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    🏠Home » Recipes » Chicken Breast Recipes

    BBQ Chicken Breast on a Grill

    Feb 22, 2020 · Modified: Jan 22, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 84 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.05 from 267 votes

    Learn how to grill bbq chicken breast with moist and juicy results. Delicious grilled bbq boneless chicken breasts are quick and easy on your gas or charcoal grill with these simple step-by-step photo instructions.

    BBQ chicken breast on white plate
    Jump To:
    • 🐓Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to make grilled BBQ chicken breasts
    • ⏲️How long to cook BBQ chicken breasts on the grill?
    • ♨️Grill setup
    • ❓FAQs
    • How to store and reheat leftovers
    • 📖Chicken Breast Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe
    • BBQ Chicken Breast on a Grill
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Everybody wants to grill juicy skinless boneless chicken breasts, but they all get dried-out hockey pucks. Let's get it right; it is not that hard to keep it moist and tender.

    🐓Ingredients

    • Chicken breasts—Use skinless boneless chicken breasts for this recipe.
    • Barbecue sauce—Use the BBQ sauce of your choice. I love Gates BBQ of KC sauce, but the more common Bulls Eye Original is good. My Memphis BBQ Sauce would also be great.
    • Brine—Optional but uses water, table salt, brown sugar, and optional cayenne pepper.

    👨‍🍳How to make grilled BBQ chicken breasts

    1. Trim skinless boneless chicken breast of any trimmable fat. Try to use chicken breasts of about the same size. Flatten to about ¾ inch thick if thick.
    2. Optional Brine: Mix brine of water, table salt, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper (optional.) Add chicken, submerge, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (no more than 1 hour). Remove chicken from the brine and rinse lightly under running water.
    3. Preheat grill to 450°clean and oil grill grates.
    4. Pat dry chicken breast.
    5. Brush lightly with the BBQ sauce of your choice.
    6. Place over direct heat.
    7. Flip about every 5 minutes. About 3-4 minutes before done, brush both sides with sauce. Remove from the grill at an internal temperature of 165°—about 30 minutes of total grill time.
    8. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

    ⏲️How long to cook BBQ chicken breasts on the grill?

    About 30 minutes of total grill time at the recommended grill temperature of 450°.

    But total time will vary by the exact grill temperature and thickness of the breasts. The thinner breast may be in the 25-minute range, and those huge thick ones may take 35 minutes.

    ♨️Grill setup

    A grill surface temperature of about 450° is best for any grilled chicken. A little less is fine, and a smidge more is OK but never over 500°. You can NOT cook chicken properly on high heat. You will dry the outside long before the inside is even close to done or safe.

    To get the grill temperature correct, you should use a grill surface thermometer. The hood thermometer is ALWAYS wrong. Please see A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill for more discussion.

    If you don't have a surface thermometer (you should), medium to medium-high heat will be about 400°-500° on most gas grills. The cooking time will be different, but you will do OK if you get the end-point of an internal temperature of 165° correct with an instant-read thermometer.

    Charcoal Grill

    With charcoal grills, you need to be very careful about surface temperature. And, of course, times will vary. On most charcoal grills, you will need to adjust the venting and the amount of charcoal. And it is a good idea to have a cooler area on the grill surface to use if needed.

    I like to add a very light coat of BBQ sauce at the beginning to create a base for the last coat. You do not have to do that, but I recommend it.

    Use the BBQ sauce of your choice. I love Gates BBQ of KC sauce but the more common Bulls Eye Original is good. My Memphis BBQ Sauce would also be great.

    ❓FAQs

    Can I use skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts?

    Yes, but the final internal temperature for thighs should be 185°+ and will take a few minutes more grilling time.

    Why use a thin coat of BBQ sauce first?

    A very light coat of BBQ sauce at the beginning creates a base for the last coat. You do not have to do that, but I recommend it. The sauce will adhere much better. It does not burn if you have the grill temp correct, and don't overcook the chicken.

    How to brine chicken breasts?

    The brine will moisturize and tenderize the chicken and is recommended if you have time, especially if the chicken has been previously frozen, which may dry the chicken.

