BBQ Bone-In Chicken Breast

The secret to this moist grilled bone-in barbecue chicken is brining the meat and basting with a flavorful homemade BBQ sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 1 10

Servings

Calories 343kcal

Author Amee

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.

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!

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.