Fantastic Barbecue Chicken Plates

April 16, 2009
Greg DuPree
Whether you like your chicken grilled, pulled, or chopped, these guaranteed-to-please chicken recipes are sure to satisfy your barbecue craving.
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Ultimate BBQ Chicken

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Styling: Claire Spollen
Ultimate BBQ Chicken Recipe

This chicken is wonderfully moist, with a smoky sauce that will have you firing up the grill year-round.

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BBQ Chicken with Peach and Feta Slaw

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
BBQ Chicken with Peach and Feta Slaw Recipe

This summery crunch-tastic slaw is guaranteed to find its way into your recipe rotation for the rest of the season. Using ripe, juicy peaches, it's the perfect sweet-salty side dish for any number of grilled or smoked proteins.

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BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Pickle Juice Slaw

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Pickle Juice Slaw Recipe
This 15-minute recipe relies on rotisserie chicken and bottled barbecue sauce for convenience. Homemade pickle juice slaw top these sandwiches off with crunch and tang.
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BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Coleslaw

Photo: Jennifer Causey Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas 
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Coleslaw Recipe
Loaded out and piled high, weeknight BBQ chicken sandwich comes together in a snappy 20 minutes.

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Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sliders

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sliders Recipe
Make these easy barbecue pulled chicken sliders by pairing shredded rotisserie chicken with homemade barbecue sauce for a speedy weeknight meal.

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Barbecue Apricot Chicken

Photo: Beatriz Da Costa
Barbecue Apricot Chicken Recipe
Fresh fruit flavor shouldn't be limited to summer sides, desserts, and margaritas. Bring the sweet flavor of apricot jam to the table in this oven-baked chicken dinner. Simmer the five-ingredient sauce for 15 minutes, then pour over chicken and bake for an hour. Pair with mashed potatoes or a green salad, roll up your sleeves, and dig in.
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Barbecue Chicken with Mustard Glaze

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
Barbecue Chicken with Mustard Glaze Recipe
The tangy-sweet mustard glaze sets this quick and easy barbecue chicken recipe apart from the rest. This will be a top pick for dark meat chicken fans.

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Barbecue Chicken Sliders with Pickled Onions

Barbecue Chicken Sliders with Pickled Onions Recipe
Toss shredded, grilled chicken thighs in a tangy vinegar-based barbecue sauce and serve on dinner rolls. These little barbecue sandwiches are easy to hold on to and easy to love.

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Cornmeal Cakes with Smoked Chicken and Coleslaw

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett
Cornmeal Cakes with Smoked Chicken and Coleslaw Recipe
Pick up coleslaw, smoked chicken, and sauce from your favorite barbecue joint to create this easy spin on barbecue chicken.
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Quick Barbecue Chicken

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro
Quick Barbecue Chicken Recipe
Instead of marinating or basting, simply rub the chicken breasts with a spice mixture of chili powder, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper and put them on the grill.

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Asian Barbecue Chicken

Randy Mayor; Melanie J. Clarke
Asian Barbecue Chicken Recipe
Barbecue doesn't have to mean sides of green beans and potato salad. Spin the main dish Asian-style by preparing a bold marinade with flavorful ingredients such as curry powder, lime sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. This dish needs to marinate, so prep the chicken thighs in the morning. Once it's marinated, the chicken cooks in about 20 minutes, and the sauce in about two minutes.

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Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Barbecue Chicken Pizza Recipe
Lose the bun and move shredded barbecue chicken onto a pizza crust for a tasty fusion of Italian and Tex-Mex flavors. Smoky Gouda cheese adds rich flavor to the tangy pie, flavored with cilantro and red onion. Start with store-bought crust to save time on a busy weeknight.
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Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Photo: Raymond Hom; Styling: Pamela Duncan Silver
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches Recipe
Summer dinner guests are guaranteed to be impressed with this deceptively easy recipe, which includes a seven-ingredient rub and a simple 15-minute sauce that comes together while the chicken grills. Serve on buns, over fresh greens, or on top of a baked potato for a filling dinner.

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Chicken with Peanut-Butter Barbecue Sauce

Photo: Kate Sears; Styling: Elizabeth Blake
Chicken with Peanut-Butter Barbecue Sauce Recipe
Creamy peanut butter is an unexpected addition to bottled barbecue sauce. Serve this easy slow-cooker meal with steamed broccoli and cornbread.

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Spicy Backyard Barbecue Chicken Fajitas

Jim Franco
Spicy Backyard Barbecue Chicken Fajitas Recipe
Prep this recipe the night before by allowing chicken to marinate in store-bought barbecue sauce. After the meat is grilled, load the pulled pieces into warm tortillas and top with fresh salsa and guacamole for a Mexican-inspired barbecue chicken dish.
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Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches Recipe
Move over, clubs, this stacker is sure to headline the sandwich category for the summer. This sandwich is ready to eat in about five minutes, thanks to the use of bottled sauce and store-bought rotisserie chicken. Dress up the bottled barbecue sauce with chili powder and pineapple preserves to add a tangy, homemade taste.

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Honey Barbecue Chicken

Honey Barbecue Chicken Recipe
Crank up the grill and get cooking to savor this sweet-and-tangy chicken dish. The Honey Barbecue Sauce, made with Worcestershire, lemon juice, and honey, adds bold flavor to the grilled chicken pieces. Make this on a night when you can sit on the back porch and enjoy the grilling process.

