Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast: Easy Weeknight Dinner

Name: Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts; 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder; 1/2 tsp Paprika; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/4 tsp Pepper; 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce

This Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast Recipe delivers juicy, tender chicken coated in smoky barbecue sauce. An easy grilling recipe perfect for summer cookouts, busy weeknights, and meal prep!

Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast stacked on a plate

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Why You’ll Love this Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast Recipe!

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BBQ Chicken Breast is one of my all time favorite meats to grill. Grilled chicken can be eaten in many different ways. On top of salads, on rice, or as a main course.

This is the best BBQ chicken breast recipe. The chicken cooks tender on the grill with tons of flavor. This BBQ Chicken recipe is great for cookout with friends or a weeknight meal. We like to season the chicken with a simple BBQ dry rub and then baste it with Kansas City BBQ Sauce after it has cooked. If you love this recipe, try our Blackstone BBQ Chicken.

We love that you only need a few spices and barbecue sauce to turn bland chicken into a delicious boneless chicken breast recipe. Add your favorite side dish recipe for a complete meal idea.

Ingredients

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – Make chicken about the same size and thickness so it cooks evenly. Feel free to use bone-in chicken thighs or chicken tenders for a delicious variations.
Simple Spices – We used garlic powder, salt and black pepper and paprika. Use your favorite seasoning if you prefer
BBQ Sauce – For a delicious variation, use Honey BBQ Sauce

Scroll to the recipe card for the full recipe details.

How to Grill BBQ Chicken Breast

Step 1 – Mix Seasoning Together – Stir together all the seasonings in a small bowl.

Step 2 – Rub Dry Rub on Chicken – Then rub this seasoning mixture onto the chicken breasts and marinate.

Chicken Breast in a bowl with sauce and spices spread over the chicken

Step 3 – Prepare Grill for Grilling – Preheat the gas grill to 350 degrees F or medium high heat. Brush the grill grates with olive oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. You can even grill chicken on a charcoal grill.

Step 4 – Place Chicken on Grill – Once the grill at high heat, place the chicken on the grill, skin side down.

Step 5 – Cook Chicken – Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side.

Step 6 – Baste with BBQ Sauce – Brush the chicken with the BBQ sauce. Flip the chicken and brush the opposite side with the BBQ sauce has well. Cook for 3 minutes.

Step 7 – Continue adding BBQ Sauce – Flip the chicken again, brush with more BBQ sauce and cook the opposite side for 3-4 more minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Step 8 – Rest, Slice and Enjoy – Move the chicken to a breast, let the chicken sit for 5 minutes. We like to slice in bite size pieces so it is easy to serve.

Review Pin Print

Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast

5 from 69 votes

If you are looking for The Best BBQ Chicken Breast then this recipe is for you. The dry rub and the BBQ sauce brings all the flavors together

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Let sit and cool 5

Total Time 25

Servings 4

Cuisine American

Course Main Course

Calories 180

Author Carrie Barnard

Ingredients

Instructions

Stir together all the seasonings in a small bowl. Then rub this seasoning mixture onto the chicken breasts.
Preheat the grill to 350 degrees F. Brush the grill grates with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking.
Once the grill is hot, place the chicken on the grill, skin side down.
Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side.
Brush the chicken with the BBQ sauce. Flip the chicken and brush the opposite side with the BBQ sauce has well. Cook for 3 minutes. Flip the chicken again, brush with more BBQ sauce and cook the opposite side for 3-4 more minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Move the chicken to a breast, let the chicken sit for 5 minutes. Then it’s ready to slice and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

The cook times will vary based on the size of the chicken. Make sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken is cooked to the correct temperature.

Store any leftover chicken in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

Expert Tips

Hot Grill – Make sure your grill is hot. Cooking chicken on a hot grill helps to keep them juicy.
Same Size Chicken – When preparing your chicken, make sure that they are all even thickness. This makes sure they are evenly cooked.
Allow Chicken to rest – After chicken is done cooking, make sure you allow chicken to rest. This locks in the juices and the flavoring.
Cooking Indoors – This is a great recipe to cook indoors with a cast iron skillet or indoor grill pan. You can even place in a baking dish and bake in the oven.

Seasoning Variation Ideas

Spicy BBQ Chicken – Use spicy BBQ sauce or add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Hawaiian Style – Brush with BBQ and pineapple juice for a delicious variation.
Honey BBQ – Mix honey into your BBQ sauce for sweetness.
Taco Seasoning – For a delicious twist, season the chicken with a taco seasoning blend with simple spices such as chili powder, onion powder, and cumin.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 180kcal, Carbohydrates 10g, Protein 26g, Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1g, Monounsaturated Fat 1g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 72mg, Sodium 981mg, Potassium 442mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 8g, Vitamin A 54IU, Vitamin C 2mg, Calcium 7mg, Iron 1mg

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What to Serve with Grilled Chicken?

When we grill out, I try to make sides that I cook on the grill. There are so many options to serve with grilled chicken. Here are some of my favorites:

Storing Suggestions

Make ahead of time – You can season chicken with the dry run and place in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in the oven.
Storing Leftovers – Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Using Leftovers – Use your leftover over chicken in Grilled Chicken Wrap Recipes, salads, or with some brown rice. Leftover of chicken make the perfect lunch the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Grilled Chicken chewy?

Undercooking, Overcooking or leaving your chicken on the grill on in the pan causes the chicken to not be chewy. That is why it is important to have a meat thermometer close by and to watch your chicken closely with grilling.
Especially if the chicken is very thin, it will not take long to cook your chicken.

How do you Grill Chicken without drying it out?

The best option I have found to keep the chicken from drying out is to brine the chicken. Brining the chicken is a simple process of submerging your chicken in a bowl of salt water before grilling.
It is also the key in getting great grill marks.

Do you put BBQ Sauce on Chicken before Grilling?

To prevent you chicken from burning, it is best to start cooking the chicken before adding the BBQ Sauce. We put the BBQ sauce on about halfway through cooking time. Then we start basting the chicken with BBQ Sauce.
We like it best served with a side of BBQ sauce for dipping.

How Long to Grill Chicken Breast?

The cook times will vary based on the size of the chicken. Make sure to use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature of the chicken. It should reach 165 degrees when chicken is fully cooked.
When preparing your chicken for grilling, you want to make sure that each chicken breast about the same size. You may have need to filet you chicken or pound it to thin it out.