Fantastic Barbecue Chicken Plates

Updated April 16, 2009
Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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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