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Chopped Barbecued Chicken Salad

Photo: James Carrier
Chopped Barbecued Chicken Salad Recipe
Use on-hand ingredients such as bottled barbecue sauce, rotisserie chicken, and canned beans and toss together a hearty main dish salad.
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BBQ Chicken Salad Subs

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Randy Mon
BBQ Chicken Salad Subs Recipe
You can find most of the ingredients for these quick and delicious sandwiches pre-prepped at the grocery store.

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Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken

Photo: Kate Mathis; Styling: Paul Grimes
Slow-Cooker Barbecue Chicken Recipe
Cook chicken breasts in a mixture of bottle barbecue sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce for a sweet and tangy barbecue chicken that’s great on a bun over even over a baked potato.

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Skillet Barbecue Chicken

Photo: Oxmoor House
Skillet Barbecue Chicken Recipe
Two of the best features of this easy chicken dish are that it dresses up a store-bought barbecue sauce and everything is cooked in the same skillet.
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Quick BBQ Chicken Pizzas

Photo: Jason Wallis; Styling: Cindy Barr 
Quick BBQ Chicken Pizzas Recipe
Use store-bought ingredients like rotisserie chicken, marinara sauce, barbecue sauce, and prepackaged thin pizza crusts to make this quick and easy meal. Baking the pizzas directly on the oven rack gives you a crisp crust in less time.

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Grilled Chicken with Honey-Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Photo: Squire Fox; Stylist: Justin Schram, Kenneth Hyatt
Grilled Chicken with Honey-Chipotle BBQ Sauce Recipe
This simple barbecue chicken recipe has quickly become a reader favorite and summer go-to meal. Your whole family will love the sweet, tangy taste of this chicken.

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Raspberry-Barbecue Chicken

Raspberry-Barbecue Chicken Recipe
Make a fruity basting sauce for grilled chicken by adding raspberry preserves to bottled barbecue sauce. Substitute any of our quick-to-make sauce variations below for a spicy twist.
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Barbecue-Stuffed Potatoes

Photo: Oxmoor House
Barbecue-Stuffed Potatoes Recipe
The home-style flavors of baked potatoes topped with tender barbecue chicken and all the fixin's are perfect for a hearty weeknight supper.

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Quick BBQ Chicken Thighs with Mashed Potatoes

Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine
Quick BBQ Chicken Thighs with Mashed Potatoes Recipe

We speed up this cookout classic by using boneless thighs and a hot grill pan. A homemade barbecue sauce comes together surprisingly quickly and is a great way to control sodium and added sugar.

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BBQ Chicken Bean Dip

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Robin Bashinsky
BBQ Chicken Bean Dip Recipe

Step aside, Buffalo chicken. Move it along, basic bean dip. The game day dip to rule all game day dips has arrived. This bold yet balance BBQ Chicken Bean Dip has so much going for it: It’s easy to make, you likely have most of the necessary ingredients on hand, and most importantly—this cheesy chicken appetizer will be a winner with any crowd. The barbecue sauce used in to make the dip couldn’t be easier to mix up, and it’s one you can come back to again and again for all of your BBQ needs; however, if you want to shave a few minutes off the recipe, you can certainly use your favorite bottled sauce instead. We suggest topping the dip with cheese towards the end of baking in order to prevent the dip from becoming too greasy. 

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Grilled Chicken Drumsticks with Bourbon-Cherry BBQ Sauce

Jennifer Causey
Grilled Chicken Drumsticks with Bourbon-Cherry BBQ Sauce Recipe

This fruity, boozy take on barbecue has all the characteristics of your favorite sauce--deep caramel notes, a savory backbone, and a pleasant vinegar tang. You can sub sweet cherries for sour, adjusting the amount of honey and vinegar to taste. For a shortcut, start with 1 cup purchased unsweetened cherry juice.

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Chicken Thighs and BBQ Beans

Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey
Chicken Thighs and BBQ Beans Recipe

This chicken recipe, from Atlanta chef Todd Richards’ cookbook Soul: A Chef's Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes, is a favorite in his family. “This is inspired by the beans my dad made as a side dish when he grilled for celebrations during the summer,” says Richards. “He always made too much so we’d have leftover beans, and this recipe does the same.”

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BBQ Chicken-and-Black Bean Tacos

BBQ Chicken-and-Black Bean Tacos Recipe

A kid-friendly mix of quality convenience items and bright produce imparts fresh taste with minimal legwork.

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Korean Barbecue Spatchcock Chicken with Shishitos and Scallions

Photo: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Kay Clark
Korean Barbecue Spatchcock Chicken with Shishitos and Scallions Recipe

This impressive and vibrant meal comes together surprisngly quick thanks to the power of the grill and the power of spatchcocking. If you've never tried it before, spatchcocking is a technique that refers to removing the bird's back bone so that you can butterfly the whole chicken open. This technique is a guaranteed route to succulent meat, ultra-crispy skin, and a much quicker cooking time. 

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Grilled Chicken Wings with Tamarind Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Grilled Chicken Wings with Tamarind Chipotle Barbecue Sauce Recipe

Tangy, fruity tamarind, popular in Latino and Asian cuisines, is the secret ingredient in our favorite new barbecue sauce for chicken wings.

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Cauliflower Puree with Barbecue Rotisserie Chicken

Greg DuPree
Cauliflower Puree with Barbecue Rotisserie Chicken Recipe

Don’t rush processing the cauliflower; it’s key to giving the puree the consistency of grits. You can also use purchased riced cauliflower. If it’s frozen, you can toss it right into the saucepan unthawed.

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