76 Grilled Chicken Recipes You'll Make All Summer Long
From sweet-and-smoky BBQ to bold jerk spices (and everything in between), these are our favorite ways to cook up this summertime staple.
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Our Best Grilled Chicken Ideas
Grilled chicken is one of our favorite things to eat during the summer. It’s got a great, lightly charred flavor that pairs perfectly with all our favorite seasonings. Whether we grill up a whole chicken, perch the bird atop an open brewski for an always-impressive beer can presentation or simply toss a few chicken breasts onto the grates, this summertime staple is always a winner. Once you’ve mastered the basics (and know how to avoid the one mistake that leads to dry poultry) you’ll find that you’re making it all the time, too. We’ve rounded up plenty of recipes to get you through grilling season, but this one has to be our all-time favorite. It calls for chicken thighs, which always stay nice and juicy. A simple marinade, dotted with spicy pink peppercorns, imparts tons of flavor—and just the right amount of kick.
Get the Recipe: Marinated Chicken Thighs
Yakitori Negima
Yakitori negima is one of the more popular iterations of the made-to-order grilled chicken skewers commonly enjoyed with a cold beer at bars in Japan. Featuring chicken and scallion pieces, this version calls for brushing the skewers with a sweet soy glaze (tare or teriyaki) that turns nice and caramelized on the grill. Here we call for a grill or grill pan but you can also cook them under a heated broiler or over the low coals of a campfire, turning them frequently and watching carefully to avoid scorching. You'll want to use paddle-type skewers, which are flatter than the usual kind and easier to turn; look for them at Japanese markets and online.
Get the Recipe: Negima Yakitori
Sweet Tea Brined Chicken with Peaches, Mint and Arugula
Brining is a great way to add flavors and make sure your chicken stays super moist. The sweet tea brine used here goes further by adding a beautiful color to the finished chicken and screams summer. It also leaves behind a subtle sweetness that make this chicken irresistible. Grilling over indirect heat means you don’t have to worry about flareups or burning your chicken. A quick finish on the direct heat crisps up the skin and makes it as delicious as the meat. A grilled peach and arugula salad completes this meal for the perfect summer dinner.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Tea Brined Chicken with Peaches, Mint and Arugula
Grilled Chicken
Ree marinates chicken breasts for roughly 24 hours in a simple yet fragrant mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, honey and salt. Get great grill marks by letting the chicken cook uninterrupted.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken
Grilled Chicken with Cobb Salad
The classic Cobb salad gets a summertime makeover and we are here for it. Chicken breasts come out tender every time with a quick buttermilk marinade.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Cobb Salad
Ultimate Barbecued Chicken
Tyler starts out with flavorful chicken legs and thighs, brines them to make them extra juicy and then takes it over the top with his homemade smoky-sweet Ultimate Barbecue Sauce.
Get the Recipe: The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken
Grilled Chicken Greek Salad
Toss together a simple Greek salad and top it with wedges of grilled pita and a skewer of grilled chicken for a dinner that's ready in 30 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Greek Salad
Grilled Chicken Wings with Spicy Chipotle Hot Sauce and Blue Cheese-Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Bobby whips up a smoky chipotle sauce for his grilled chicken wings using Dijon mustard, chipotle puree and ancho chile powder. The cool blue cheese-yogurt dip is perfect for cutting the intense smokiness.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Wings with Spicy Chipotle Hot Sauce and Blue Cheese-Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Beer Can Chicken
This Beer Can Chicken stands apart from the crowd thanks to the Neelys' out-of-this-world spice rub, a mixture of aromatic cumin, thyme and oregano, smoky paprika and a little kick of spicy cayenne pepper.
Get the Recipe: Pat's Beer Can Grilled Chicken
Grilled Chicken Thighs with Israeli Couscous Salad
There's a whole lot of flavor in this simple meal. The chicken gets a Greek treatment with a marinade of lemon, garlic and oregano; raisins, olives and feta make the couscous sweet and salty. Toasting the couscous first gives it a nutty flavor and keeps the grains separate and fluffy.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs with Israeli Couscous Salad
Grilled Mexican Chicken Salad
A quick tomatillo blender sauce does double duty as marinade for the chicken and a dressing for this Mexican-inspired salad.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Salad with Jalapeno Tomatillo Dressing
Lemon-and-Herb-Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs
Get the Recipe: Lemon and Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs
Tequila Lime Chicken
Get the Recipe: Tequila Lime Chicken
Ultimate Jerk Chicken
The fresh herbs and spices in Tyler's jerk marinade evoke the Caribbean and will leave you wanting more of this juicy and irresistible chicken.
