Featured Review
4.8 from 24 reviews

This was by far the best bbq chicken we have ever made. We used the beer brine and some bone in thighs along with some boneless chicken breasts. Absolutely amazing and tender. The rub was so tasty and we made a homemade bbq sauce. This recipe is a keeper!!! Thanks

Karen
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Tested and Perfected For Extra-Juicy and Flavorful Results Every Time!

If you’ve followed Plays Well With Butter for a while you know that we’re obsessed with all things grilling.

From beer brats to chicken wings, we’ve meticulously tested countless classic grilling recipes to get the absolute best results and they’ve become some of our reader’s absolute favorite dinner recipes, especially in the summer months.

This Grilled BBQ Chicken recipe is no exception!

Grilled BBQ chicken on a plate with macaroni salad, potato salad, & corn on the cob. The plate is surrounded by more side dishes, extra BBQ sauce & a glass of beer. this Recipe for Later!
Classic grilled BBQ chicken is a PWWB summer staple! Always juicy thanks to a beer brine and perfectly seasoned with a homemade dry rub before being grilled for a smoky char finish.

While grilling BBQ chicken seems really simple, doing it the right way, for perfect results, requires a little bit of technique.

Our trusted method for making the most tender, juicy, and smoky BBQ chicken depends on creating three layers of flavor with a quick brine, a homemade dry rub, and the 2-zone grilling method. All that’s left to do is slather on your favorite BBQ sauce for chicken that’s seasoned and flavorful all the way through.

Join the 30,000+ readers who have saved this recipe and make it your new go-to grilled chicken dinner, we can’t wait for you to try it!

Barbecue chicken on the grill, slathered in BBQ sauce.
Tender and juicy grilled chicken with crispy charred and caramelized edges is a total summer staple.

The Best Chicken For Grilled BBQ Chicken

The best chicken parts to use for BBQ chicken are whatever parts you love most. Seriously! This recipe is so versatile it will work great with chicken breasts, chicken thighs, drumsticks, leg quarters, and even chicken wings.

For this recipe, I’m especially partial to bone-in chicken thighs! Dark meat has a higher fat content that renders and becomes even more flavorful and juicy compared to boneless chicken parts, which is why you see them pictured in this post.

No matter what you choose this chicken is sure to be a hit!

Ingredients for the easiest grilled BBQ chicken recipe! Chicken thighs, beer, BBQ sauce & a simple dry rub arranged on a white marble surface.
Bone-in chicken thighs are a favorite choice for this grilled chicken recipe – but feel free to use whatever you love most!

Love Crispy Chicken Skin? Since this recipe involves a dry rub, the chicken skin gets perfectly crisp on the grill. 😋 Pro Tip! ⇢ The chicken skin will soak up the sauce pretty quickly, so it’s best to only add BBQ sauce to the skin-on side just as you serve it. (Soggy, saucy chicken skin is no good!)

An Easy Brine Keeps Things EXTRA Juicy!

Because chicken is a lean protein, marinating or brining it in a liquid before you barbecue is key in helping to ensure your barbecue chicken stays totally juicy and doesn’t dry out on the grill.

My absolute favorite trick for adding rich, deep flavor to the chicken is soaking chicken in beer. While it won’t make the chicken taste like beer, it will keep the chicken nice and juicy throughout grilling.🍻

Bone-in, skin on chicken thighs in a simple beer brine in a glass bowl atop a white marbled surface.
Brining your chicken in beer (or buttermilk!) is a crucial step to ensure your chicken stays nice and juicy while on the grill.

For the best flavor, use a full-bodied, dry, and hoppy beer, such as an IPA. Brine the chicken for up to 3 days in the fridge. The longer you can brine the more flavor you’ll get but if you only have 15 minutes before dinner needs to get on the grill, please don’t skip this step. Even the quickest brine will make a difference!

Don’t Like Beer? Use Buttermilk! If beer isn’t your thing (I get it!), you can use buttermilk, which is totally classic and has the added benefit of naturally tenderizing the chicken. Pro Tip! ⇢ If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can DIY it by adding a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to regular ol’ milk.

Build Bold Flavor with Homemade BBQ Dry Rub

My go-to BBQ chicken rub is so simple to make with pantry spices, and it’s filled with flavor.

Chili powder, paprika, and cumin add rich, smokiness, while garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard powder provide nice aromatics. To finish, the littlest bit of brown sugar adds the perfect kiss of sweetness.

