BBQ chicken breasts should be juicy, not dry. You only need two ingredients—chicken breasts and BBQ sauce. This simple grilled version delivers big flavor with minimal fuss—just boneless chicken, your favorite sauce, and a few smart tips.
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- 🧡 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🐓Ingredients
- 👨🍳Quick Overview: BBQ Boneless Chicken Breasts on the Grill
- ⏲️ How Long to Cook BBQ Chicken Breasts on the Grill
- 🌡️ When Is Chicken Done and Safe to Eat?
- ♨️ Grill Setup Tips
- ❓FAQs
- 🥗 How to Serve BBQ Chicken Breasts
- ❄️ How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- ♨️ More Easy Grilled Breast Chicken Recipes
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment from Basil :
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Best bbq'd SBCBs we've ever eaten. Perfect!"
🧡 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 2 ingredients – just chicken and BBQ sauce.
- Juicy every time – no more dry BBQ chicken, just moist and flavorful.
- Simple method – works on any grill (gas or charcoal) with no special gear.
- Boneless & fast – perfect for quick weeknight dinners or summer cookouts.
- BBQ flavor you control – use your favorite sauce or spice it your way.
🐓Ingredients
Just two ingredients — the chicken (properly prepared) and your favorite BBQ sauce provide all the flavor (so choose wisely).
- Chicken – Skinless boneless chicken breasts
- BBQ Sauce – Use your favorite store-bought or try my Memphis Style BBQ Sauce
- Optional Brine – Water, table salt, brown sugar, and a pinch of cayenne (optional)
👨🍳Quick Overview: BBQ Boneless Chicken Breasts on the Grill
1. Prepare
Trim boneless skinless chicken breasts. Thin to about ¾ inch if needed. Brine is optional.
Clean and oil the grill grates, then preheat to a surface temperature of about 450°F (medium on most gas grills). Avoid going over that—too hot and the sauce may burn.
2. Brush with Sauce
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Brush lightly with your favorite BBQ sauce.
3. Grill
Place over direct heat. Flip every 5 minutes. In the last 3–4 minutes, brush both sides with more sauce.
Cook to an internal temperature of 165°F—about 25 to 35 minutes total.
✅ Pro Tip: According to the USDA, chicken is safe to eat at 165°F internal temperature. Use an instant-read thermometer for best results—don’t guess.
4. Rest
Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips, veggie ideas, and serving suggestions.
⏲️ How Long to Cook BBQ Chicken Breasts on the Grill
Grill boneless chicken breasts for about 30 minutes total at a surface temperature of about 450°F.
- Thin breasts may finish in 25 minutes
- Thicker cuts may take up to 35 minutes
- Flip every 5 minutes for even cooking and saucing
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🌡️ When Is Chicken Done and Safe to Eat?
Chicken breasts are fully cooked and safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165°F, per USDA guidelines. Use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy.
✅ Pro Tip: Chicken thighs and drumsticks are safe at 165°F but are more tender at 185°F+ once the fibrous tissues have broken down.
♨️ Grill Setup Tips
Set your grill surface temp to about 450°F. That’s medium to medium-high on most gas grills. Too hot and you’ll scorch the sauce before the chicken cooks through.
If you have a surface thermometer, use it. If not, just don’t crank the dial to high.
✅ Charcoal? Totally fine—just manage the heat. Keep one side cooler for flare-ups, and watch those vents.
And whatever grill you’re using, your real target is 165°F internal temp.
❓FAQs
Yes — chicken and BBQ sauce are all you need. The grill gives smoky flavor without extra marinades or rubs.
Yes, absolutely. Just know they’ll need a few extra minutes and should cook to 185°F for the best texture.
Brining helps moisturize and tenderize the chicken—especially useful if it’s been previously frozen, which can dry it out.
My brine is simple: water, table salt, brown sugar, and optional cayenne. It’s on the saltier side, so limit the brine time to 30–60 minutes max. Even 20 minutes helps.
After brining, rinse carefully, clean your sink area, and skip any added salt in your seasoning. You can skip the brine altogether, but it takes more attention on the grill to keep the chicken moist.
It gives the final layer of BBQ sauce something to stick to. That light first coat acts as a flavorful base and won’t burn—as long as your grill isn’t too hot and you don’t overcook the chicken.
Yes—just watch your heat closely. You’re aiming for about 450°F at the grate. Keep a cooler zone ready in case things start to flare up. Charcoal takes more tending, but the flavor payoff is great.
🥗 How to Serve BBQ Chicken Breasts
Keep it classic on a plate or a bun with extra sauce. Add a green salad or slaw for a lighter meal. Or serve it with chips, Grilled French Fries, Corn on the Cob, or Grilled Mixed Vegetables.
❄️ How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat in the oven or on the grill for the best texture. The microwave works too, but it may affect the texture. If frozen, thaw first for best results.