Get the Recipe: The Ultimate Jerk Chicken
Honey Orange BBQ Chicken
This chicken is marinated overnight for maximum flavor — before being grilled to sweet-and-smoky perfection.
Get the Recipe: Honey Orange BBQ Chicken
Grilled Yucatan Chicken Skewers
One of Bobby's favorite things to cook on skewers is flavorful chicken thighs.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Yucatan Chicken Skewers
BBQ Chicken Burgers
Take a break from beef and try Rachael's easy chicken burgers, spiced up with great barbecue flavor.
Get the Recipe: BBQ Chicken Burgers with Slaw
Grilled Chicken Breast With Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad
"This is a great summertime dish as tomatoes are at their peak during the summer," says Marc. "Serve with some crusty bread to soak up any leftover cherry tomatoes."
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Breast with Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad
Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Popper Chicken
This is just the dish for when you want jalapeño poppers, but you're supposed to be making dinner.
Get the Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Popper Chicken
Honey Mustard Kiss Wings
Brush grilled chicken wings with a honey-mustard sauce during the last two minutes of grilling to create a sweet glaze.
Get the Recipe: Gina's Honey Mustard Kiss Wings
Grilled Chicken With Spinach and Pine Nut Pesto
Simply grilled chicken is the perfect platform for all of the bright, fresh flavors in this dish: Giada covers each piece with a zesty spread of spinach and pine nut pesto before serving.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Pine Nut Pesto
Grilled Chicken with Garlic-Herb Dressing
Tyler uses a bright garlic-herb dressing to balance the smoky aroma of the grilled chicken, radicchio and lemons in this Italian-inspired plate.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Garlic-Herb Dressing and Grilled Lemon
Spice-Rubbed Chicken Breast Tacos
Bobby layers charred poblanos, sweet barbecue onions, crisp coleslaw and grilled sweet-and-spicy chicken for amazingly flavorful tacos.
Get the Recipe: Spice-Rubbed Chicken Breast Tacos with Grilled Poblanos, BBQ Onions and Coleslaw
5-Star Glazed Chicken
Sunny’s top-notch recipe is ideal for busy summer days. She makes a bold glaze of miso, honey and orange juice, then lets the chicken marinate for just an hour or two — you don’t need extra time when working with such strong (and delicious) flavors.
Get the Recipe: Sunny's 5-Star Glazed Chicken
The Best Grilled Chicken
It may sound simple, but grilling chicken is challenging for many cooks. Too often, it ends up dry and bland or (inexplicably) both burnt and raw! With this recipe we simplified the cooking process, which leads to a smoky, super-juicy bird that is filled with the bright flavors of lemon and herbs. We spatchcocked a whole chicken to increase the surface area that makes contact with the grill and used a generous amount of herb butter to help it self-baste as it gently cooks over indirect heat.
Get the Recipe: The Best Grilled Chicken
Caribbean Chicken
Guy marinates chicken breasts in a sweet and spicy mixture before cooking. A squeeze of lime juice just before serving finishes it off.
Get the Recipe: Caribbean Chicken
Grilled Chicken Thighs and Romaine with Dijon Vinaigrette
Grill the chicken and the lettuce for this simple salad with a tangy Dijon dressing.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs and Romaine with Dijon Vinaigrette
Beer Can Chicken
Get the Recipe: Beer Can Chicken
Grilled Chicken with Salsa Verde
Blend up a quick tomatillo sauce and serve it with chipotle-lime chicken and warm tortillas for a taco night that's ready to eat in just about 40 minutes.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Salsa Verde
Grilled Chicken With Basil Dressing
Giada marinates her chicken in lemon juice and fennel seeds before grilling and then serves with a zesty, garlicky basil sauce.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Basil Dressing
Wine Can Chicken
We've taken classic beer can chicken and given it a twist using the ultimate summer sip — rosé wine in a can. The result is a moist, flavorful bird with crispy skin that needs almost no attention on the grill. As the chicken rests off the heat, you can use the remaining wine and drippings in the can to whip up a creamy three-ingredient pan sauce made with pink peppercorns and herbed cheese.
