![Southern Living BBQ Chicken on a platter ready to serve with coleslaw](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.southernliving.com/thmb/SA3CCUfOi3F5HTVJE35N-cECt_0=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/BBQ_Chicken_014-52042bbd6a32499ea0f9a8cb1a227d24.jpg)
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Low-and-slow grilled BBQ chicken is perfect for your next outdoor party. Leaving the skin on the chicken while cooking helps yield juicy meat. The dry rub slowly melts into the skin and meat as it cooks, infusing every bite with spice and flavor.
If there are any leftovers, the chicken can be shredded and served with macaroni and cheese or on top of a loaded baked potato. Leftover BBQ chicken is also great chopped and served over a salad.
Learn how to make grilled BBQ chicken, and you'll never run out of ways to use this wonderful protein.
The Secret to the Best BBQ Chicken
We have to be honest here. There are faster ways to cook chicken. If you're pressed for time, grilled chicken is a great option. Or swap thighs and legs for quick-cooking cuts of chicken like chicken tenders or chicken cutlets.
But proper barbecued chicken isn't going to be done quickly. In fact, it could take up to an hour or more (depending on the size of the chicken you're cooking) to reach temperature. That's because barbecue chicken is cooked over a lower temperature to develop flavor, while grilled chicken is cooked over a higher temperature to be done faster.
So the secret to the best BBQ chicken? Time.
How To Make BBQ Chicken
The process of making BBQ chicken is quite easy. The hardest part is the patience you'll need to get the chicken cooked to temperature. But with this recipes, you can guarantee you'll have perfectly cooked BBQ chicken that's juicy, tender, and incredibly flavorful. (Get the full recipe below.)
- Step 1. Season the chicken: First, prepare the dry rub. This comes together quickly, making it perfect to mix together in the morning before grilling—or several days ahead, in fact. Toss the chicken in the dry rub.
- Step 2. Chill chicken: After seasoning the chicken with the rub, place it in a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag, and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours or until ready to cook, turning the bag over occasionally, if possible.
- Step 3. Let chicken warm up slightly: When ready to grill, remove the chicken from the refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature while you preheat the grill to medium.
- Step 4. Start chicken at a higher temp: Place the chicken, skin side down, on the grill, and cook until the chicken starts to turn golden
- Step 5. Lower the heat: After starting the chicken on the grill at medium heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and let cook, turning and basting occasionally.
- Step 6. Rest, then serve: Be sure to let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients for BBQ Chicken
Our BBQ chicken recipe uses basic pantry ingredients for the rub and your choice of barbecue sauce for the basting. The full list of ingredients is further down the page.
- Light brown sugar: A little sugar adds just enough sweetness to the dry rub.
- Kosher salt: Salt is key for seasoning. We used kosher salt here, but if using table salt, reduce the amount to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Smoked paprika: Adds a little smokiness to the mix.
- Onion powder and garlic powder: Common ingredients in barbecue sauce, these give the rub some extra flavor.
- Black pepper: For a bit of mild heat.
- Cayenne pepper: For a little more heat. If you want your chicken spicier, feel free to add more.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces: You can use whatever cut of bone-in, skin-on chicken you like, but just keep in mind that larger pieces will take longer to cook if using a mixture. We recommend bone-in chicken so it will stay juicy during the barbecue process.
- Barbecue sauce: We tested with Stubb’s Original, but Texas-Style BBQ Sauce or Sweet-and-Spicy Barbecue Sauce would be great if you want to make your own.
![ingredients for bbq chicken including chicken pieces, spices, and bbq sauce](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/WT9pM9fB8AGhck588oqRhe_CSbs=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/BBQ_Chicken_002-476370a5803f4646b03559a71bfb296f.jpg)
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Best Cuts for BBQ Chicken
You can use any cut of meat you want for BBQ chicken, but it's a good idea to follow one simple rule: Keep the sizes and types similar.
- Bone-in vs. boneless: We prefer bone-in chicken. It has more flavor and stays juicy. Boneless chicken will cook much faster than bone-in. It's also likely to dry out faster. But as long as you're keeping an eye on the temperatures, you can cook with boneless chicken.
- Skin-on vs. skinless: We also like to cook chicken with the skin on. The skin acts as a flavorful barrier, providing the meat with juiciness and richness while protecting it from overcooking. You don't have to eat the skin if you don't want to, but we prefer to leave it on while cooking.
How Long To Cook BBQ Chicken
With our technique for making BBQ chicken, bone-in cuts like thighs, breast halves, and drumsticks take about an hour from the moment they first hit the grill to reach 165°F, or the temperature at which you can pull them from the heat.
Precisely how long it will take to cook BBQ chicken depends on a few factors: the size of the chicken pieces, the temperature of the grill, and the temperature of the chicken when you started cooking it.
Best Sides for BBQ Chicken
You can't enjoy BBQ chicken without a plate full of creamy, rich side dishes with it. So here are some favorites to get your menu started:
- Deviled Egg Potato Salad
- Classic Coleslaw
- Tomato-Mozzarella Salad
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Baked Zucchini Fries
![Southern Living BBQ Chicken on a platter to serve with additional barbecue sauce](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/dKIKar-1K4mI5Gn2HunnHQ5uGx4=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/BBQ_Chicken_013-3b624e11dc714e66950d9a5d36ba9f03.jpg)
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Ingredients
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1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
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1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
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1 tsp. smoked paprika
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1/2 tsp. onion powder
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1/2 tsp. garlic powder
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1/4 tsp. black pepper
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1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
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4 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (such as thighs, drumsticks, or breast halves)
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1 cup homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce (such as Stubb’s Original), plus more to serve
Directions
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Prepare dry rub and season chicken:
In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Rub all over chicken pieces.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Place chicken in a zip-top plastic bag and chill 8-12 hours or until ready to cook.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Prepare chicken to grill:
Remove chicken from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30-45 minutes to come up to room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium (350°F to 400°F).
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Barbecue the chicken:
Place chicken, skin sides down, on oiled grates; grill, uncovered, 7-8 minutes until grill marks appear and skin starts to turn golden.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Flip chicken:
Reduce heat to medium-low (300°F to 350°F). Flip chicken; brush with barbecue sauce and close grill.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Cook, basting with sauce every 5-7 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken registers 160°F, about 25-45 minutes (larger pieces of chicken will need to cook longer).
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Flip and baste again:
Flip chicken, baste again with sauce, and continue to cook until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of thigh registers 165°F, 3-5 minutes. Discard any remaining barbecue sauce used for basting.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
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Let rest and serve:
Remove chicken from grill and let rest 10 minutes.
Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Serve with additional barbecue sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
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We recommend bone-in pieces of chicken, like thighs, drumsticks, or split breasts. If you are using a mixture of sizes (like thighs and breasts), be sure to give the larger pieces a head start on the grill before adding the smaller cuts. Cook time can vary quite a bit depending on how hot your grill is, how cold the chicken is when you start cooking, and how large the chicken pieces are.
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We recommend using your favorite sauce! We tested with Stubb’s Original, but Texas-Style BBQ Sauce or Sweet-and-Spicy Barbecue Sauce would be great if you want to make your own.
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According to the USDA, chicken should be cooked to 165°F before serving. We recommend using an instant-read thermometer to tell when the chicken pieces are cooked through. Letting the chicken rest after removing from the grill also helps make sure it will be juicy when you’re ready to serve.
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It's up to you to leave skin on the chicken or remove it, but we recommend it stays. That's because chicken skin imparts a lot of flavor into the meat while it cooks. It also helps hold in moisture so the chicken doesn't become dry while on the grill. You can remove it if you want before eating the chicken.