Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts
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Published May 14, 2025
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This is the best grilled BBQ chicken breast recipe, made with a flavorful homemade BBQ sauce. It’s perfectly juicy every time! No grill? No problem — I’m sharing options for cooking it on an outdoor grill, stovetop, or in the oven.
I’ve got a staple recipe for you today because even beginner cooks need a good grilled BBQ chicken recipe in their back pocket. It’s one of those classic dishes that’s simple, versatile, and always a crowd-pleaser — especially during the summer.
We’re using my homemade BBQ sauce for this recipe, and it’s sweet, tangy, and seriously so good. Trust me, once you try it, you won’t want to go back to the store-bought stuff!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If grilling season has you craving bold, saucy mains—this one’s for you:
- Simple ingredients – All you need is chicken, salt, pepper, and your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Quick and easy – This recipe comes together fast, making it perfect for weeknight dinners or summer cookouts. Make these grilled sweet potatoes at the same time and you’ll have a full meal ready in under 30 minutes.
- Meal-prep friendly – The leftovers are perfect for tossing into salads (this BBQ chicken salad is my fave!), wraps, grain bowls, or sandwiches throughout the week. I find that prepping a protein like this is a total lifesaver when you need a quick, satisfying meal but don’t have a ton of time.
Ingredients Needed
- chicken breasts – I recommend boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts if you want the leanest option, but you can also do bone-in, skin on chicken breasts if you prefer.
- sea salt and pepper – to season the meat before you grill and add the sauce.
- BBQ sauce – you can’t skip this! My easy homemade BBQ sauce is delicious, but store bought works too! See my notes below.
Easy Substitutions + Variations
Want to switch things up? Here are a few easy swaps:
- Use chicken thighs: Boneless thighs work great and tend to stay extra juicy. Just adjust cook time slightly as they’re usually thinner.
- Try a store-bought BBQ sauce: If you’re short on time, go with a cleaner bottled version. I recommend Primal Kitchen’s BBQ sauce because there is no sugar added and they use.
- No grill? No problem: You can also sear the chicken on a grill pan or cast iron skillet and finish it in the oven at 375ºF until it reaches 165ºF internally.
- Spice it up: Add some heat by stirring chipotle powder or cayenne into your BBQ sauce before brushing it on.
How to Make Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts
This grilled BBQ chicken recipe is super simple and perfect for summer dinners. Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Heat grill to medium-high. Once hot, place chicken on grill on the top rack. Grill for 5-6 minutes or until the underside of the chicken has grill marks and easily pulls away from the grill grates. Use tongs to flip the chicken breasts and grill for another 5-6 minutes.
Step 3: Brush BBQ sauce on the chicken breasts, flip and brush sauce on the other side.
Step 4: Let chicken cook for 3-4 more minutes or until cooked through. Chicken is done when it’s firm to the touch, opaque all the way through and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of meat registers 165ºF.
Brittany’s Tips for the Perfect BBQ Chicken
- Use a meat thermometer: For juicy, perfectly cooked chicken, aim for 165ºF at the thickest part. No guesswork needed!
- Top rack = juicy chicken: I always grill on the top rack when possible. You still get that smoky flavor without drying out the meat.
- Avoid cross-contamination: Don’t reuse BBQ sauce that touched raw chicken. Always use a clean brush or spoon when serving more sauce on the side.
Serving Suggestions
This grilled BBQ chicken is super versatile and pairs well with so many sides. Whether you’re serving it up at a backyard cookout or just making a quick weeknight dinner, here are some delicious ways to round out your plate:
How to Store Leftovers
Like I mentioned, this BBQ chicken is super versatile and perfect for meal prep! Let the chicken cool completely, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5–7 days. You can reheat it in the oven, on the stovetop, or in the microwave if you’re short on time.
I haven’t tried freezing the leftovers myself, but that should work just fine if you need longer storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
My meat thermometer is one of my prized possessions when cooking meat! It’s super helpful for making sure your meat is cooked enough – you don’t have to guess and potentially overcook your meat! The meat thermometer should read 165º when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast.
Cooking on the top rack of the grill helps keep chicken moist while still giving you great grill flavor. You can also lightly pound the chicken to an even thickness so it cooks evenly.
Yes! You can use a grill pan on the stovetop or even bake the chicken in the oven, then broil it for a couple minutes to caramelize the sauce. See my notes below for how to cook the chicken in the oven or over the stovetop.
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Grilled BBQ Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
- olive oil or avocado oil
- ⅓ cup homemade BBQ sauce, or favorite store-bought sauce (plus for more dipping)
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium-high. Liberally season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Once hot, clean and lightly oil grill grates. Place chicken on grill on the top rack. If you’re using skin-on chicken, place skin side down on grill rack. You can place chicken on the direct heat portion of the grill, but we swear by the top rack for grilling because your chicken stays moist and still gets that grilled flavor, but doesn't get charred.
- Grill chicken for 5-6 minutes or until the underside of the chicken has grill marks and easily pulls away from the grill grates, use tongs to flip the chicken breasts and grill for another 5-6 minutes. Brush BBQ sauce on the chicken breast, flip and brush sauce on the other side. Let chicken cook for 3-4 more minutes or until cooked through. Chicken is done when it's firm to the touch, opaque all the way through and a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of meat registers 165 degrees. Cook time will vary based on the size of your chicken breasts.
- Discard any sauce that came in contact with raw chicken and remove chicken breasts from the grill. Let rest for 1-2 minutes and then serve with additional (fresh) BBQ sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Storing: Let the chicken cool completely, then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5–7 days. You can reheat it in the oven, on the stovetop, or in the microwave if you’re short on time.
- No grill? I prefer this chicken grilled on an outdoor grill, but here are some other options if needed:
- On a grill pan – Heat a grill pan to high heat for about 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-high and coat the pan with olive oil to prevent sticking. Add seasoned chicken breasts to pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on the first side without moving so it can develop grill marks. Using tongs, flip the chicken breasts using a and cook the other side for 5-6 minutes. Once chicken is cooked through, remove from heat and brush BBQ sauce onto both sides of the chicken and serve.
- In the oven – Bake the seasoned chicken at 375ºF for 20 minutes, then brush on the BBQ sauce, cook for an additional 5-10 minutes and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Eating Bird Food is literally the BEST weight loss community anywhere I read it everyday, and I’m also so grateful I found https://bit.ly/3GXABAG, It helped me not only lose weight but keep it off, hope it helps some others!
So happy to hear you’ve been enjoying my recipes, Andreea! Thanks so much for the review :).
Simple and DELICIOUS!! It’s a keeper!!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for the review, Lynn!
Under the two what temperature should I cook my chicken it says 165° but in the recipe it says to cook to 160°. Which do I go by?
Sorry, it should be 165! Just fixed that on the blog post. 🙂