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BBQ Chicken

BBQ chicken grilled to deep caramelization with a sticky, lacquered BBQ sauce finish. Bone-in, skin-on pieces get marinated, then grilled bone-side down for strong grill marks and juicy texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
1 hour (marinating) 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken pieces thighs, legs, or breasts
BBQ sauce + marinade
  • 1.5 cup BBQ sauce divided: 1/2 cup for marinating, remainder 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
  • fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season the chicken
  1. Rub the chicken pieces with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper, coating all sides evenly.
  2. Place the seasoned chicken on a sheet pan so it’s ready for marinating.
Marinate
  1. Marinate the chicken in 1/2 cup BBQ sauce for at least 1 hour or overnight, turning once if it’s not fully coated.
  2. Let the marinated chicken sit at refrigerator temperature until you’re ready to grill.
Grill bone-side down
  1. Preheat the grill to medium heat and keep the lid closed for steady cooking.
  2. Grill the chicken bone-side down first, and turn every 8-10 minutes to develop grill marks.
  3. Continue cooking for 25-30 minutes without sauce, turning regularly, until the chicken is cooked through enough to hold basting.
Baste and caramelize
  1. Brush generously with the remaining BBQ sauce in the last 10 minutes, turning and basting each time.
  2. Cook until deeply caramelized, sticky, and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes to let juices settle.
  2. Serve with extra warmed BBQ sauce and garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

Pro tip: if your grill has hot spots, move pieces as you turn every 8-10 minutes so the sauce caramelizes without burning. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days; reheat gently until hot. Freezing is yes (up to 2-3 months) though the skin may soften—recrisp on the grill or in a hot oven. For a lower-sugar option, use a reduced-sugar BBQ sauce while keeping the same marinating and basting method.