Bbq Chicken Grilled Or Baked

During the warmer weather months, I’m always outside making grilled salmon, grilled vegetables and this flavorful and succulent barbecue chicken. My kids request this recipe all summer long! Add a side of dill potato salad for a fabulous meal.

BBQ chicken is a summer staple for good reason – it’s a great way to feed a crowd, simple to make, and goes well with a variety of side dishes. I’ve also provided an option for baked BBQ chicken that’s great to make all year round.

How do you make BBQ chicken?

This recipe starts with bone-in, skin on chicken pieces. You can buy an assortment of your favorite cuts of chicken, or cut a whole chicken into 8 pieces. The chicken pieces are brushed with a little oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, then they go onto the grill. Once the chicken is cooked most of the way through, brush some BBQ sauce over the top. Continue to cook the chicken until it is done, then add a final coating of BBQ sauce and serve.

Tips for the perfect BBQ chicken

I typically make this recipe with chicken thighs and drumsticks as they are inexpensive and have a lot of flavor. If you use chicken breasts, you may want to cut them in half crosswise so that they cook at the same rate as the smaller chicken pieces. You can use any type of BBQ sauce that you like. I typically make my own homemade BBQ sauce, but a high quality store bought sauce is also a great choice. This chicken makes great leftovers. You can reheat it in a covered dish in the oven, or in the microwave. Looking for even more flavor? Try coating your chicken pieces with BBQ rub before they hit the grill. If you don’t have an outdoor grill or it’s too cold to barbecue, use an indoor grill pan or the oven. To cook this chicken in the oven, simply roast it at high heat, brush on sauce towards the end, then broil until the sauce is caramelized.

How long do you barbecue chicken for?

Bone-in skin-on chicken pieces take about 30-40 minutes to cook through. You’ll want to cook the chicken until it’s almost done, then add the sauce during the last 5 minutes of the cooking time. If you add the sauce too soon, it may burn due to the sugar content.

How do you know when chicken is done?

Chicken is safe to eat when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees F. The chicken should not be pink inside, and the juices should run clear. I use a digital thermometer with a remote so that I can monitor the progress of the chicken as it cooks. When the chicken reaches about 160 degrees F, I brush on the BBQ sauce and finish the cooking process.