    The recommended brine is relatively heavy in salt. According to Cooks Illustrated, this brine concentration is recommended for chicken for 30 minutes to 2 hours. The chicken gets saltier if over 1 hour, so I'm suggesting 1-hour maximum. Even 20 minutes of brining will do a reasonably good job of brining.

    While we no longer recommend rinsing chicken, you should always rinse carefully after brining. Also, don't add any more salt after the brine is used. You can grill a chicken breast and keep it moist without the brine, but it requires attention and skill.

    When is chicken done and safe to eat?

    According to the USDA, any chicken or poultry like turkey needs to reach 165° internal temperature to be safe. Chicken breasts are done at that temperature. Chicken thighs and drumsticks are more tender at 185°+ when the fibrous tissue has melted.

    How to store and reheat leftovers

    Store any leftover BBQ chicken breasts in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or frozen for 3 months.

    Reheat them in the microwave, oven, or grill. If frozen, thaw first.

    📖Chicken Breast Recipes

    How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill

    Super Moist Grilled Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts

    Grilled Blackened Chicken Breasts

    How to Bake Chicken Breasts in a Convection Oven

    30 Minute Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

    A Beginners Guide to Grill Temperature on a Gas Grill

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    BBQ Recipes, Chicken Breast Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Grill Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    Trimmed chicken breasts on white board

    Trim skinless boneless chicken breast of any trimmable fat. Try to use chicken breasts of about the same size. And if you get some that are very plump, flatten them down a little with a meat mallet or the bottom of a pan to about ¾ inch thick.

    adding chicken to the brine

    Optional Brine: Mix brine of 3 cups water, 1 ½ tablespoons table salt, 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar, and ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional). Add chicken, submerge, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (no more than 1 hour). Remove chicken from the brine and rinse lightly under running water. Please be careful and wash up the surrounding area and your hands.

    cleaning grill with brush

    Clean and oil grill grates and preheat to a surface temperature of 450°-500°, which is about medium-high on most grills. I recommend a surface thermometer to be able to control your grill well.

    Patting dry chicken with paper towels

    Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels.

    Brushing chicken with BBQ sauce on plate

    Brush lightly with the BBQ sauce of your choice.

    placing chicken breast over direct heat on grill

    Place over direct heat.

    brushing chicken with sauce on the grill

    Flip about every 5 minutes. About 3-4 minutes before done, brush both sides with sauce. Remove from the grill at an internal temperature of 165°—about 30 minutes of total grill time. But total time will vary by the exact grill temperature and thickness of the breasts. The thinner breast may be in the 25-minute range, and those huge thick ones may take 35 minutes.

    Two BBQ chicken breasts on white plate

    Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

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    📝Recipe

    BBQ chicken breast on white plate

    BBQ Chicken Breast on a Grill

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Learn how to grill bbq chicken breast with moist and juicy results. Delicious grilled bbq boneless chicken breasts are quick and easy on your gas or charcoal grill with these simple step-by-step photo instructions.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.05 from 267 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Brine: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 2 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
    • 2 tablespoon BBQ sauce of choice

    Brine (optional)

