It's not a surprise that these grilled chicken recipes are some of our most popular. After all, chicken is America's favorite protein—each of us eats their way through a whopping 93 pounds of this beloved bird every year, according to the National Chicken Council. If you're one of those home cooks who cycle through chicken dinners every week, this collection of grilled chicken recipes is perfect for you. It's full of winners that come together in a few straightforward steps; some can even be prepped in advance, which makes the process of getting dinner on the table so much quicker.
Why do we love grilling chicken? It's fast, the results are flavorful, and the process gets us outdoors at the end of a long day. Sometimes we marinate this protein, like in our classic grilled marinated chicken recipe. Other times, we brush on a barbecue sauce just before the bird is finished cooking. Whichever route you take, you're guaranteed a delicious dinner.
Marinades and sauces aren't the only elements to consider. You'll also want to think about the cut of chicken you intend to use. Breasts are delicious grilled, but so are other cuts—don't overlook them. We're particular fans of the chicken thigh, which is an economical choice for a big crowd. And who doesn't love the wings? They make for a delicious start to a barbecue feast. Going piecemeal isn't your only option, though—you shouldn't be afraid to cook a whole chicken on the grill. However you want to cook it, we have the grilled chicken recipe your summer dinner rotation is missing below.
Our Tips for Perfect Grilled Chicken That's Juicy and Flavorful
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Barbecue Chicken
Chicken pieces are brushed with a quick homemade BBQ sauce toward the end of cooking, then slathered with more sauce for serving. Even better—you can make the sauce ahead.
Barbecue Chicken
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Grilled Mustard Chicken With Salami and Avocado
Boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves get a mustardy marinade before they take a turn on the grill. We also grill the salami for this flavorful grilled chicken dinner that's served with a salad of avocado, cucumber, and frisee.
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Grilled Chicken and Vegetables With Parsley Vinaigrette
Chicken cutlets grill up fast and taste delicious when they're paired with bell peppers, zucchini, jarred marinated artichoke hearts, and a herby vinaigrette. Together, they make a full meal—you'll just need some grilled bread or potato salad to round out your plate.
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Grilled Chicken and Eggplant With Mozzarella and Tomatoes
Inspired by the ever-popular caprese salad, this grilled chicken breast dinner stars tomatoes and mozzarella as well as grilled eggplant, olives, and parsley—and it's a winner.
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Grilled Tuscan Chicken With Rosemary and Lemon
Marinate chicken pieces in our three-ingredient marinade for as little as 15 minutes or as long as overnight for a lemony, herbal entrée that will transport you to Tuscany.
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Grilled Chicken Thighs With Charred Corn and Summer Squash
Boneless chicken thighs star in this summery dinner. After a quick turn on the grill, the flame-kissed thighs are tossed with a minty lemon dressing. Set them aside and char some corn and zucchini—then lay the chicken on top of the vegetables. The sauce from the chicken will bring everything together on the platter.
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Teriyaki-Glazed Grilled Chicken
A tangy homemade hoisin-teriyaki glaze goes on in the last few minutes of cooking to elevate these grilled chicken breasts to superstar dinner status.
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Grilled Spatchco*ck Chicken With Dijon and Rosemary
The best and easiest way to grill a whole chicken is to spatchco*ck it. Removing the backbone allows you to flatten the bird which makes for more even cooking; as an added bonus, it'll cook quicker, too!
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Grilled Chicken Breast With Cucumber Relish
To ensure that these boneless, skinless chicken breasts stay nice and juicy, we pound them to an even thickness and sprinkle with salt about half an hour before grilling. The sweet-and-spicy cucumber relish can be made while the chicken is on the grill.
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Saffron Chicken Kebabs
Served atop lavash with flame-kissed onions and tomatoes, fresh radishes and mint, and a spicy herbed yogurt sauce, these golden-hued chicken breast kebabs make a marvelous meal.
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Grilled Chicken Breasts With Lemon-Thyme Sauce
Using our favorite technique again here, we pound the boneless, skinless chicken breasts for grilling so they cook evenly. Once they're off the grill, we pour over the zesty lemon-herb sauce. Dinner is served!
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Tandoori-Spiced Grilled Chicken
Be sure to allow time for the yogurt-based marinade to do it's work on the chicken halves in this recipe. (Prepping the chicken the day before you cook it is our favorite way to get ahead.)
