BBQ Chicken Marinade

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This 7-ingredient BBQ chicken marinade is easy to make & results in moist, flavorful barbecue chicken every single time!

5 grilled bbq chicken breasts, one cut into slices

Barbecue chicken is my favorite grilling main dish. Served with a side of coleslaw, potato salad and juicy watermelon it’s the perfect summer dinner!

This bbq chicken recipe is easy to make with 8 ingredients. It’s infused with flavor, super moist and delicious served in so many ways – especially as the main ingredient in this BBQ chicken salad or as a topping on BBQ chicken pizza – Yum!

2 grilled bbq chicken breasts on a plate with a salad, one cut into strips

BBQ Chicken Marinade: Ingredients & Substitutions

overhead photo of the ingredients in this BBQ Chicken Marinade recipe
  • BBQ Sauce. Choose your favorite variety. I prefer this organic BBQ sauce because of it’s flavor and ingredients list.
  • Olive Oil. avocado oil or canola oil are suitable substitutes.
  • Dijon mustard. choose your favorite variety such as spicy mustard, yellow mustard or honey mustard.
  • Light Brown sugar. dark brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey are good substitutes.
  • Smoked paprika. I adore the flavor of smoked paprika – regular paprika works well too.
  • Minced garlic. 1 tsp garlic powder can be used in place of 1 Tablespoons minced garlic.
a grilled bbq chicken breast cut into strips

How to Make BBQ Chicken

Let’s walk through how to make barbecue chicken step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video!

Marinate the Chicken

Begin by marinating the chicken breasts. Put them into a glass container with a lid or in a plastic bag inside another container (in case the bag leaks).

How to Make BBQ Chicken - chicken breasts in a glass contianer

Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients – reserve ยผ cup of the marinade for brushing onto the chicken while grilling.

two photos showing whisking together ingredients to make bbq chicken marinade

Next, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken and turn to coat the chicken.

Then, marinate the BBQ chicken in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours, or at room temperature for up to 1 hour. 

two photos showing How to Make BBQ Chicken - marinating chicken in a glass container

Grill the BBQ Chicken

Once the chicken is thoroughly marinated, remove the breasts from the marinade and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

How to Make BBQ Chicken - marinated chicken breasts on a plate with salt and pepper

Then, grill the barbecue chicken over medium heat for about 5 minutes on the first side, and 3-5 on the second side, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Important note: grilling time with vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. Thinner breasts cook faster.

Brush the chicken with the remaining marinade during grilling.

How to Make BBQ Chicken - BBQ sauce being brushed onto a chicken breast on the grill

Serve

Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes on a serving plate before cutting and serving. Serve it with your favorite BBQ sides! Here are some of mine:

My two favorite ways to enjoy BBQ chicken are in this Barbecue Chicken Salad Recipe or on BBQ chicken pizza!

How to Make BBQ Chicken - 5 grilled bbq chicken breasts on a plate

Store/Freeze

Store leftover barbecue chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Cover and reheat in the microwave or in the oven set to warm until heated through.

2 grilled bbq chicken breasts on a plate with a salad, one cut into 6 strips

Grilled BBQ Chicken Recipe FAQs

Should you marinate chicken before grilling?

Yes, always! I always marinate chicken before grilling because it keeps it moist and infuses it with flavor.

Is it good to marinate chicken in BBQ sauce?

Yes! I use BBQ sauce in this recipe because it helps tenderize the meat and infuse every bite with flavor.

How long should I marinate BBQ chicken?

You can marinate this barbecue chicken for as short as 1 hour or long as 6 hours in the refrigerator. Do not marinate longer than 6 hours.

Should you poke holes in chicken to marinate?

No, I do not recommend doing this. Marinades diffuse into the meat from areas of high concentration to low concentration. Holes won’t help!

grilled BBQ Chicken breasts on a plate with a fork

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BBQ Chicken Marinade Recipe

Laura
This 7-ingredient BBQ chicken marinade is easy to make & results in moist, flavorful barbecue chicken every single time!
5 from 2 votes
Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 171
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinating1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless, skinless
  • salt & pepper

BBQ Marinade:

Instructions 

Marinate chicken

  • Place chicken breasts into a glass container with a lid or in a plastic bag inside another container (in case the bag leaks).
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients – reserve ยผ cup of the marinade for brushing onto the chicken while grilling.
  • Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken and turn to coat the chicken.
  • Marinate in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours, or at room temperature for up to 1 hour.

Grill

  • Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and sprinkle them with salt and pepper
  • Grill over medium heat for about 5 minutes on the first side, and 3-5 on the second side, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. (NOTE: grilling time with vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts).
  • Brush with remaining marinade during grilling.
  • Cover the chicken and let it rest for 5 minutes on a serving plate before cutting and serving.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions
  • BBQ Sauce. Choose your favorite variety. I prefer this organic BBQ sauce because of it’s flavor and ingredients list.
  • Olive Oil. avocado oil or canola oil are suitable substitutes.
  • Dijon mustard. choose your favorite variety such as spicy mustard, yellow mustard or honey mustard.
  • Light Brown sugar. dark brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup or honey are good substitutes.
  • Smoked paprika. I adore the flavor of smoked paprika – regular paprika works well too.
  • Minced garlic. 1 tsp garlic powder can be used in place of 1 Tablespoons minced garlic.
Store/Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Cover and reheat in the microwave or in the oven set to warm until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25pound | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 436mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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