It takes less than 5 minutes to mix up and you’ll want to grill with it all summer long!

Spices are displayed on a small white plate atop a white marbled surface: chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and brown sugar.
A simple blend of pantry spices and brown sugar makes for a perfect smoky dry rub with a touch of sweetness.
A mixed spice blend sits in a small white bowl with a spoon atop a white marbled surface.
The brown sugar in the dry rub caramelizes on the grill creating flavorful grilled chicken with caramelly charred edges.
Brined chicken thighs arranged on a small sheet pan. The chicken thighs are generously coated in a dry rub.
If using skin-on chicken, be sure to work your fingers under the skin to season both sides for added flavor.

Summer Grilling Essentials

How To Grill BBQ Chicken

Now for the fun part – grilling! The secret to perfectly cooked, juicy, and tender grilled BBQ chicken lies in zone grilling.

By creating 2 distinct zones of heat on your grill, you’ll cook your chicken with really gentle, steady indirect heat before finishing it over strong direct heat.

The result is grilled BBQ chicken that’s perfectly juicy and tender through the middle, with the best crispy and charred exterior every single time!

Chicken thighs on the grill, slathered in BBQ sauce. Sitting next to the grill are 4 bottles of BBQ sauce. One sauce has been poured into a small white bowl, with a small pastry brush for basting.
2-zone grilling yields perfectly cooked chicken every time. Flipping and basting with your favorite BBQ sauce while cooking over direct heat gives the chicken a smoky char and saucy finish.
1

Cook first with indirect heat. Place the seasoned chicken on the indirect side of the grill (skin side up, if using skin-on chicken), as close to the fire as possible without being over the direct heat. Pro Tip! ⇢ Be sure to close the lid while indirect grilling to keep the grill temperature within the desired range. Rotate the chicken 180 degrees every 15 minutes, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 150 degrees F.

2

Finish over direct heat. Move the chicken over direct heat to finish cooking then baste the chicken with your BBQ sauce of choice, allowing it to cook for 2 minutes. Next, flip the chicken using tongs, baste it with more sauce, and cook for 2 minutes more. Repeat this process 2-3 times, until chicken is as charred and saucy as desired, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 160 degrees F.

3

Allow the chicken to rest. Carryover heat will cause the internal temperature to continue to rise. Let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes until it has reached a safe 165 degrees F. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Learn more! ⇢ Be sure to check out our comprehensive guide to 2-zone grilling for tips on how to use zone grilling on a gas or charcoal grill.

Using an instant-read thermometer is the best way to ensure doneness.
Grilled barbecue chicken thighs getting brushed with BBQ sauce.
The chicken is ready to serve once cooked through and coated in your favorite BBQ sauce.

Serving Suggestions

When it comes to side dishes, I like to keep things super classic and serve the barbecue chicken alongside a classic potato salad, broccoli salad, or my mom’s macaroni salad. It’s also delicious with grilled vegetables or in a BBQ chicken bowl!

Grilled BBQ chicken on a plate with macaroni salad, potato salad, and corn on the cob. The plate is surrounded by more side dishes, extra sauce & a glass of beer.
Serve this classic grilled chicken dinner with grilled veggies and your favorite summer side dishes.

I can’t wait for you to try this Grilled Barbecue Chicken recipe. If you do, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! Happy grilling! ♡

Print
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6 grilled BBQ chicken thighs on a small baking sheet. Some of the chicken pieces are slathered in barbecue sauce, while others have crispy skin.

Extra-Juicy Grilled BBQ Chicken

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 24 reviews
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 12 hours (includes inactive time)
  • Yield: serves 6-8 1x
  • Category: Main Dishes, Chicken Recipes
  • Method: Grilling & Smoking
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

The best Grilled BBQ Chicken recipe!

Barbecue chicken is totally classic but surprisingly difficult to do the right way. This easy recipe utilizes a quick BBQ chicken marinade, a flavorful dry rub, and indirect grilling, yielding perfectly tender, juicy, and flavorful BBQ chicken every time.

Sure to become your new go-to summer staple meal!

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Ingredients

Scale
  • one 4–5-pound package bone-in chicken thighs (see Recipe Notes)
  • kosher salt, to season
  • 2 cups BBQ sauce of choice

for the grilled BBQ chicken marinade/brine:

  • one 16-ounce beer of choice (see Recipe Notes)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

for the grilled BBQ chicken dry rub:

  • 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons mustard powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • optional: ⅛-¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

PREP:

  • Chicken: If you’d like to make BBQ chicken without the skin, tear the skin off of each chicken thigh. If you’d like to make skin-on BBQ chicken, simply trim off any excess skin or fat.
  • Dry rub: Add all listed ingredients to a small bowl or jar. Stir to combine. Set aside, or store on your spice rack in an airtight container for up to 2 months. 