Get the Recipe: Wine Can Chicken
Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken Shawarma
A classic Middle Eastern street food, chicken shawarma is made with large quantities of marinated chicken that are stacked in layers on a spit and slow roasted for hours. This scaled-back home version relies on skewers and a grill for a similar moist and flavorful effect. First, the chicken is marinated in generously spiced yogurt, which tenderizes the meat while infusing it with seasoning. Then the skewers are grilled quickly over direct heat to seal in the juices before being moved to indirect heat, where the meat is gently cooked through. Thinly sliced using a long sharp knife, chicken shawarma is usually served as a wrap with greens, tomatoes, garlicky creamy toum--and of course, fries!
Get the Recipe: Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken Shawarma
Beer-Brined Barbecue Chicken
Start this juicy barbecued chicken a day ahead for maximum flavor and hosting ease.
Get the Recipe: Beer-Brined Barbecue Chicken
Grilled Chicken with Charred Lemon and Heirloom Tomatoes
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Charred Lemon and Heirloom Tomatoes
Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette and Grilled Fingerling Potatoes
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Roasted Garlic-Oregano Vinaigrette and Grilled Fingerling Potatoes
Foil-Pack Grilled Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Wings
Toss chicken wings in an addicting sweet-and-spicy rub made with chili powder and light brown sugar, then grill them in foil packets to seal in flavor and ensure cleanup is a breeze.
Get the Recipe: Foil-Pack Grilled Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Wings
Jerk Rubbed Chicken Thighs With Homemade Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce
Bobby's jerk rub is full of spices and gets a little heat from cayenne pepper. His sweet and spicy mango-habanero sauce adds a fresh zip.
Get the Recipe: Jerk Rubbed Chicken Thighs with Home-Made Mango-Habanero Hot Sauce
Maple-Brined Grilled Chicken
Brining chicken in a mixture of maple syrup, garlic, thyme, pepper and salt keeps it moist and flavorful during grilling. A salad, cornbread and barbecue sauce round out this family-friendly meal.
Get the Recipe: Maple-Brined Grilled Chicken
Grilled Chicken with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Change up your grilled chicken routine with a tangy, vinegar-based white BBQ sauce. Brush it on the chicken while it's cooking and serve it on the side for dipping; you'll see why it's a Southern favorite in no time.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
Sunny's Citrus Can Chicken
Give roast chicken a summery upgrade by glazing the chicken with lemon, placing it over a can of lemon-lime beer and grilling it until juicy and flavorful.
Get the Recipe: Sunny's Citrus Can Chicken
Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken Thighs
Marinate chicken thighs in lemon, garlic and fresh oregano to make a great weeknight meal.
Get the Recipe: Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken Thighs
Grilled Chicken Thighs with Blackberry BBQ Sauce
Michael uses an overnight dry rub to infuse chicken thighs with tons of flavor and a charcoal grill ensures they come out with crispy skin and smoky flavor. Use the best of summer berries as the base for a tangy BBQ sauce for drizzling over the top.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs with Blackberry BBQ Sauce
Chicken Kebabs with No-Cook Peach Chutney
Get the Recipe: Chicken Kebabs with No-Cook Peach Chutney
Chile-Rubbed Grilled Chicken With Salsa
This light dish highlights fresh tomatoes, tomatillos and red onion, plus chipotle chile powder and cumin for subtle heat.
Get the Recipe: Chile-Rubbed Grilled Chicken With Salsa
Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken
Sit back and relax with a piece of Guy's crave-worthy barbecue chicken: Bright lemon and cilantro, smoky chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, and sweet, fresh mango hit all the right notes.
Get the Recipe: Chipotle-Mango BBQ Chicken
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
Jerk Chicken and Pineapple Skewers
With pineapple, chiles and jerk-marinated chicken, Kardea’s skewers expertly balance sweet and spicy.
Get the Recipe: Jerk Chicken and Pineapple Skewers
Yogurt-Marinated Grilled Chicken with Harissa
Get the Recipe: Yogurt Marinated Grilled Chicken with Harissa
Hoisin Chicken With Cucumber Salad
Get the Recipe: Hoisin Chicken with Cucumber Salad
Grilled Red Chile Buttermilk Chicken With Spicy Mango Honey Glaze
This dish has all of that fried chicken taste by way of the grill. Bobby uses buttermilk to ensure tenderness and moisture in the chicken, but doesn’t stop there. Four types of chile powder, ground coriander, garlic, onion, smoked paprika and cinnamon come together in the marinade.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Red Chile Buttermilk Chicken with Spicy Mango Honey Glaze
Dry Rub Fo Yo Chicken
Get the Recipe: Dry Rub Fo Yo Chicken
Asian-Inspired Barbecued Chicken
Five spice powder gives these chicken halves an Asian-inspired flavor. Get crunch from a side of cucumbers coated in vinegar, honey and sesame oil.
