Chef John's Barbecue Chicken

This turned out great! Only thing I changed was reduced the cayenne pepper by 1/2, and used all drumsticks. I am not comfortable grilling drumsticks, so I baked mine at 425 degrees, seasoned, for 20 minutes. Brushed a thick layer of bbq sauce, then continued baking 25 minutes. Chicken turned out with crispy skin even under the barbecue sauce. The chicken was very tender--loved it! Served alongside leftover "Summer Tomato Pie".

Rack up another hit for Chef John! We woke up Memorial Day morning, looking for a simple grilled bbq chicken recipe..... This Is It! Super-Simple and Tasty. A Big Hit at our celebration. This recipe has definitely earned a spot in the regular rotation. Thanks, Chef John!

The chicken was good, but preparing it with the marinade is more complicated than necessary. Not sure the marinade contributed much, but if you are concerned about burning the barbecue sauce the tip to baste the chicken with it periodically is a good one.

Best BBQ chicken ever! Even my daughter who says she dislikes BBQ chicken has asked for this several times since I first made it. Followed the recipe exactly but found the cooking time needed to be cut in half on a medium high grill to produce perfect juicy chicken.

I made this as directed, except I didn't have any rice vinegar so I used the red wine vinegar that I had. I took longer than 35 minutes, but it was the juiciest grilled chicken I've ever made! I will make this again and again.

Really liked this and will use it again. Did it per the recipe and video other than I used leg and thigh quarters. My only adjustment is I will make is to cook the skin side down longer and at a slightly lower temp. I didnt cook it long enough and then my fire was so hot that the bottom no-skin side burnt even with no barbecue sauce applied. The part eaten was delicious and moist and a different flavor that I attribute to the vinegar.

I mixed the spices into the marinade. Turned out delicious.

I saw this recipe in the magazine and made it one night on a whim when we lost power for a week after a big storm. I used chicken quarters with the skin removed and prepared it as described using sweet baby rays BBQ sauce. It was amazing! Quick, easy to prepared and flavorful. I've made this 6 times since that storm and family raves about it. Thank you chef John!

This was the best BBQ chicken recipe I have ever had. My son who is not a big chicken fan raved about it and asked for seconds.

Took quite a bit longer than 35 minutes but it was worth the wait.

A bit of work but turned out really pretty good. I usually shy away from using bbq sauce when grilling simply because it burns too quickly but no fear of that any more. I made drumsticks and the cook time was not as long as required in the recipe. Thermometer was key. Thanks Chef John for another great keeper. Update: Prepared this recipe last night as directed using a whole chicken cut in half. It was sensational. A lot of work with basting every 6 minutes. It is extremely hot out right now so I was exhausted and sweaty by the time dinner was ready. But such tasty chicken. Great recipe! Served with grilled italian veggies from AR site.

This has been my goto bbq chicken recipe/technique since I saw it a few years back No need to change anything or change everything it’s the technique that is stellar as well as Chef John and yes that was my question WWCJ do?

Really good. To make a bit healthier, I removed the skin before the initial marinade. Other than that, followed exactly. The best pieces were the chicken thighs. I recommend using bone in (not boneless) thighs and removing the skin. Mine were perfectly cooked in 22 minutes.

This was great- only issue for me was the fact I have use a charcoal grill, so it's a bit hard for me to gauge temperature. Other than a wee bit more black on top then ideal, turned out perfect! Next time I'll make sure to only do 2 minutes on skin side.

So finger-licking good! Made this on a whim at 9:00 p.m. and it was just fantastic. I prepped this exactly as directed and it was perfect. Flavorful, juicy, and exactly what you want in BBQ chicken. Loved it!

Love, love, love Chef John's recipes; I make quite a few. Doubled the spice pack for the marinade, I have HAD it with flavorless BBQ! Lol! Turned out great...so true about the burning of the sauce.

Finally! I think this was the first time i was able to grill bbq chicken that didn't get charred black or taste like a dried out hockey puck! I used 4 skin-on bone-in breasts and follwed.the recipe to a T except I had to double the marinade to have enough for all 4 pieces. The chicken grilled up perfectly and was and had a nice thick bbq glaze which was absolutely delicious. I served it with double baked potatoes and mini honey corn bread muffins. I will never grill bbq chicken any other way! Thanks for another winner, Chef John :)

Love..Love..Love it! I used this with bone-in chicken thighs and a boneless breast. It was delicious! My family demands a redo because there were no leftovers. Can't wait to make this again.

