Kid Food

12 Barbecue Chicken Recipes So Yummy, You’ll Want to Make Them Every Week

Stephanie Ganz
Stephanie Ganz
Once a professional chef (in the lifetime before she had two kids), Stephanie Ganz has written and developed original recipes for Bon Appetit, Eater, The Kitchn, and Virginia Living, and is a regular contributor to Richmond Magazine.
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overhead shot of filipino barbecue chicken on s teal plate, topped with green onion
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: James Park

My meal plan almost always includes some variation of barbecue chicken. Why? Because it’s easy to make with ingredients I usually have on hand, and everyone at the table loves it. Whether it’s bone-in grilled chicken with a side of potato salad or slow cooker shredded chicken piled up in soft buns, I feel pretty confident that I can have a kid-friendly meal on the table that provides maximum flavor with minimum fuss.

Here, I’ve corralled the best barbecue chicken recipes from Cubby’s sister site The Kitchn. You’ll find all the classics, plus a few surprises, like a barbecue chicken macaroni salad that’s guaranteed to wow at your next potluck and a white barbecue chicken recipe that’s perfectly juicy and tender.

Note: For any recipes below that include mayo, make sure to use one made with pasteurized eggs (or swap in vegan mayo). One of these recipes includes mirin, which is alcoholic; for an alcohol-free substitute, use apple juice or white grape juice. Some of the recipes also include ingredients with trace amounts of alcohol (i.e. soy sauce and gochujang); you can also choose to skip these ingredients or make swaps here — for example, use coconut aminos to avoid the trace alcohol in soy sauce. And as always, remember that children younger than 1 year old should never be given honey.

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Credit: Ghazalle Badiozamani
Baked Barbecue Chicken

This easy barbecue chicken gets brushed with reduced store-bought barbecue sauce while it bakes in the oven, creating a deliciously crispy, sticky crust with plenty of barbecue flavor throughout.

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Credit: Faith Durand
Barbecue Shredded Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or a mix of breast and thighs) get perfectly tender after 90 hands-off minutes in the oven. You can easily scale this one up if you’re feeding a crowd.

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Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Brett Regot
Grilled Barbecue Chicken

Combining a dry rub and a barbecue sauce infuses each bite with smoky, tangy, barbecue flavor. Feel free to use a mild chili powder to keep the heat level manageable.

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Credit: Photo: Tara Donne; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell
Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken

An Instant Pot does the lion’s share of the work in this straightforward barbecue chicken recipe, which comes together in just 40 minutes of hands-off cooking. 

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Credit: Kelli Foster
Easy Spice-Rubbed Grilled Chicken Drumsticks with Barbecue Sauce

The drumstick may very well be the best bite, and this recipe is nothing but drummies. Using both a dry rub and a tangy sauce gives these drumsticks maximum flavor. Use a mild chili powder for less heat.

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Credit: Emma Christensen
Barbecue Chicken and Macaroni Salad

If you’re looking for a slightly different format for your barbecue chicken, this macaroni salad is the answer. Tender shredded chicken (Use leftover chicken to make it even easier!) gets mixed with the classic macaroni salad ingredients in this potluck superstar.

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Credit: Photo: Erik Bernstein; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Korean Barbecue Chicken

This quick-cooking Korean barbecue chicken is sure to become a go-to recipe. Just marinade the chicken for 30 minutes and then cook it for 10 minutes on a hot grill. Don’t let the gochujang intimidate you. Just look for a mild version so you can get the same flavor with less heat.

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Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Alabama White Sauce Chicken

This mayo-based barbecue sauce keeps the chicken tender and juicy, and the mayonnaise helps temper the heat from the Tabasco, spicy mustard, and cayenne pepper. Look for milder hot sauce and spices if your kids would prefer a mellower version.

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Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: James Park
Filipino Barbecue Chicken

This tangy take on barbecue chicken has a few tricks up its sleeve: Lemon juice and lemon-lime soda provide acidity, while brown sugar and banana ketchup give it balance. With just 30 minutes of baking time, this is a quick-cooking crowd favorite.

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Credit: Brie Passano
Grilled Barbecue Chicken Wings

This clever barbecue wing recipe cooks the wings slowly in sauce and then crisps them up on the grill, so they’re loaded with both barbecue flavor and the perfect texture.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Barbecue Chicken Casserole

This Paleo-friendly casserole combines shredded barbecue chicken and riced cauliflower to create a delicious one-dish meal. Use rotisserie chicken and store-bought barbecue sauce to cut the cooking time even more.

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Credit: Joe Lingeman
Barbecue Ranch Chicken Bites

My family loves barbecue almost as much as they love ranch, so when I found this recipe combining the two, I knew it would be a hit. Sure enough, these lovable skewers are now an oft-requested dinner staple.

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