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BBQ Chicken

BBQ chicken with a sticky, deeply caramelized BBQ sauce lacquer made on the grill. Marinated bone-in, skin-on chicken gets grilled bone-side down for bold grill marks and a charred edge finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Marinating 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, legs, or breasts) About 3-5 lb total depending on piece size.
BBQ sauce marinade and basting
  • 1.5 cup BBQ sauce Divide: 1/2 cup for marinating, remaining for basting.
Seasonings
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Garnish
  • 1 Fresh parsley For garnish, optional but recommended.

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Season and marinate
  1. Rub the chicken with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
  2. Marinate the chicken in 1/2 cup BBQ sauce for at least 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.
Grill the chicken
  1. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
  2. Place the chicken on the grill bone-side down and cook for 8-10 minutes, then turn every 8-10 minutes for even cooking.
  3. Cook 25-30 minutes without sauce, turning regularly until the chicken is cooked through but not yet glazed.
  4. In the last 10 minutes, brush generously with the remaining BBQ sauce, turning and basting each time for a sticky coating.
  5. Continue grilling until the BBQ sauce is deeply caramelized and sticky, and the internal temperature reaches 165F.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the chicken 5 minutes before serving.
  2. Serve with extra warmed BBQ sauce and garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

For the stickiest lacquer, avoid adding sauce too early—glaze only during the final 10 minutes. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze cooked chicken up to 3 months. For a lower-sugar option, choose a BBQ sauce labeled reduced-sugar or no-sugar-added and taste-adjust seasoning.