Grilled BBQ Chicken:

  1. Brine the chicken: Add the beer (or buttermilk) to a large bowl or ziptop bag. Add in the kosher salt and stir to combine. Add the chicken, submerging all the parts in the beer mixture. Set aside to brine for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 days. If brining longer than 1 hour, be sure to store the chicken in the brine in an airtight container or ziptop bag in the refrigerator. If I have the time, I usually try to brine for at least 12 hours. 
  2. Preheat the grill: Prepare your grill for indirect cooking, creating a zone of direct high heat and a second zone of indirect heat. If using a gas grill, begin preheating at least 15 minutes before grilling. If using charcoal, light the charcoal at least 30 minutes prior to grilling. (To learn more about zone grilling, be sure to check out this post.)
  3. Season the chicken: Once the grill is hot, remove the chicken from the brine, patting off any excess moisture with a paper towel. Season generously with salt and the BBQ chicken dry rub. If using skin-on chicken, work your fingers under the skin to season both sides of the skin. 
  4. Grill the barbecue chicken: Place the seasoned chicken on the indirect side of the grill (skin side up, if using skin-on chicken), as close to the fire as possible without being over the direct heat. Cook the chicken, rotating the pieces 180 degrees every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 150 degrees F. Depending on the size of your chicken and the temperature of your grill, this could take as little as 15 minutes or up to 40 minutes. 
  5. Baste the chicken: Move the chicken over direct heat. If using skin-on pieces, flip the chicken so the skin-side is down. Use a pastry brush to baste the BBQ chicken with BBQ sauce and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for 2 minutes more. If using skinless chicken, baste the second side with BBQ sauce; if using skin-on chicken, I suggest not applying BBQ sauce to the skin to keep it nice and crispy. Repeat 2-3 times, until your chicken is as charred and saucy as desired and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 160 degrees F. Remove from the grill and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. Carryover heat will cause the internal temperature to continue to rise as it rests. The chicken will be ready to serve once an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken (without hitting the bone) registers a temperature of 165 degrees F. 
  6. Serve your grilled BBQ chicken with extra BBQ sauce and your favorite summer side dishes. Enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

  • Best chicken to use for grilled BBQ chicken: Use whatever you love most—seriously. This recipe will work great with chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken wings, drumsticks—whatever you love! I prefer chicken thighs, which is what you see pictured in this blog post.
    • Bone-in vs boneless: If possible, I strongly suggest using bone-in chicken parts, as they tend to be more flavorful and juicy than boneless parts.
    • Skin-on vs skinless: Whether or not you leave the skin on the chicken is up to you. Removing the skin from your chicken will help you create what you likely think of when you think of grilled BBQ chicken—a chicken piece coated in layers of BBQ sauce. Because this recipe involves a dry rub and the chicken skin gets perfectly crispy on the grill, I also like making some pieces with the skin still on. The chicken skin will soak up the sauce pretty quickly, so it’s best to only add BBQ sauce to the skin-on side just as you serve it. (Soggy, saucy chicken skin is no good!). It just depends on what you’re craving! 
  • Brining liquid: Beer-brined chicken is simply the best! Even if you don’t love the flavor of beer or you’re not typically a beer drinker, a beer brine adds rich, earthy flavor to chicken that’s pretty hard to beat. For the best flavor, use a big, hoppy beer such as an IPA. If you’d prefer not to use beer, buttermilk is an awesome option—it makes the chicken extra juicy and tender. If you do not have buttermilk on hand, you can quickly DIY it by adding 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. You’ll need 1 ½ cups of buttermilk for the chicken brine. 
  • 10-minute meal prep: To prep your grilled barbecue chicken ahead of time, I suggest brining the chicken according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions and preparing the dry rub according to the Prep notes. At dinnertime, all you have to do is fire up the grill, season the chicken, and grill. Easy!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 240
  • Sugar: 31.1 g
  • Sodium: 1054.9 mg
  • Fat: 4.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 40.3 g
  • Fiber: 1.5 g
  • Protein: 5.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 23.6 mg
Close up of a grilled barbecue chicken thigh slathered in BBQ sauce.

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