Our 25 Greatest Grilled Chicken Recipes

It's not a surprise that these chicken recipes are some of our most popular. After all, chicken is America's favorite protein—each of us eats their way through a whopping 93 pounds of this beloved bird every year, according to the National Chicken Council. If you're one of those home cooks who cycle through chicken dinners every weeknight in the summertime, this collection of recipes is perfect for you. Our very best grilled chicken dishes are full of winners that come together in a few straightforward steps; some can even be prepped in advance. which makes the process of getting dinner on the table so much quicker.

Why do we love grilling? It's fast, the results are flavorful, and the process gets us outdoors at the end of a long day. Sometimes we marinate chicken, like in our classic grilled marinated chicken recipe. Creating a marinade for is easy: from vinaigrettes to something simple as buttermilk, a marinade will deepen the flavor of any chicken breast on the grill. For other recipes, you'll see that we brush on a barbecue sauce just before the chicken is finished cooking, as is the case with the Barbecue Chicken you see here. Whichever route you take, you're guaranteed a delicious dinner.

Marinades and sauces aren't the only elements to consider; you'll also want to think about the cut of chicken you intend to use. Breasts are delicious grilled, but so are other cuts of the bird, so you don't want to overlook them. We're particular fans of the chicken thigh, which is an economical choice for a big crowd. And who doesn't love the chicken wing? Wings make for a delicious start to a barbecue feast. Also, don't be afraid to cook a whole chicken on the grill. One of our tried-and-tested recipes is our grilled whole chicken with barbecue sauce which cooks on a sheet pan in just an hour over low heat. It's a definite crowd pleaser. Finally, don't miss the chicken skewer and kebab recipes, an extra quick way to cook chicken and a wonderful way to mix up flavors, add vegetables to the mix, and just plain have fun with grilling.

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Charred Corn and Summer Squash

Boneless chicken thighs star in this super summery dinner. After a quick turn on the grill, the flame-kissed thighs are tossed with a minty lemon dressing. Set them aside and char some corn and zucchini, then lay the chicken on top of the vegetables and the sauce from the chicken will bring everything ton the platter.

Teriyaki-Glazed Grilled Chicken

A tangy homemade hoisin-teriyaki glaze goes on in the last few minutes of cooking to elevate these grilled chicken breasts to superstar dinner status.

Grilled Spatchcock Chicken with Dijon and Rosemary

The best and easiest way to grill a whole chicken is to spatchcock it. Removing the backbone allows you to flatten the bird which makes for more even cooking; as an added bonus, it'll cook quicker, too!

Grilled Chicken Breast with Cucumber Relish

To ensure that these boneless, skinless chicken breasts stay nice and juicy, we pound them to an even thickness and sprinkle with salt about half an hour before grilling. The sweet-and-spicy cucumber relish can be made while the chicken is on the grill.

Saffron Chicken Kebabs

Served atop lavash with flame-kissed onions and tomatoes, fresh radishes and mint, and a spicy herbed yogurt sauce, these golden-hued chicken breast kebabs make a marvelous meal.

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Lemon-Thyme Sauce

Using our favorite technique again here, we pound the boneless, skinless chicken breasts for grilling so they cook evenly. Once they're off the grill, we pour over the zesty lemon-herb sauce. Dinner is served!

Tandoori-Spiced Grilled Chicken

Be sure to allow time for the yogurt-based marinade to do it's work on the chicken halves in this recipe. (Prepping the chicken the day before you cook it is our favorite way to get ahead.)

Chicken-Mozzarella Melts with Cherry Tomatoes

We love to use our favorite cast iron skillet on the grill. It opens up a range of new possibilities for dinner, like these sandwiches made with quick-cooking chicken paillards. The chicken is cooked directly on the grill, we use the skillet for the olive oil, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and Peppadew peppers mixture that takes these sandwiches to the next level.

Grilled Chicken with Fresh-Herb Dressing

Cilantro lovers, this one is for you. This riff on salsa verde puts extra herbs to brilliant use, as a sauce for chicken hot off the grill. We use a chicken cut into 10 pieces but this fresh and lively sauce will work just as well with your favorite chicken legs, thighs, or breast.