♨️ More Easy Grilled Breast Chicken Recipes
Looking for more ways to grill boneless chicken breasts?
- Grilled Chicken Breasts — complete tutorial For extra moist and juicy try
- Reverse Seared Chicken Breasts — for extra moist and juicy breasts
- Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with chicken filets
- Honey Glazed Grilled Chicken Breasts for a fast and easy change of pace
📖The Recipe Card
BBQ Boneless Chicken Breasts on the Grill (Easy & Juicy)
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoon BBQ sauce of choice
- 3 cups cold water
- 1½ tablespoons table salt
- 1½ tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare
- 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 to about ¾ inch thick with a meat mallet or the bottom of a pan.
- Optional Brine: Mix brine of 3 cups water, 1½ tablespoons table salt, 1½ tablespoons brown sugar, and ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional). Add the chicken, submerge it, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (no longer 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.
- Clean and oil the grill grates, then preheat the surface to 450°F, which is approximately medium on most grills. I recommend using a surface thermometer to help you control your grill effectively.
Brush with sauce
- Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels.
- Brush lightly with the BBQ sauce of your choice.
Grill
- Place over direct heat.
- Flip about every 5 minutes. Brush both sides with sauce during the last 3–4 minutes. Remove from the grill at an internal temperature of 165°F—usually around 30 minutes, depending on the grill temperature and breast size.
Rest
- Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
- The brine is optional but helpful, especially for previously frozen chicken. It’s salt-heavy, so brine no longer than 1 hour, and rinse carefully.
- Grill time varies by heat and thickness—expect a total of 25 to 35 minutes. The thinner breasts may take 25 minutes, while those with larger, thicker ones may take 35 minutes. But 30 minutes is average.
- Flatten uneven chicken breasts with a mallet for even cooking—aim for a thickness of no more than ¾ inch.
- A thin first coat of BBQ sauce helps the final layer stick. It won’t burn if the grill temp is right.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editors Note: Originally published August 1, 2011. It was in need of a rewrite, some better photo editing, and some clarification of technique.
Angela says
So good!! Thank you!
DrDan says
Thanks for the note and the rating
DrDan
sue says
I had never heard of brine with chicken before. This was so moist it was unbelievable. I used the quick method....and used a thermometer to check the chicken on the grill since I use charcoal. I agree this is the only way to cook boneless breasts.
Thanks so much for this recipe and blog.
DrDan says
Thanks for the note. Yep brining a chicken breast can get some great moisture. But using the thermometer is what most people don't don't do. They are doomed to overcooked dried out chicken...
Thanks so much for the note and enjoy the blog.
DrDan
Mary says
This might be a silly question, if you were making 6 chicken breasts do you triple the brine recipe?
DrDan says
You just need enough brine to cover the chicken. Double should do but triple is fine.
DrDan
Dan Mikesell says
Thanks, glad it worked well for you. DrDan
Mary Hopkins says
Delicious! Will never cook BSCB any other way ever again!! Thanks!
MKH
Aubrey Means says
I made this today and cooked my chicken on high heat, flipped every 5 min. and it burned to a crisp, inside was fine but the outside was completely black. I'm no expert obviously, I was just trying to follow the directions, but why did mine turn completely black and yours looks so tasty? I had to cut all the outside off in order to eat it, which meant all my BBQ flavor was gone. Thankfully I brined it so it wasn't tough inside. But what would you suggest I do differently in order to cook it long enough but not burn it to death?
Dan Mikesell says
A couple of possible answers. First the grill. High on my old grill (the one in the picture) was 500 surface temperature. My current grill high is about 650. That is burn city.
Second, the BBQ sauce. The more sugar, the faster the burn.
So suggested solutions: 1) if you have a "hot" grill. Turn it down a little. Second, leave the sauce off until the last 5 minutes.
Give those two things a try.
Dan
Dr Dan says
The brine is what the mixture of water, brown sugar, salt and cayenne is called. I only did it briefly here but longer like 1-2 hours in the fridge would be great if you have the time.
Wade Morton says
so is the brine the mixture of water and brown sugar and salt and cayenne? or is the brine something that you add to the water mixture?
Dr Dan says
Yep I was trying to facilitate the brine since I wanted to cook soon. I think it helped some since this was quite moist.
Chris says
What are the knife pokes for? Facilitating the marinade/brine? I was just curious.
Chris says
Woof! That looks tasty, Dan.
Too funny, I was just commenting on your blog and you did on mine!
Dr Dan says
A dog always makes your cooking look good.
Inspired by eRecipeCards says
Love seeing the dog in your posts. i always photograph my cat sniffing around my food.
Dr Dan says
It tastes exactly like it looks.
Aimee says
Yum! That chicken looks soo tasty!
Jeffrey and Juli says
Wow, does this look good!