My husband is a master BBQ-er and he said that this was the best non-smoked BBQ he had ever had! I left in the marinade overnight. The flavor went all through the meat. Very juicy and delish! The seasoning mix is excellent. I was afraid the cayenne would make it too hot for the kids but it only added flavor. We used a grill mat to prevent burning. This is how we will make grilled chicken from now on! Thank You Chef John!

Very juicy chicken, done perfectly with just a hint of zip! I'll be making this again, for sure!

This is really grilled chicken not Bar-B-Que chicken but very tasty. Forget the old adage, 'till the juices run clear'. Technology has come to far for that wives tale. Many chicken recipes will run clear and the meat will not be done. Trust the internal temp of 165 degrees internal because the chicken is done when it is done. Use the time recommend to gage your side dishes not your grilled recipes. The days of dried chicken and turkey are now over with a good temp device.

We thought the marinade did a great job of adding flavor and tenderizing. The chicken tasted great! As for those concerned about what BBQ sauce to use.....omg!.....use whatever BBQ sauce is your favorite! The brand of the sauce doesn't matter...it's whatever you like...smoky? sweet? hickory flavored? mesquite? whatever!

Chef John you are a genius. This was the best barbeque chicken I have ever had. I didn't have onion powder so I used garlic powder instead. Other than that I made it just like you said to prepare it and it was delicious.

This recipe has a lot of heat. Just right for my taste, but others may find it a little spicy. Easy on the cayenne.

Knocked this one out of the park. Easy to do, and delicious. Huge hit. I actually whipped it up the night before, and the next day, as the grill was preheating I placed them on the skewers. Thank you for share such a great and easy recipe!

This was one of the least imaginative dishes I've ever created. I served it with creamy polenta and steamed broccoli. I think I'll pitch the leftovers today. I can't even look at it. (And it wasn't cheap)

I used chicken breast and it still turned out great!

This was great as is. I thought I bought split chickens but it was split breasts. But nonetheless great the whole family enjoyed it.

Too salty and spicy for me.

REALLY REALLY GOOD I was pressed for time so 1 hour marinating was good . Didn't even have time for cutting of meat before hand. Next time I will. Still it was good. I did watch the video and followed it. All good advice and will follow through out the summer. Flavour great. Really good opener to BarBQ season. Beautiful day and dinner. Iloveit

This was fantastic! Moist and very tasty.

This turned out perfect and was incredibly tender and moist. I will make it again. BTW I used Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce

I made this according to the receipt. Used huge bone in, skin on chicken breasts; halved. My wife said...this is really good. After a pause; Chef John? I asked: - was it delicious? Yes. -was I looking at my iPad when I made it? Yes. -is there an unusual depth of flavor? Yes. -did the boys eat up all the rest, or pack it for work? They're not home. Check tomorrow morning....gone! Yes, Chef John.

I cooked this for my wife and I, and we loved it. Simple, and really, really good !

followed recipe and enjoyed a very good tasting bbq chicken! will definitely be using this recipe again

This was excellent! I also have found difficulty not burning BBQ sauce on direct heat so I saved basting for the end. 2 times in the last 10 minutes, about 5 minutes apart. My family really enjoyed this recipe!

Made this over the weekend. Had to go to the supermarket to buy more cchicken.Everyone loved it and wanted more. Thanks chef john.

I used thighs instead of a whole chicken because we are not fans of the breast. This was an excellent recipe and a great method for cooking, though my thighs only took about 20 minutes.

Delicious as is! Family raved about the flavor. I use Sweet Baby Rays.

Have made it several times. Everyone loves this recipe! I used lemon juice instead of vinegar, which my husband doesn't like. It turned out perfectly!

I made this for dinner last night and it is really a keeper. Very juicy and great flavor. The only change I made to the recipe was to use skinless chicken breast and it was great!

I made this as directed. It was simple and delicious, chicken was very moist. The dish was a hit with my guests and I will make it again.

The marinade and dry rub worked well to keep the chicken extra juicy. I still managed to burn the chicken but that was my fault, not the recipe's! But the chicken was super juicy. A good basic recipe that doesn't require a ton of prep time.

Marinating for an hour made this one of the juiciest chickens I've had from a BBQ. I used chicken breasts, flattened. The flavors of the rub are awesome. I made BBQ sauce for basting: BBQ sauce, soy sauce, red wine, horseradish mustard. Will definitely add to favorites.

I made this for my family and followed the recipe exactly and it was a hit. This is now going on our meal rotation. Thanks again Chef John!

