Barbecue Chicken

I grew up in a grilling household in the Midwest. During the glorious springs and summers, my family would take every opportunity to cook our favorite grilling recipes. We’d gather around the patio dining table, enjoying a soft breeze and the umbrella’s cool shade. Aside from shish kabobs, barbecue chicken was the most popular thing we grilled.

Barbecue chicken is a timeless pick because it’s economical, easy, quick and just so tasty. Our recipe starts with two whole chickens, cut into pieces. If you prefer, you can buy an equal amount of chicken pieces—light meat, dark meat or a mix. The key is using bone-in, skin-on chicken. After that, this recipe has three basic steps that’ll give you masterful barbecue: grilling the chicken, making a sauce, and slathering the sauce on the chicken. In under an hour, you’ll have juicy, saucy, slightly crisped chicken to serve alongside your other favorite barbecue recipes.

Ingredients for Barbecue Chicken

• Broiler/fryer chickens: For this recipe, you’ll need two whole chickens. The ones labeled “broiler” or “fryer” are smaller, younger chickens, around 3 to 4 pounds each. If you’re not at ease with breaking down a chicken, choose an equal number of already-cut pieces or ask your butcher to cut yours into pieces.
• Salt and pepper: Classic, simple seasoning primes your chicken for the grill. Use the types of salt and pepper you prefer.
• Barbecue sauce: A homemade barbecue or wing sauce makes all the difference in terms of flavor, color and aroma. This barbecue sauce includes things you likely already have in the kitchen: canola oil, onions, ketchup, lemon juice, brown sugar, mustard, ground mustard, garlic powder, pepper, salt and hot pepper sauce.

Directions

Step 1: Prep and grill the chicken

Sprinkle the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken, skin side down, uncovered, on a greased grill rack over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Remove the chicken from the fridge about 30 minutes before seasoning it. That gives you time to heat the grill. Depending on the type of grill you have, it might take 5 to 20 minutes to preheat fully, so plan on that time before you add the chicken.

Step 2: Make the barbecue sauce

While the chicken cooks, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute them until they’re tender. Stir in the ketchup, lemon juice, brown sugar, mustard, ground mustard, garlic powder, pepper, salt and hot pepper sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: If you like extra or less heat in your barbecue sauce, simply modify the amounts of pepper and pepper sauce to your liking. You can even leave them out altogether if your crowd is heat-averse.

Step 3: Sauce the chicken and finish grilling

Turn the chicken on the grill, and brush the pieces with the barbecue sauce. Grill the chicken for 15 to 25 minutes longer, brushing frequently with the sauce, until a thermometer reads 165°F when inserted in the breast and 170° to 175° in the thigh.

Editor’s Tip: Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken. After removing it from the grill, let the cooked chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This will let the juices redistribute into the meat, giving it a juicier bite.

Barbecue Chicken Variations

• Bake your barbecue chicken: When the weather isn’t cooperating, make oven-barbecued chicken. Add a few minutes under the broiler to crisp the skin and caramelize the sauce.
• Use a rub: Skip the sauce and opt for a dry rub instead. Why? A dry rub is pure seasoning without the moisture, so you’ll get crisper skin on the outside and juicier meat on the inside. Try our paprika dry rub, fresh herb rub or the rub from our spice-rubbed chicken thighs for your next barbecue.
• Use store-bought sauce: If you have a favorite barbecue sauce, you can use it on this chicken! You’ll need about 2 cups of sauce to match the amount you make in this recipe, but, of course, you can make it more or less saucy to taste.

How to Store Barbecue Chicken

Depending on how long you want leftovers to last, you can store your barbecue chicken in the refrigerator or the freezer. Let the chicken cool before you store it, and don’t keep it at room temperature for longer than two hours.

How long does barbecue chicken last?

Chicken stored in an airtight container lasts up to four days in the fridge.

Can you freeze barbecue chicken?

To freeze your cooked chicken, let it cool, then store it in an airtight freezer container for up to four months.

How do you reheat barbecue chicken?

There are many straightforward ways to reheat chicken leftovers, including on the stove, in the oven or in an air fryer. Whichever method you choose, reheat your chicken to 165°.

Barbecue Chicken Tips

How do you cut up a whole chicken?

Don’t let cutting up a whole chicken intimidate you. With the right tools, it takes only a few minutes. Plus, it’s cheaper to buy an entire chicken! If you’re still nervous about it, you can always ask the butcher at the meat counter to cut it up for you. There’s no shame in asking for help.

Do you put barbecue sauce on chicken before or after grilling?

You typically put barbecue sauce on chicken while it cooks or at the end of the cooking time. Barbecue sauce contains a lot of sugar, and those sugars will get ultra-caramelized (aka burnt!) if they are on the grill too long. That’s why we pre-cook the chicken in this recipe before beginning to slather on the sauce.

How do you make barbecue chicken without drying it out?

It can be confusing to know how long it takes to barbecue chicken without it drying out. In this barbecue chicken recipe, you’ll cook your chicken over medium heat—around 350°. Pay attention to the cooking times. White meat is done when it reaches 165°, and dark meat (legs, thighs and wings) should be 170° to 175°. Your white meat will likely cook up faster than your dark meat, so check it and remove it as needed.

If you want to go the extra mile, you can marinate or brine the chicken before grilling it. Marinating and brining meats allow the meat to soak up even more flavor and moisture before cooking.

What can you serve with barbecue chicken?

Serve your barbecue chicken with all the classic barbecue side-dish staples. Your menu should offer a mixture of colors, textures, cooking methods and food groups. Golden skillet cornbread, saucy baked beans, crispy coleslaw, buttered dinner rolls and ice-cold beverages would be absolutely perfect.