    • 3 cups water - cold
    • 1 ½ tablespoons table salt
    • 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
    • ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper - optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Trim skinless boneless chicken breast of any trimmable fat. Try to use chicken breasts of about the same size. And if you get some that are very plump, flatten them down a little with a meat mallet or the bottom of a pan to about ¾ inch thick.
    • Optional Brine: Mix brine of 3 cups water, 1 ½ tablespoons table salt, 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar, and ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional). Add chicken, submerge, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (no more than 1 hour). Remove chicken from the brine and rinse lightly under running water. Please be careful and wash up the surrounding area and your hands.
      adding chicken to the brine
    • Clean and oil grill grates and preheat to a surface temperature of 450°-500°, which is about medium-high on most grills. I recommend a surface thermometer to be able to control your grill well.
      clean and oil grill crates
    • Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels.
      patting dry chicken breasts with paper towels
    • Brush lightly with the BBQ sauce of your choice.
      Brushing chicken with BBQ sauce on plate
    • Place over direct heat.
      placing chicken breast on the grill
    • Flip about every 5 minutes. About 3-4 minutes before done, brush both sides with sauce. Remove from the grill at an internal temperature of 165°—about 30 minutes of total grill time. But total time will vary by the exact grill temperature and thickness of the breasts. The thinner breast may be in the 25-minute range, and those huge thick ones may take 35 minutes.
      brushing chicken with sauce on the grill
    • Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
      Two BBQ chicken breasts on white plate
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    Your Own Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:
    1. This brine is relatively heavy in salt, so a maximum time of 1 hour please. Rinse to remove extra salt. The brine is optional but recommended.
    2. Total grilling time will vary by the exact grill temperature and thickness of the breasts. The thinner breasts may be in the 25-minute range, and those huge thick ones may take 35 minutes. But 30 minutes is average.
    3. If you have a breast that has a large variation in thickness, using a meat mallet to even things out a bit is a good idea. Try for about ¾ inches thick.
    4. I like a very light coat of BBQ sauce at the start to create a base for later. It does not burn, but omit if you wish.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    BBQ Chicken Breast on a Grill
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 159 Calories from Fat 27
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 3g5%
    Saturated Fat 1g5%
    Cholesterol 72mg24%
    Sodium 678mg28%
    Potassium 459mg13%
    Carbohydrates 7g2%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 6g7%
    Protein 24g48%
    Vitamin A 73IU1%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 23mg2%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editors Note: Originally published August 1, 2011. It was in need of a rewrite, some better photo editing, and some clarification of technique.

    Jake begging for food

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Fae

      June 20, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      Hello- First let me say YELLOW DOG!!! Everybody loves a yellow dog <3
      Secondly, let me say thank you for addressing the size variables of BSCB
      And finally, I am making this as we speak...so to speak. The recipe looks great and the instructions for the brine were very clear. This is the first time I have tried it. I went looking for recipes because grilling BSCB can be tricky.

      Thanks bunches!

      Reply
    2. Basil

      October 07, 2019 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      Best bbq'd SBCBs we've ever eaten. Perfect!
      Thank you.

      Reply
    3. Kris

      June 11, 2019 at 4:45 pm

      So the reason you use table salt instead of Kosher salt in this brine is to speed up the process? I always use Kosher salt in my brines.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        June 11, 2019 at 4:57 pm

        Hi Kris,
        I don't think it matters as long as the equivalent amount of salt is used. It is all sodium chloride.
        1 teaspoon table salt = 1 1/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
        Dan

    4. Chuck

      December 29, 2018 at 5:46 pm

      Used siracha instead of cayenne and also did a honey brown sugar glaze, So Good !

      Reply
      • DrDan

        December 31, 2018 at 1:13 pm

        Hi Chuck,
        Welcome to the blog.
        I love sriracha sauce, especially on tuna sandwiches but also with chicken. It adds something special. My wife does not share my enthusiasm so it doesn't appear in the "cooking for two" recipes.
        Thanks for the note and Happy New Years.
        Dan

    5. Don

      September 10, 2018 at 6:15 pm

      I was really suspicious of this one... putting BBQ sauce on too early is recipe (pardon the pun) for burned chicken. However, I dutifully did as instructed and put a LIGHT coating of sauce on at the start. I was also VERY careful to watch the grill temp as instructed. The result was the best BBQ Chicken I've ever made. Our youngest LOVED it and has been begging me to make it again!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        September 10, 2018 at 6:35 pm

        Hi Don,

        Welcome to the blog.

        That light (very light) coat of sauce really does add a lot. I have been doing it for 30 plus years. It does go against the "no sauce until the end due to burning rule" But if you think about it, the meat is much cooler than the surface temperature which prevent the burning. It adds some taste and it holds the sauce so much better at the end.

        Thanks for the note and glad it worked well for you.

        Dan

    6. Adriana Enríquez

      July 24, 2018 at 10:31 pm

      Wow! I've never brined chicken before and I really think his made all the difference. I was so impressed with how juicy and delicious the chicken came out. My family loved it and finished it all. Can't wait to make it again.

