BBQ Chicken Recipe

This no-fuss BBQ chicken recipe is a must-try at your next summer cookout!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Rest Time 5

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 438kcal

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken pieces (mix of breast, thighs, drumsticks) (1,350g)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup BBQ sauce (240mL)

Preheat the grill to low (350°F).
In a small bowl, stir together the salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and rub the oil all over each piece. Sprinkle the spice mix all over the chicken.
Place the chicken pieces skin-side up on the hot grill. Close the lid and grill for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and grill, covered, for another 10 minutes. Continue to grill the chicken, flipping every 10 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Total cooking time will be 35 to 40 minutes.
Brush one side of the chicken with BBQ sauce and cook, covered, for 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and brush the other side with more BBQ sauce. Cook another 3 minutes, covered, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from grill and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with extra BBQ sauce.

Do not cook the chicken straight out of the refrigerator. Let the chicken sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before you start grilling so it is closer to room temperature when it goes onto the hot grill. Completely chilled chicken can take longer to cook, resulting in burned skin with undercooked middles.
Use a meat thermometer. An instant-read thermometer is the most convenient way to tell whether the chicken is fully cooked to 165°F. This is especially important if you are cooking chicken breast pieces, which become very dry when overcooked. For succulent, juicy chicken, use a thermometer!
Baste the chicken pieces with BBQ sauce later. Since barbecue sauce contains sugar, adding it to the chicken at the beginning of grilling will burn. In this recipe, each side is basted with sauce and only cooked for a few minutes before coming off the grill for a perfectly cooked and flavorful chicken.
Let the cooked chicken rest. Allowing the chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving allows the juices to redistribute so the chicken is perfectly moist and juicy.