Delicious bites of tangy, honey-sweetened, juicy chicken grilled to perfection. This honey BBQ grilled chicken makes for a tasty dinner whether it's a weeknight or you're hosting a backyard barbecue.

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Nothing says summer like juicy chicken breasts marinated and basted in a doctored barbecue sauce.

Kick off your summer grill season with this easy recipe! Chicken breasts are smothered in a tangy but sweet BBQ sauce and grilled to perfection. This chicken can be served alongside your favorite summer side dishes and it’ll pretty much always be a hit.

★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★

Honey barbecue grilled chicken works just as well for a backyard party with neighbors, family, and friends as it does as a meal prep recipe for the week. Easy to make and packed full of flavor.

The honey-sweetened barbecue sauce hack is something you'll want to keep in your back pocket for the future. It’s whipped up quickly with a few pantry staples and tastes delicious on chicken, pork chops, or even shrimp!

More reasons to go wild over this chicken:

Flavorful: Marinating the chicken with seasoned and sweetened barbecue sauce helps tenderize and infuse flavor so that each bite is delicious.

Versatile: You can use the barbecue sauce on pork, chicken, or shrimp which is great if you are cooking multiple proteins at once. I love to drizzle the tangy sauce over mac and cheese as well!

Easy: The hardest part of this recipe is planning ahead to allow enough time for the chicken to marinate. Truly. Otherwise, you’ll only need some pantry staples to get it going and you can grill the chicken or bake the breasts in the oven.

★ Ingredients You'll Need ★

Here’s what you’ll need to make this honey barbecue grilled chicken breast recipe. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

BBQ sauce: For the base, you can use any BBQ sauce you like and have on hand. Likewise, you could make your own. Here's my go-to homemade barbecue sauce recipe.
Honey: Agave syrup will work in place of honey and still give the marinade the same texture.
Seasonings: Hit up your spice cupboard as you’ll need some basics like smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
Garlic: I like to use garlic paste but if you don’t have any on hand, use garlic powder instead.
Worcestershire sauce: You only need a little bit, but it does help with the flavor.
Chicken breasts: Ideally, you want boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. You can use other varieties, but the cooking times will vary. If you prefer thinner chicken cutlets, you can slice your breasts in half lengthwise or go ahead and purchase them pre-sliced as cutlets. You'll want to be sure to pound them flat using a meat tenderizer to ensure even cooking and melt-in-your-mouth bites.
Parsley: Fresh is best and adds a bit of color to the chicken when you serve it. Flat leaf parsley or curly parsley, your choice.

★ How to Make this Recipe ★

The steps are quite simple.

Here's a peek at what you'll do following this recipe:

Mix barbecue sauce ingredients together.
Marinate chicken in half the sauce.
Grill chicken.
Brush remaining sauce on top before serving.
Garnish with parsley and serve.

★ Tips & FAQs ★

Other Ways to Cook the Chicken

If you’re not up to grilling the chicken breasts, this recipe can also be cooked in the oven or a crockpot with the directions below.

Oven: After marinating the chicken, arrange the breasts in a single layer in a baking dish. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Brush with the remaining sauce and serve.

Crockpot: Marinate the chicken in half the sauce and when finished, place the breasts in a crockpot in a single layer. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Brush the remaining sauce over top of the chicken before serving.

What sides go well with this barbecue chicken?

This barbecue chicken pairs well with a variety of sides. Choose your favorites! Hot baked macaroni and cheese, broccoli slaw, broccoli apple salad, pasta salad and dinner rolls are just some ideas for serving along side this chicken.

Can I use other cuts of chicken?

Yes. Chicken thighs and tenderloins can both work. Just know that the cooking time will vary with other cuts so make sure to check the temperature of your chicken to ensure it’s cooked through. 165ºF and it's done.

How do you store honey BBQ chicken?

Once cooked, let the chicken cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 4 days. You can either reheat the chicken in a baking dish at 350ºF in the oven, microwave it until just warmed, or serve it chilled on top of a salad or in a wrap for lunch.

Can I freeze the chicken?

Yes. Cooked chicken can be cooled and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To enjoy it, let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating it.

How do I meal prep the chicken?

You can prepare the chicken and freeze it before cooking for later use. To do this, place the chicken in a plastic bag with half of the sauce on top of it. Massage the sauce into the chicken. Place the remaining sauce into a smaller plastic bag and pop both into the freezer.

The chicken will last about 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before grilling it or baking it in the oven.

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This easy recipe for Honey Barbecue Grilled Chicken was featured on South Your Mouth!