This is excellent. My husband, being the barbecuer in the family was hesitant to follow "a recipe" but he did and it was very good. We added some pecan wood to the coals.

I used all split chicken breasts (6) to have more meat. Very tender and delicious!

This was a great recipe like other reviewers, I marinated my chicken a ziploc bag that way the marinate and chicken are learning to coexist. I didn't have any onion powder but I did use the McCormick barbecue seasoning. The smell was barbecue heavenly!

Came out very good. I use KC masterpiece original with a little Sriracha sauce mixed into it for a little zap. Mix the Sriracha sauce to your taste in a bowl to your taste prior to basting the sauce on the chicken.

used chicken thighs w/skin and bone. Delicious! Flavorful and juicy.

This is going to be my go to recipe for barbeque chicken, great flavor, very easy. Made it for Memorial Day, everyone loved it. Used my favorite barbeque sauce.

I used thighs instead of a whole chicken because we are not fans of the breast. This was an excellent recipe and a great method for cooking, though my thighs only took about 20 minutes.

Very good recipe, great flavor. As others have noted, it takes longer than the recipe calls for. Almost an hour in my case. But very tender, moist chicken, well worth the cook/wait. As long as the grill was fired up, I also cooked asparagus and corn on the cob. Great combo!

I did make this bbq chicken. It was good, I left out the rice vinegar and used a touch of balsamic instead. My hubby is not normally a fan of red bbq sauce, he has his own that he makes from scratch for chicken. He did like this recipe tho. I will most likely do it again, as Iiked it.

This was the best bbq chicken I've ever had. I had intended to marinate for just the one hour but people were stopping by and before I knew it 3 hours past. Dinner was late but it was worth the wait. Very flavorful!

This is a great way to have flavorful, moist non-burned Grilled chicken. I followed the recipe twice now. Both came out great. You could marinate with ever you want.

Came out excellent after only marinating for 1 hour.....can't wait to taste what marinating for longer will yield!

Best BBQ Chicken ever! No substitutions made. We even grill half chicken. It was a hit with the family and we will make it again. We just started grilling so it is nice to make something that turns out so well! Thanks Chef John.

I made this for a Labor Day cook out. This was the most amazing bbq chicken ever! I used 5lbs of bone-in skin on thighs and Jack Daniels bbq sauce. I served it with grilled corn, heirloom tomato salad, spicy potato salad, and watermelon lemonade. All recipes on Allrecipes. Everyone loved it!

It came out a little blackened, but with the skin picked off it was phenomenal. Incredibly juicy and flavorful. Will definitely try again, next time on slightly lowered heat (this time I did medium-high, next time I'll do medium).

I added some chipotle sauce to give it a kick, otherwise I followed our Leader Chef John. I will use this BBQ method for all my butterfly chicken grilling it worked perfectly. Moist, tender, no charred skin, except some charring underneath but great overall.

I came out awesome for sure!! I cooked it about 10-15 min longer than the recipe calls for which may have dried the chicken some but it was still a great tasting dish.

Another great recipe from my favorite chef.

This was amazing. Will definitely make again! Thanks for the recipe.

Chicken turned out delicious. Made it exactly as the recipe called and it was crispy and had a delicious flavor. Kids loved it too!

Excellent recipe. I used bone in chicken thighs with skin. Marinated for several hours. After grilling the chicken for 4 minutes skin side down I turned the grill down to medium/low to finish grilling for the remaining 30 minutes.

Yummy and juicy

Baked 375 45-60 minutes

Another good Chef John chicken recipe. It doesn't get much easier than this. I really appreciated the tip about turning the chicken only once. This recipe made it on to my list of quick go-to chicken recipes.

Really good. I used a dozen chicken thighs so everything would cook at the same rate. A little more time skin-side down at the beginning would have made the skin crispier and less fatty.

Family loved it. Made it exactly as written and it was wonderful.

"beautiful colour" "just like Nandos" "you are a BBQ expert" "tasty and moist" "when making, I added a few herbs and spices and it really gave the dish a kick and a lift" "couldn't of asked for more" keep working on those cracking dishes From Chef Louis

It was awesome!

Best Mac I have ever made. Added a 1/2 tsp mustard powder and a little chicken bouillon to the white sauce for flavor. Also added 3 strips of cooked chopped bacon and a few tbl Parmesan to add to homemade bread crump topping. Broiled for 2 minutes for a crispy finish. Yum!

