BBQ Bone-In Chicken Breast
BBQ Bone-In Chicken Breast can be difficult to cook without drying it out or burning the sauce. For that reason, this recipe walks you through everything you need to achieve super moist and juicy bone-in chicken breast on the grill, including a simple saltwater brine and homemade BBQ sauce.
If you’re someone who usually reaches for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I’m here to lovingly nudge you in a new (and juicier) direction. Next time, grab a pack of bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts –because with this comprehensive bone-in grilled chicken guide, you’re in for fall-apart tender, finger-lickin’ good results every single time.
The secret to success starts with a simple overnight brine, which infuses the chicken with flavor and moisture from the inside out. From there, we move to the grill, where a two-zone grilling method gives you the best of both worlds: gentle, even cooking over indirect heat for tenderness, then a quick blast of direct heat for crispy skin.
To finish things off, we baste the chicken in a sweet, smoky, and a little bit sticky barbecue sauce, which caramelizes beautifully over the flames. So go ahead –make some room on your grill and let’s turn a humble cut of chicken into the star of your next cookout.
Recipe features
- Flavor-boosting brine. An overnight saltwater soak infuses the chicken with flavor and keeps it tender and moist on the grill.
- Homemade BBQ sauce. You end up with about 1½ cups –perfect for slathering and dipping.
- Pro grilling method. Grilling over both indirect and direct heat gives you juicy, evenly cooked chicken with irresistibly crispy, caramelized skin.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Bone-in chicken breasts. Go for split chicken breasts with the rib bone and skin intact. The bone helps insulate the meat for even cooking and richer flavor, while the skin protects the surface from drying out –boneless, skinless breasts just don’t hold up the same way on the grill.
- Simple brine for chicken. For this recipe, I use a classic wet brine made with water, sea salt, garlic cloves, and a bay leaf. The salt penetrates the meat, locking in moisture and enhancing the natural flavor while the garlic and a bay leaf infuse a subtle aromatic note.
- Homemade BBQ sauce. This is the recipe my mom used for chicken and ribs when I was growing up. I think she got it off the back of a tomato soup can. It starts with sautéed onion and garlic, then you add a can of tomato soup, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, and a dash of hot sauce. It all simmers together into a thick, delicious sauce.
How to make juicy bone-in grilled chicken breast
Bone-in chicken breast can be one of the easiest cuts to overcook and dry out, but with these easy-to-follow instructions, it can be the juiciest, most flavorful thing on the grill:
Step 1: Prepare brine. Combine water, salt, garlic, and bay leaf in a large resealable bag placed in a deep bowl.
Step 2: Brine chicken. Submerge the chicken in the brine, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and let it rest in the fridge for 12 to 18 hours (24 hours max).
Step 3: Rinse and rest. Rinse the chicken under cool water, then pat it dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt and pepper (if desired). Let the chicken sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before grilling –this helps it cook more evenly from edge to center.
Step 4: Make BBQ sauce. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender, then add the remaining ingredients, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 15 minutes).
Step 5: Set up two heat zones. Preheat the grill on high for 10 minutes, then turn off one side of the gas burners (or bank the coals to one side if using a charcoal grill), and oil the grates generously.
Step 6: Grill over indirect heat. Place the chicken skin-side down on the cooler side, cover, and cook for 30-40 minutes, rotating every 10-15 minutes and maintaining a grill temperature of 350-400°F.
Step 7: Finish over direct heat. Once the chicken is nearly cooked through, move it to the direct heat side, skin-side down. Brush with BBQ sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, repeating a few times, until nicely caramelized.
Step 8: Rest and serve. Remove the chicken from the heat, loosely tent it with foil, and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Aim for brining the chicken for 12-18 hours. This gives the salt enough time to enhance both flavor and moisture. Avoid stretching it past 24 hours or the meat may break down too much.
- BBQ sauce contains sugar, and sugar burns fast. Wait to baste until the last 10-15 minutes of cooking and apply the sauce in thin layers, allowing each to caramelize before flipping and repeating.
- Use a reliable instant-read thermometer to ensure your chicken hits the perfect internal temperature of 160-165°F. Bone-in chicken can be deceptive –it may look done before it actually is. Don’t play the guessing game!
- Rest before serving. Once you pull the chicken off the grill, tent it loosely with foil and let it rest for 5–10 minutes. This short rest allows the juices to redistribute. Skip this step, and you risk dry, tough chicken –no matter how perfectly you cooked it.
Variations
- Customize your brine – The brine with garlic and bay leaf is simple and effective, but you can deepen the flavor with add-ins, such as peppercorns, a splash of apple cider vinegar, or a pinch of sugar for complexity.
- Use your favorite BBQ rub – After brining and patting the chicken dry, I typically just sprinkle a little salt and pepper, but feel free to use your favorite BBQ dry rub. Just go light-handed since the brine already did most of the heavy lifting.
