Grilled Barbecue Chicken (Printable)

Juicy chicken pieces marinated in smoky barbecue sauce and grilled to charred, tender perfection for summer cookouts.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
02 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks

→ Marinade & Barbecue Sauce

03 - 1 cup barbecue sauce (store-bought or homemade)
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
06 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
08 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
10 - ½ teaspoon salt
11 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

12 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# Steps:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and well blended.
02 - Measure out ¼ cup of the marinade mixture and set aside in a small bowl for basting during grilling.
03 - Add the chicken thighs and drumsticks to the remaining marinade, turning to coat each piece thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for more pronounced flavor.
04 - Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat (approximately 375–400°F). Lightly oil the grates using a folded paper towel dipped in vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
05 - Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing any excess to drip off. Place the pieces skin-side down on the hot grill. Cook for 6–8 minutes per side, brushing with the reserved basting sauce and turning occasionally, until the skin is deeply charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F.
06 - Transfer the grilled chicken to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The two step sauce situation means you get deep flavor from the marinade and fresh punchy glaze from the reserved basting portion.
  • Bone in skin on pieces are forgiving and stay juicy even if your grill runs a little too hot like mine always does.
02 -
  • The first time I made this I skipped the resting step and juices ran everywhere, leaving the meat drier than it should have been. Five minutes of patience changes everything.
  • Reserving part of the marinade before the raw chicken touches it means your basting sauce is safe and clean, which is a detail I learned from a cookbook I barely remember buying.
03 -
  • If your grill has hot spots use them intentionally by starting the skin side over the hottest area for char then moving pieces to cooler zones to finish cooking through gently.
  • A meat thermometer is the single tool that takes this from good to consistently great because visual cues alone can lie to you on a dark piece of barbecue chicken.

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