Delicious. Used thighs because they stay moist and will all be done at the same time.--makes BBQing for a crowd that much easier. Marinated over night. Done over charcoal. Aluminum pan underneath to prevent flare-ups. Only basted in the last few minutes because the sugar in BBQ sauces easily catches fire. Used an instant read meat thermometer to make sure they were properly cooked.

We hadn't made BBQ whole chickens (or half as in this case). It is the BEST we have had and will continue to use this recipe as it is a real keeper in our house!

Excellent, simple recipe. I used a grilling pack from my local market which consisted of two breasts and four legs. I doubled the marinade yet the original quantity would have been enough. Definitely make sure to cut slashed in for the marinade as opposed to just poking holes. Depending on your grill you may need to grill skin side down for more than four minutes to get the char marks. I then turned the pieces and moved them to the indirect side applying sauce at the suggested intervals. The end product was incredibly moist and flavorful.

Overall, very good and simple to make. I used split chicken breasts and the flavors were good, but I was longing for more bbq flavor to come through in the actual meat. I'm not sure the marinade really contributes anything. Good thing we don't typically eat the skin because it was totally charred. My husband thinks he might have basted too much. But, the meat had some flavor to it and was moist (used thermometers and removed meat at 165F). Will use this recipe again though in the future. Thanks for the recipe!

I am a vegetarian so I simply substituted the meat for vegan "chicken" & put the sauce on it. It was delicious & I used smoked paprika instead of regular & put just a pinch of cayenne pepper since the kids were eating it. All but one of us loved it!

Followed recipe exactly. Wanted to love it, but the chicken breasts were dry and too salty. I will try again and hope to revise this up a star or two.

The flavor very good. My husband followed recipe very close. I’d like tips on how to make the skin crispy when it’s basted with bbq sauce.

Since grill temps are highly variable, I’ve been having the most luck keeping mine between 350 and 400. Rufus Teague’s Touch o Heat sauce has done wonders for me. Perfect blend of heat and sugars.

Mercy sakes alive this was the best barbecue chicken ever. I have never had success with barbecuing chicken until I tried this recipe. I followed recipe exactly as written. Cooked to perfection. The meat was very moist throughout. The rub had a nice kick without being overly hot or spicy. I used Sweet Baby Rays original barbecue sauce. This is definitely a keeper. Thank you Chef John.

Was a bit spicy for me. Will cut back on the peppers next time.

My husband made this for dinner and it was amazing!! Best BBQ chicken I have ever had by far! We used split chicken breast and Stubbs original BBQ sauce. It’s a new family favorite.

This was exceptionally good. We grilled it outside in 10 degree weather in northern Minnesota- first time we tried this recipe- and it received great compliments from our guests. Thank you Chef John

No, didn't need to!

Made this last night for a party we had. We cooked 9 pounds so chicken thighs and drumsticks for 13 people. Everybody raved about the marinade and sauce. Although I thought we would have lots of leftovers, we do have some, just enough for the picnic today. Cutting the chicken before marinating it really helped the flavor and cooking time. The only problem we had was our barbecue. It can't seem to get low enough to cook the chicken without burning it. Also, our thighs were absolutely enormous and took much longer to cook through. I will definitely make this again. My husband loved this and asked to make this again for the next time we barbecue. Thanks for sharing!!

It was pretty good I would make it again I just think the whole process took longer than necicary

Really good. Made it 3 nights in a row.

Only change I made was,I used my broiler, when it came time to glaze.

Chicken was so moist & tender. I used bone in chicken breast and leg quarters.I will definitely use this recipe again.

Simply delicious! We paired it with corn on the cob and had a small barbecue. March 8, 2022.

Best barbecued chicken I ever made.

Next time, cook the skin side down longer & at slightly LOWER temp. The gas grill was so hot... that the bottom side of the chicken burnt, even with no BBQ sauce on. Can also use apple cider vinegar if out of rice vinegar. DOUBLE the spices using half in the marinade and then the rest sprinkled on the chicken before grilling. I liked thighs the best, using bone-in:) Note: really good using bone-in chicken, but removing the skin before thew marinade and then grilling.

I used chicken breasts and marinated it overnight. It was excellent!! Definitely a keeper

Very tasty indeed and the marinade replaces my usual salt brining which is a must with bone-in chicken.

I used bone-in and skin-off chicken breasts (all I had) and they were really juicy and good except for some reason we found them a little hot the first night and we like heat. The second night was better. I baked them in the oven instead of bbqing.

Amazing recipe. I thought it was one of the simplest recipes I've tried. Only thing I'd change is less salt in dry rub.