-high (375-450°F) | 2-4 minutes |
| Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts | Whole breast, 6-10 ounces | Medium (325-375°F) | 10-15 minutes |
| Bone-in, skin on extra large split chicken breasts | Whole breast, 11-16 ounces | Medium (325-375°F) | 16-25 minutes |
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Once your chicken breasts has cooled down, you can put them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing
Place the leftover chicken breasts in a heavy-duty freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 4 months and let them defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
Each time you fire up your grill, you should first make sure the grates are cleaned and oiled. Remove any debris from the grates with a grill brush and use a rag or spray bottle to coat the grates with neutral cooking oil.
No, waiting until the chicken is almost fully cooked before applying the BBQ sauce is best. If the BBQ sauce is exposed to direct heat for long periods of time, it will burn. That's also why I suggest flipping every 5 minutes once you've brushed the chicken breasts with BBQ sauce.
This really comes down to personal preference, but my preferred sauce for chicken is a sweet and smokey honey bbq sauce. You can always grab a bottle of your favorite brand, or you could try my Hawaiian BBQ sauce if you're looking for something a little unique!
🥩🔥 More Grilling Recipes
- Grilled Baby Back Ribs - Fall-off-the-bone tender baby back ribs that are finger-licking good!
- Grilled Chicken Thighs - A simple recipe for the most succulent and juicy grilled chicken thighs.
- BBQ Bacon Wrapped Brussel Sprouts - It's hard not to keep popping these savory bacon-wrapped morsels into your mouth.
- Grilled Corn On The Cob - Sweet, juicy corn on the cob with just a touch of char for a roasted flavor.
- Grilled Filet Mignon - Nothing beats a perfectly cooked filet mignon fresh off a hot grill.
- Grilled Acorn Squash - A nutritious and delicious side dish that's ready in 20 minutes.
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts (8-ounce chicken breasts, see chart for boneless and bone-in cooking times)
- ½ cup BBQ sauce (see my honey BBQ sauce or use your favorite brand)
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika (or smoked paprika)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Set up your grill with a 2-zone cooking area. For boneless chicken breasts, you will want direct medium-high heat. For bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, you'll want direct medium heat.
- In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup BBQ sauce and 1 teaspoon liquid smoke and set aside. Brush each of the 2 lbs chicken breasts all over with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Combine ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon onion powderand season the chicken liberally on all sides.
- Add the chicken breasts to the grill skin-side-down and let cook for 5-6 minutes or until nicely charred.
- Flip the chicken breasts over (bone-side-down) and transfer the chicken to indirect heat. Close the lid to your grill and let cook for 10 minutes for smaller chicken breasts or 15 minutes for larger chicken breasts.
- Brush the chicken breasts all over with the BBQ sauce/liquid smoke mixture and flip them over again (bone-side-up). Close the lid and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Continue flipping the chicken every 5 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165-180°F (74-82°C). You can keep basting while you flip if desired.
- Transfer the BBQ chicken breasts to a plate and tent a piece of foil loosely over the top. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- I used bone-in, skin-on, split chicken breasts, but I have also included the instructions for boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- If you like to marinate your chicken before grilling it, my BBQ chicken marinade would taste excellent with this recipe!
- If you don't have liquid smoke on hand, you can leave it out. However, the rich smokey flavor combined with BBQ sauce is truly delicious.
- The internal temperature should reach a minimum of 165°F (74°C) when taken at the thickest part of the breast. This means you can remove the chicken at just under 165°F (74°C) as the carryover cooking will raise the temperature a few degrees. For bone-in chicken, I like to aim closer to 180°F (82°C).
- To store: Once your grilled BBQ chicken breasts have cooled down, you can put them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Place the chicken breasts in a heavy-duty freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 4 months and let them defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: Reheat BBQ grilled chicken breasts in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Jenny R says
This will now be my go-to bbq chicken recipe! The paprika gives it a nice little kick! Kids and adults loved it, thank you!