This Easy BBQ Chicken is the perfect summer main dish that’s juicy and tender and grilled to perfection!
Summer is here and it’s time to pull out the grill and get grilling!! I don’t know about you, but we’ve been grilling at our house for months already and I am here for it. This BBQ Chicken is SO easy with a basic dry rub and it’s so simple to grill to juicy perfection on your indoor or outdoor grill.
One of the things I love about this BBQ Chicken is that it’s perfect for meal prep. We love making a double batch and enjoying in on salads all week for lunch, sliced over fresh pasta dishes, in pasta salads, and as a delicious main with some sweet potato wedges or baked potatoes and Caesar salad. The meal ideas are endless!
Ingredients for BBQ Chicken:
- boneless skinless chicken thighs and breasts
- smoked paprika
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- seasoning salt
- black pepper
- brown sugar (or use stevia brown sugar, if desired)
- barbecue sauce (use your favourite variety)
How to Make BBQ Chicken
Time needed: 35 minutes.
- Start with the chicken.
Choose good-quality chicken thighs and breasts that are boneless and skinless. Trim any excess fat.
- Use dry herbs in the rub.
Dry herbs have a ton of flavour and they don’t burn on the grill or in the pan like chopped fresh ones do.
- Mix together the rub ingredients.
Whisk them together until well blended.
- Rub on all sides.
The rub adds so much flavour, so be sure to get it onto all sides and into every crack and crevice.
- Let sit, or grill right away.
Feel free to let the rub sit on the chicken for up to an hour or so, or grill immediately. Your choice!
- Grill or pan fry.
This chicken tastes great off the grill but it also works well cooked in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop – just be sure to cook to an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius (165 Fahrenheit).
- Brush with barbecue sauce.
Choose your favourite barbecue sauce and brush it on for the last few minutes of grilling.
- Let the chicken rest.
Rest the chicken on a plate under some loose foil for 5 minutes before serving. This will keep the chicken nice and juicy!
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Can I make this recipe low-carb or keto?
Yes, there are a few options. Use a stevia brown sugar or other low-carb brown sugar substitute, or leave out the brown sugar altogether and chose a keto-friendly barbecue sauce.
Looking for more grilling recipes? You’ll love these Greek Style Turkey Burgers, these Grilled Chicken Legs or these Grilled Peaches with Yogurt, Honey and Walnuts!
I hope you love this chicken recipe as much as our family does! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite way to enjoy chicken in the summertime? I’d love to know!
Looking for even more delicious meal ideas? You’ll LOVE these ones I’ve linked below!
- Creamy One Pot Chicken Enchilada Pasta
- Thai Chicken Spiralized Zucchini Salad
- Ginger Soy Grilled Chicken
- White Wine and Herb Marinated Chicken
- Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
- Skillet Pesto Caprese Stuffed Chicken
- Honey Garlic and Lime Chicken
Healthy Whole-Food Recipes with Easy Cooking Tips
Get my healthy whole-food recipes e-cookbook!
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I make this delicious recipe. You can find more delicious recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
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BBQ Chicken
Recipe: Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 8 chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (or use low carb brown sugar substitute)
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce (or use sugar-free barbecue sauce)
Recipe: Instructions
- Trim the fat from any of the chicken pieces and place them in a shallow baking dish or on a tray. Feel free to butterfly the chicken breasts if they're very thick to reduce cooking time (optional).
- Mix together the paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, black pepper and brown sugar until combined.
- Rub this mixture onto all the chicken pieces, on all sides.
- Let sit for up to an hour in the fridge, or grill immediately.
- Heat your grill to medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken pieces onto the hot grill and wait for at least 7-8 minutes before attempting to flip. Every grill is different, so yours may take longer. Avoid flipping until the underside has begun to caramelize and releases easily from the grill. If your chicken is sticking, it's likely because it's not ready to be flipped yet.
- Flip the chicken pieces once they've caramelized on the first side. Grill for another 7-8 minutes, or more if needed, until the internal temperature reaches 74 degrees Celsius (165 Fahrenheit).
- Just before the chicken comes to temperature, brush all sides with barbecue sauce.
- Let the chicken rest after removing from the grill and loosely tent some foil over it while it rests for about 5 minutes.
- Serve with all your favourite summer dishes!
Recipe: Notes
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.