Teriyaki Chicken-Wing and Vegetable Skewers

Why not serve skewers two ways tonight? Chicken wings, eggplant, and shiitake mushrooms are basted with teriyaki, while shishito peppers, asparagus, and bacon-wrapped-enoki bundles are finished with a spritz of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt to bring out the vegetables' natural flavors.

Grilled Chicken with Summer Squashes and Parsley

Did you ever grill a lemon before? The juice of grilled lemons combines with anchovies, and parsley in a bright, flavorful dressing for a cutup whole chicken and summer squash in this easy dinner. This is another of our minimal-cleanup meals; no pots, just the grill, a plate for chicken, and a bowl for dressing.

Grilled Marinated Chicken Thighs

What's different about this recipe? The chicken is marinated in a simple mix of herbs, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil after it's grilled. The chicken thighs can be served on their own or sandwiched like a burger or chopped and added to salads or pasta dishes.

Grilled-Chicken-and-Zucchini Salad

A quick marinade in garlicky, dill-flecked yogurt before grilling results in super moist and flavorful chicken cutlets. They're served with a fast romaine-and-radish salad and planks of zucchini.

Green-Chile Chicken Burgers

Forget what you knew about chicken burgers! These sprightly sandwiches are that good. Lean ground chicken is amped up with canned green chiles and fresh cilantro for a moist, flavorful patty served with fixings on a sesame bun.

Smoky Grilled Chicken with Sweet Vinegar Sauce

A perfect combination of salty richness and tart sweetness, this chicken is brushed with a robust vinegar sauce before it hits the grill. Afterward, you'll serve the extras as a side of dipping sauce that'll have your guests asking for more.

Cashew-Chicken Kebabs

Chicken thighs are brushed with a mixture of red curry paste and ground cashews for these Thai-inspired skewers. They're grilled and served over a quick and refreshing rice noodle salad.

Grilled Chicken with Mango and Mint-Lime Dressing

Lime juice, garlic, and fresh mint come together in a lively dual-purpose dressing here. Half is used to marinate the chicken breasts, while the other half is tossed together with watercress, mango, and charred radishes for the salad.

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

For a grilled chicken that's moist, tender, and full of flavor, marinate it in tangy buttermilk, garlic, and fresh rosemary or thyme. Imbue the chicken with more seductive aromas by grilling orange segments and rosemary sprigs at the same time.

Chicken Souvlaki

Marinated in lemon juice, garlic, and fresh oregano, then grilled with plum tomatoes and red onions, chicken breast is transformed into souvlaki-style skewers. Serve with charred pitas and our cucumber-heavy yogurt sauce (more cukes mean more crunch and fewer calories!).

Grilled Whole Chicken with Barbecue Sauce

The secret to grilling a whole chicken perfectly is patience! Set up your grill for indirect heat and cook the chicken for an hour and a half, brushing with homemade or purchased barbecue sauce during the last 15 minutes of grilling.

Barbecued-Chicken Salad

The smoky marinade does double duty in this chicken cutlet dinner; it's brushed on the chicken before grilling and used to dress the salad. And that salad is a winner, too, made with cherry tomatoes, grilled corn, avocado, and lettuce.

Basil-and-Black-Pepper-Brined Chicken

No more guessing if bone-in chicken is cooked when it has been brine boiled prior to grilling. This technique ensures the meat grills evenly and doesn't dry out.

Thai Grilled-Chicken Baguettes

Grilled chicken gets a boost from fragrant Masaman-curry and tart lime. After the bread and meat get some smoky flavor from the grill, they're topped with celery for a delightful crunch. Sliced mango is a fresh accompaniment.

Grilled Chicken with Lemon and Oregano

Savor the sunny flavors of the Mediterranean when you marinate halved chickens in chopped fresh oregano, lemon zest, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. To achieve perfectly grilled chicken, cook it over medium heat and move to a cooler part of the grill if the outside is browning too quickly.