Get the Recipe: Five-Spice BBQ Chicken with Cucumber Salad
Chipotle-Mango Barbecue Chicken with Cilantro Chimichurri
Get the Recipe: Chipotle-Mango Barbecue Chicken With Cilantro Chimichurri
Beer Can Chicken with Cola Barbecue Sauce
Get the Recipe: Beer Can Chicken with Cola Barbecue Sauce
Chicken Skewers With Grilled Romaine
Get the Recipe: Chicken Skewers With Grilled Romaine
Chicken Salad Pita With Baba Ghanoush
Get the Recipe: Chicken Salad Pita with Baba Ghanoush
Sweet and Sour BBQ Chicken Sliders with Pickled Chinese Cabbage and Carrots
Get the Recipe: Sweet and Sour BBQ Chicken Sliders with Pickled Chinese Cabbage and Carrots
Smoky Grilled Chicken Wings With Pickled Red Chiles, Dates and Fresh Mint
Follow Guy's lead and make these unusual, party-perfect chicken wings on the grill.
Get the Recipe: Smoky Grilled Chicken Wings with Pickled Red Chiles, Dates and Fresh Mint
Grilled Chicken Pizzas
Who says you need dough to make a pizza? Chicken breast stands in for crust in this family-friendly (and high-protein!) summer dinner.
Get the Recipe: Caprese Grilled Chicken
Grilled Curry Chicken
Iron Chef Marc Forgione says, "A whole grilled chicken is a really impressive presentation for a barbecue and this curry spice rub is an exotic twist".
Get the Recipe: Grilled Curry Chicken
Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
Chicken breasts have a reputation for being tough and dry, but basting the meat as it cooks ensures a juicy and flavorful main dish.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
Brick Chicken
Get the Recipe: Brick Chicken
Quick Chili Molasses Chicken Skewers
Get the Recipe: Chili Molasses Chicken Skewers
Grilled Chicken Tacos
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Tacos
Mediterranean Mixed Grill
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Mixed Grill
Cherry BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Cherries may seem like an unlikely ingredient to find paired with drumsticks, but homemade cherry barbecue sauce brings out all of the chicken's hidden sweet flavor in the most-perfect way.
Get the Recipe: Cherry BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
Grilled Jerk Chicken with Sweet Plantains
Take your taste buds on a trip to the Caribbean in just about 30 minutes. A combination of ketchup, lime juice and jerk seasoning paste make for the perfect shortcut glaze, which makes classic jerk flavors possible on a weeknight.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Spicy Chicken with Sweet Plantains
Jerk Chicken Kebabs
Get the Recipe: Jerked Chicken Kabobs
Jerk Chicken
Get the Recipe: Grilled Pickapeppa Chicken
Fresh Focaccia With Marinated Chicken and Spinach and Artichoke Spread
Fresh focaccia is Jeff's secret to making this sandwich amazing, while grilled marinated chicken is the star.
Get the Recipe: Fresh Focaccia with Marinated Chicken and Spinach and Artichoke Spread
Tangy Barbecue Chicken
Get the Recipe: Tangy Barbecue Chicken
Grilled Chicken With Redeye BBQ Sauce
You can’t beat Michael’s five-star recipes — and you only need five ingredients to make it! His secret? He adds a touch of coffee to store-bought barbecue sauce for a thick glaze that’s off-the-charts delicious.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken With Redeye BBQ Sauce
Jerk Cornish Hens
Get the Recipe: Jerk Cornish Hens
Barbecue Chicken
You're going to love this barbecue chicken. Italian dressing adds some spice and barbecue seasoning (and sauce!) give it plenty of tangy sweetness.
Get the Recipe: Barbecue Chicken
Grilled Chicken Kebabs
An herby marinade and grilled lemon wedges pack these kebabs with tons of fresh flavor.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Chicken Kebabs
Grilled Maple Chicken with Smokey Greens
Michael relies on pantry ingredients like maple syrup, soy sauce and mustard to make his tasty chicken marinade. A bed of wilted greens cooks up in just minutes, making this an easy dinner you’ll want again and again.
Get the Recipe: Grilled Maple Chicken with Smokey Greens
