Is there a better combination than barbecue sauce and chicken, particularly in the summertime? We think not! Chicken breasts, thighs (our favorite cut), and wings all go well with the classic sweet, tangy, (sometimes!) spicy sauce. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of homemade BBQ, or prefer to just jazz up store-bought, we’ve got a recipe here for you. Check out our 32 BBQ chicken recipes—they’re great for summer, and beyond.
Chicken is truly one of our favorite versatile proteins, and adding BBQ sauce doesn’t even begin to limit its potential. For starters, you’ve got SO many options for sauce. But we get it, it feels like every state’s got their own style, and it can be tricky to figure out which one’s for you. We’ve ranked our favorite barbecue sauces to get you started—out of the 14, you’re sure to find one that tickles your fancy. You could also try making your own! Check out our Kansas City BBQ sauce, our Carolina BBQ sauce, or our Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce for ideas. If you don’t want to go the completely-from-scratch route, you can always add a little oomph to a store-bought option. Even just adding a little garlic, soy sauce, and smoked paprika, like we did in our BBQ chicken marinade recipe, can turn a lackluster bottle into something great.
Now that you’ve perfected your BBQ chicken flavor, what should you do with it? The possibilities are truly endless: You could put it on BBQ chicken pizza, a la California Pizza Kitchen’s most famous pie. You could pair it with some carbs, like in our brown sugar BBQ chicken sandwich, our BBQ chicken pasta salad, or our sweet BBQ lime chicken tacos. Turn it into the ultimate party food, like in our BBQ chicken nachos, our cheesy BBQ chicken dip, or our Hawaiian chicken sliders. Or go a healthier route, and pair it with some veggies, like in Snoop Dogg’s BBQ chicken cobb salad or our BBQ chicken twice baked sweet potatoes. You pretty much can’t go wrong, even if you just enjoy it completely without frills, like in our BBQ lime chicken wings, our BBQ grilled chicken, or our oven-baked BBQ chicken.
Want even more chicken in your life? Try our favorite grilled chicken recipes, our top chicken weeknight dinners, and our best baked chicken recipes too.
Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken
Half the reason why we love BBQ chicken is because of the sauce right? Luckily, this oven-baked barbecue chicken is just as wonderful as a grilled version, and doesn't dry out with that beautiful layer of sauce on top. It's the perfect dinner, no matter the weather!
Get the Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken recipe.
Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken
Pulled chicken is made so easy in the slow-cooker and this version includes brown sugar, a little Italian dressing, and bourbon for a bit of smokiness. You can definitely leave it out, but we think it's the best part. 😉 Dress these up with homemade coleslaw for the greatest dinner with zero effort.
BBQ Chicken Marinade
Nothing says summer grilling quite like the perfect BBQ chicken. Our favorite marinade is tangy, juicy, and has just the right amount of char, thanks to the sugars in the BBQ sauce. This recipe calls for fancying up a bottle of ready-made sauce, but if you want to make your own, go for it!
Get the BBQ Chicken Marinade recipe.
BBQ Chicken Nachos
On game day, you want something quick, easy, and CHEESY, so give the people what they really want. This twist on nachos comes together in less than 30 minutes and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Get the BBQ Chicken Nachos recipe.
Snoop Dogg's BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad
This spin on the classic cobb salad has smoky, sweet, and sticky BBQ chicken, homemade blue corn tortilla strips (Snoop's brilliant addition; they give every bite some salty crunch and help tie the whole salad together), and most important, the world's curliest and crispiest bacon, cooked Snoop's way.
BBQ Lime Chicken
This chicken is coated in the type of delectable, outrageous sauce that will have you practically licking your fingers. Make this once and we guarantee it will become your tailgate's must have. Think serving these delicious morsels on their own isn't enough? Try our sweet BBQ lime chicken tacos or cheesy BBQ lime dip too.
Get the BBQ Lime Chicken recipe.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Our BBQ chicken pizza recipe uses tangy Gouda, creamy mozzarella, and a hefty dose of red onions and cilantro for freshness. We happen to think it gives good ol' California Pizza Kitchen a run for their money.
Get the BBQ Chicken Pizza recipe.
BBQ Chicken Cornbread Skillet
Turn simple skillet cornbread from a side dish to a full meal with the addition of BBQ chicken and lots of delicious, melty cheese.
Get the BBQ Chicken Cornbread Skillet recipe.
BBQ Grilled Chicken
Why not skip the burgers at your next barbecue and try this super-easy recipe instead? You won’t want to sleep on the sauce, which is a classic BBQ jazzed up with honey and lime. It's so flavorful, the chicken really doesn't need a marinade—which means you get to eat it way sooner.
Get the BBQ Grilled Chicken recipe.
BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad
Barbecue sauce, lime juice and garlic powder combine to make a killer easy sauce for this pasta salad. Use shredded rotisserie chicken and this recipe will come together in no time.
Get the BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad recipe.
BBQ Chicken Twice-Baked Potatoes
These twice-baked potatoes are loaded with the makings of a full chicken dinner, and are infinitely customizable. Not a fan of spice? Ditch the jalapeños. Prefer mozzarella or pepper jack over Gouda? Swap 'em in.
BBQ Chicken Skillet Pizza
Recreate the fave California Pizza Kitchen BBQ chicken pizza with this insanely delicious (mostly) homemade pie. Make your own pizza dough, or use store-bought to save time. Or, better yet, pick some up from your favorite pizzeria!
Get the BBQ Chicken Skillet Pizza recipe.
BBQ Chicken Pizza Sliders
We took everything we love about our BBQ chicken pizza, and turned it into adorable sliders. We topped our Hawaiian buns with garlic butter too, with really takes their flavor over the top.
Get the BBQ Chicken Pizza Sliders recipe.
BBQ Bacon Chicken Drumsticks
This one is for the people that can't resist a savory-sweet combination (AKA everyone). Bacon + brown sugar = a match made in flavor heaven.
Get the BBQ Bacon Chicken Drumsticks recipe.
Grilled BBQ Lime Chicken
This sweet BBQ lime glaze makes the most delicious grilled chicken. It comes together in no time for an easy weeknight dinner and is good enough to serve at your next barbecue.
Get the Grilled BBQ Lime Chicken recipe.
Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
Doctoring store-bought barbecue sauce with a little brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and spices is the easiest way to elevate your pulled chicken game. This recipe calls for using a slow cooker (or the slow cooker function of your Instant Pot), meaning that there's hardly any work for you to do too.
Cheesy BBQ Chicken Dip
Cheesy BBQ chicken dip has everything your party needs. The sweet bbq lime sauce that coats the chicken is an unexpected pairing that will make this your new favorite party dip. Bye bye buffalo chicken dip!
Get the Cheesy BBQ Chicken Dip recipe.
Hawaiian Chicken Sliders
Mixing BBQ sauce with extra ingredients like pineapple, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder might seem excessive for these little sliders, but trust us, the flavor is SO worth it. Combine that with a partly DIY cilantro-lime mayo, soft, fluffy buns, and Monterey Jack cheese for the most mouth-watering-ly good sliders ever.
Get the Hawaiian Chicken Sliders recipe.
BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Don't be overwhelmed by making your own BBQ sauce for these sandwiches—you'll put it on store-bought rotisserie chicken, meaning they'll still come together extra quickly.
Get the BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches recipe.
Sweet BBQ Lime Chicken Tacos
Our BBQ lime chicken is turned into saucy and sweet tacos—you might never celebrate Taco Tuesday without this addicting sauce ever again.
Get the Sweet BBQ Lime Chicken Tacos recipe.
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