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Chicken-Mozzarella Melts With Cherry Tomatoes
We love to use our favorite cast iron skillet on the grill. It opens up a range of new possibilities for dinner, like these sandwiches made with quick-cooking chicken paillards. The chicken is cooked directly on the grill; we use the skillet for the olive oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and Peppadew peppers mixture that takes these sandwiches to the next level.
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Grilled Chicken With Fresh-Herb Dressing
Cilantro lovers, this one is for you. This riff on salsa verde puts extra herbs to brilliant use, as a sauce for chicken hot off the grill. We use a chicken cut into 10 pieces but this fresh and lively sauce will work just as well with your favorite chicken legs, thighs, or breast.
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Teriyaki Chicken-Wing and Vegetable Skewers
Why not serve skewers two ways tonight? Chicken wings, eggplant, and shiitake mushrooms are basted with teriyaki, while shish*to peppers, asparagus, and bacon-wrapped-enoki bundles are finished with a spritz of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt to bring out the vegetables' natural flavors.
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Grilled Chicken With Summer Squashes and Parsley
Have you ever grilled a lemon before? The juice of grilled lemons combines with anchovies and parsley in a bright, flavorful dressing; use it atop cut-up whole chicken and summer squash in this easy dinner. This is another one of our minimal-cleanup meals. No pots—just the grill, a plate for chicken, and a bowl for dressing.
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Grilled Marinated Chicken Thighs
What's different about this recipe? The chicken is marinated in a simple mix of herbs, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil after it's grilled. The chicken thighs can be served on their own, sandwiched like a burger, or chopped and added to salads or pasta dishes.
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Grilled-Chicken-and-Zucchini Salad
A quick marinade in garlicky, dill-flecked yogurt before grilling results in super moist and flavorful chicken cutlets. They're served with a fast romaine-and-radish salad and planks of zucchini.
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Green-Chile Chicken Burgers
Forget what you knew about chicken burgers! These sprightly sandwiches are that good. Lean ground chicken is amped up with canned green chiles and fresh cilantro for a moist, flavorful patty served with fixings on a sesame bun.
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Smoky Grilled Chicken With Sweet Vinegar Sauce
A perfect combination of salty richness and tart sweetness, this chicken is brushed with a robust vinegar sauce before it hits the grill. Afterward, you'll serve the extras as a side of dipping sauce that'll have your guests asking for more.
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Cashew-Chicken Kebabs
Chicken thighs are brushed with a mixture of red curry paste and ground cashews for these Thai-inspired skewers. They're grilled and served over a quick and refreshing rice noodle salad.
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Grilled Chicken With Mango and Mint-Lime Dressing
Lime juice, garlic, and fresh mint come together in a lively dual-purpose dressing here. Half is used to marinate the chicken breasts, while the other half is tossed together with watercress, mango, and charred radishes for the salad.
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Grilled Buttermilk Chicken
For a grilled chicken that's moist, tender, and full of flavor, marinate it in tangy buttermilk, garlic, and fresh rosemary or thyme. Imbue the chicken with more seductive aromas by grilling orange segments and rosemary sprigs at the same time.
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Chicken Souvlaki
Marinated in lemon juice, garlic, and fresh oregano, then grilled with plum tomatoes and red onions, chicken breast is transformed into souvlaki-style skewers. Serve with charred pitas and our cucumber-heavy yogurt sauce (more cucumbers means more crunch).
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Grilled Whole Chicken With Barbecue Sauce
The secret to grilling a whole chicken perfectly is patience. Set up your grill for indirect heat and cook the chicken for an hour and a half, brushing with homemade or purchased barbecue sauce during the last 15 minutes of grilling.
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Barbecued-Chicken Salad
The smoky marinade does double duty in this chicken cutlet dinner; it's brushed on the chicken before grilling and used to dress the salad. And the salad is a winner, too, thanks to cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, avocado, and lettuce.
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Basil-and-Black-Pepper-Brined Chicken
No more guessing if bone-in chicken is cooked when it has been brine boiled prior to grilling. This technique ensures the meat grills evenly and doesn't dry out.
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Thai Grilled-Chicken Baguettes
Grilled chicken gets a boost from fragrant Masaman-curry and tart lime. After the bread and meat get some smoky flavor from the grill, they're topped with celery for a delightful crunch. Sliced mango is a fresh accompaniment.
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Grilled Chicken With Lemon and Oregano
Savor the sunny flavors of the Mediterranean when you marinate halved chickens in chopped fresh oregano, lemon zest, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. To achieve perfectly grilled chicken, cook it over medium heat and move to a cooler part of the grill if the outside is browning too quickly.
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