      Reply
    7. Greg T

      June 28, 2018 at 10:28 am

      Thank you for this! Every time I cooked chicken on the grill it was burnt, dry, and gross. I gave up grilling chicken for the last 4 years and just stuck with oven methods that I could get a consistent enjoyable meal from. Yesterday I found this recipe and figured it was worth a shot. Holy diver! This was the best grilled chicken I've ever made! We opted for an hour brine, and it was a bit on the salty side. Will do a 30 min brine next time!

      Such a detailed explanation without much fluff, great breakdowns, excellent followups in the comments. Really one of the best recipes from start to finish. I'm hooked and now digging through the website to find more things to try. Thank you!

      Reply
    8. Jack

      June 15, 2018 at 7:36 pm

      I thought i would use lemon pepper, leave off bbq sauce

      Reply
    9. Jack

      June 14, 2018 at 10:59 pm

      Would it be o k to use lemon pepper power in the brine, with water, salt for boneless skinless chicken breast. Iam trying on grillgrates at 450 to 500 degrees. What do you think?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        June 14, 2018 at 11:08 pm

        Hi Jack,
        That would be fine if you are ok with the lemon taste with the BBQ sauce. I can't say how much since I never use lemon pepper.
        Dan

    10. Sparks

      June 07, 2018 at 10:14 pm

      Don't like a wet brine with chicken.

      Reply
    11. T e d

      April 22, 2018 at 5:34 pm

      I bookmarked this brine recipe and have used it several times. I also use it with wings and tinker with ratios. Not sure that doubling everything is the wayto go. This one is a winner.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        May 08, 2018 at 12:41 pm

        Hi Ted,
        First, sorry for the delayed response.
        This ratio I call 1:1. 1 cup water to 1 tablespoon table salt. If you add a sugar of some type then match the salt. You can double the salt but if you do never brine for over 2 hours and it may still taste too salty.
        Thank for the note.
        Dan

    12. Tia

      April 18, 2018 at 9:28 am

      I made these last night and they were amazing! I loath dry chicken breasts, so I rarely grill them. These were so juicy and delicious! I'm never going back to non-brined chicken breasts. Thanks for an awesome recipe!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        May 08, 2018 at 12:37 pm

        Hi Tia,
        Sorry for the delayed response.
        Yes, the brine can make a huge difference. You can get good without it if your careful but not great. Better with.
        Thanks so much for the note.
        Dan

    13. Sheila

      September 19, 2017 at 11:03 pm

      Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was simple and delicious. We had a great family dinner yesterday. Everyone was enjoying this grilled chicken and it was indeed chicken heaven.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        September 20, 2017 at 9:32 pm

        Hi Sheila,
        Thanks for the note. Glad it worked well for you.
        Dan

    14. inductioncookwaregirl

      July 12, 2017 at 6:32 pm

      Sorry to hear about the passing of your dog -- I was looking recipes but you had my attention with the pictures of your dogs before I even got to the recipes!

      I hadn't thought of brining chicken breast but it sounds like an easy solution to dry chicken breast. Not popular in this family! When baking chicken breast with a simple sauce, I also find that it can be dry. Any reason you can think of that brined chicken couldn't be baked in the oven? Thanks!

      Reply
      • DrDan

        July 12, 2017 at 6:38 pm

        Thanks for the thoughts about Jake. Gone but not forgotten.

        You can always brine chicken breast but be sure to rinse and not to add any more salt.

        Dan

    15. Cheryl

      June 04, 2017 at 6:47 pm

      better get that dogs eye checked out, doesnt look good

      Reply
      • DrDan

        June 04, 2017 at 7:52 pm

        In this picture, he is blind and the eye you are looking at is artificial. He died a few months later of cancer.

        Dan

    16. Jason rimler

      May 26, 2017 at 7:48 pm

      came out great, forgot to poke holes but seemed fine, I put BBQ sauce in the brine intstead of sugar. Family loved

      Reply
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