- Use store-bought BBQ – If you don’t have time to make BBQ sauce from scratch, your favorite store-bought sauce will work just fine. Just be sure to wait until the final 10-15 minutes of cooking before brushing it on to avoid burning.
For food safety and best texture, cook bone-in chicken breasts to an internal temperature of 160-165°F. The chicken will continue cooking slightly while it rests, so pull it off the grill at 160°F if you’re worried about going over.
This recipe is designed for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, but you can use the same method with bone-in thighs, drumsticks, leg quarters, or even a whole spatchcocked chicken. Just adjust cooking times depending on the size and cut.
Absolutely! After brining and drying the chicken, arrange the chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, and bake skin-side up at 400°F for 35-45 minutes, or until the internal temp hits 160-165°F. In the last 10-15 minutes, baste with BBQ sauce and return to the oven to let it caramelize.
What to serve with grilled BBQ chicken
I love pairing this juicy grilled chicken with summer favorites –think creamy red skin potato salad, baked beans, or a strawberry spinach salad. Here are more of my favorite sides:
- Blackstone Corn on the Cob
- Old-Fashioned Coleslaw
- Summer Risoni Salad
- Old-Fashioned Cucumbers & Onions
- Lemon Balsamic Grilled Asparagus
- Maple Grilled Peaches with Greek Yogurt
Storing and freezing
Storing: Let leftover grilled bone-in chicken cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: You can also freeze fully cooked bone-in BBQ chicken in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: To keep the chicken juicy, place it in a baking dish, add a splash of broth or water, cover loosely, and warm it in a 325°F oven until heated through. Or reheat it in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of broth or water to keep it from drying out.
More grilled chicken recipes
- Easy Mango Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Honey Chicken Kabobs
- Grilled Jerk Chicken Bowls
- Harissa Grilled Chicken Skewers
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BBQ Bone-In Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- Simple Brine for Chicken
- 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and slightly smashed
- 8 cups water
- 3 tbsp sea salt
- 1 bay leaf
- Homemade BBQ Sauce
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 10 oz can tomato soup
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 dash hot sauce
Instructions
Brine chicken and make the sauce:
- Brine the Chicken: Combine all ingredients in a large ziploc bag placed into a deep bowl.
- Add chicken and seal bag, letting out as much air as possible. Brine the chicken for 12- 18 hours (24 hours max).
- Rinse chicken thoroughly and pat dry. After brining, use paper towels to dry the chicken thoroughly for better browning and crispy skin. Apply salt and freshly ground pepper, if desired. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before grilling for even cooking while you make the sauce.
- In a saucepan, cook onion and garlic in oil until tender over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 1.5 cups of sauce.
Grilling Instructions:
- Preheat grill on high heat for 10 minutes, then turn off one side (gas grill) or bank coals to one side (charcoal). This creates a hot direct heat side and a cooler indirect heat side. Oil the grates well to prevent sticking.
- Place chicken skin-side down on the cooler, indirect side of the grill, then cover and grill for 30–40 minutes, turning occasionally to prevent burning and ensure even cooking. Be sure to maintain a medium to medium-high (about 350–400°F) temperature and rotate every 10-15 minutes.
- Move chicken to the hot, direct side of the grill, and place skin-side down to crisp up the skin. Brush with BBQ sauce, cook 2–3 minutes, flip, baste again, and repeat for 2–3 cycles until nicely caramelized, and watch out for burning. Due to the high sugar content, BBQ sauce can easily burn, so wait to baste in the last 10–15 minutes.
- Remove chicken when it reaches 160–165°F. Carryover heat will finish the cooking as it rests. Let the chicken rest, loosely tented with foil, for 5–10 minutes before serving. This keeps it juicy as the juices redistribute.
- Enjoy with extra BBQ sauce and a few of your favorite sides!
Notes
- Aim for brining the chicken for 12-18 hours. This gives the salt enough time to enhance both flavor and moisture. Avoid stretching it past 24 hours or the meat may break down too much.
- BBQ sauce contains sugar, and sugar burns fast. Wait to baste until the last 10-15 minutes of cooking and apply the sauce in thin layers, allowing each to caramelize before flipping and repeating.
- Use a reliable instant-read thermometer to ensure your chicken hits the perfect internal temperature of 160-165°F. Bone-in chicken can be deceptive –it may look done before it actually is. Don’t play the guessing game!
- Rest before serving. Once you pull the chicken off the grill, tent it loosely with foil and let it rest for 5–10 minutes. This short rest allows the juices to redistribute. Skip this step, and you risk dry, tough chicken –no matter how perfectly you cooked it.
Nutrition
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Very nice recipe of barbecue chicken. Thanks for this blog.
This is a summer staple in our house!