BBQ Split Chicken Breasts Recipe

David Dial | Spiced Blog

BBQ Split Chicken Breasts are bone-in, which means extra flavor! These babies are juicy and delicious without even trying.

The other night, my wife and I went out for a quick dinner, and we ended up ordering a basket of BBQ Buffalo Wings as a starter. I love buffalo wings (especially when they’re doused in spicy buffalo sauce), and I’m also rather fond of BBQ sauce - so it should come as no surprise that these wings didn’t last long!

In fact, I enjoyed them so much that I decided to recreate a similar version at home. And since I’m always looking for any excuse to use the grill, I created this grill-friendly recipe for BBQ split chicken breasts.

BBQ Split Chicken Breasts Photo

Close your eyes for a minute. (Well, don’t really close them since you need to continue reading the instructions… but you know what I mean!) Imagine standing in your backyard. 

The weather is warm and the grill is lit. Imagine the smell of that grill. Now add in the combination of sweet and savory scents that comes with a good BBQ sauce on the grill. That’s pretty much this recipe in a nutshell.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t grill split chicken breasts all that often. I sometimes find myself in a rut and stick with boneless breasts, so I decided to purposefully mix it up a bit this week.

To make sure the split chicken breasts stayed juicy on the grill, I marinated them overnight in a buttermilk mixture. (Buttermilk marinades are very common for fried chicken.)

BBQ Split Chicken Breasts Picture

Then, once the split chicken breasts were almost done, I brushed them with a simple basting sauce made out of apple juice and BBQ sauce. The end result was an incredibly juicy piece of grilled chicken with the perfect amount of flavor! 

Using bone-in split chicken breasts instead of boneless imparts an incredible amount of flavor.

Here’s a couple of good grill tips that’ll help you become the summer grill master in your neighborhood:

  • First, don’t brush the chicken with the basting sauce too early.

Think of the basting sauce as more of a finishing sauce. You do want it to cook into the chicken a bit, but if you brush it on too early, then the sugars in the basting sauce will burn.

  • To make sure you’ve grilled the perfect piece of chicken, use a thermometer.

The chicken is done once the thickest portion of the meat reaches 165°F. Anything less, and the chicken will be underdone. Anything more, and you begin to run the risk of overcooked chicken. (Although the marinade does help keep these BBQ Split Chicken Breasts from drying out.)

BBQ Split Chicken Breasts Image

Pick up some split chicken breasts this week and get out there and enjoy the summer grillin’ season!

If you enjoy BBQ chicken, then make sure to check out our recipe for this delicious BBQ Chicken Pizza! Throw on some of my grilled sweet potato fries with the chicken for a full meal.

Planning a dinner party and need some inspiration?

How about looking for a new slow cooker dinner idea?

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BBQ Split Chicken Breasts Recipe

    4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-ins Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Breast, about 4 pounds
For the Marinade:
  • 2 cups Buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons Hot Sauce
  • 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons Dried Rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
For the BBQ Basting Sauce:
  • 1/4 cup Barbecue Sauce, use your favorite
  • 1/4 cup Apple Juice
  • 1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Mustard
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Hot Sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions

For the Marinade:

  1. Combine all of the Marinade ingredients in a medium bowl, and whisk together until well mixed.
  2. Place Marinade in a large re-sealable plastic bag. (If necessary, split the marinade and chicken into two bags.)
  3. Add the split chicken breasts and squeeze any air out of the bag.
  4. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

For the BBQ Basting Sauce:

  1. Combine all of the BBQ Basting Sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Whisk together until well mixed; set aside.

For the Chicken:

  1. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat.
  2. Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess liquid.
  3. Place the split chicken breasts on the grill bone side down, and cook for 13-15 minutes.
  4. Flip chicken breasts and cook skin side down for 5-7 more minutes.
  5. Flip chicken breasts over and brush generously with the BBQ Basting Sauce. (Discard any remaining Basting Sauce.)
  6. Continue cooking bone side down for another 5-7 minutes, or until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
     

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Cooking Method:
Grilling
Category:
Barbecues
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Related Recipes:
Grilling Recipes, Grilled Recipes, Barbecue Recipes, Chicken Breast Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Easy Recipes, Sauce Recipes
Recipe Yields:
4 split chicken breasts
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Related Post:
Published:
Author: David Dial
Recipe Yields: 4 split chicken breasts
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 138
Calories 511

% Daily Value*
27%
Total Fat 17g
23%
  Saturated Fat 5g
73%
Sodium 1753mg
3%
Total Carbohydrate 10g
0%
  Dietary Fiber 0g
  Sugars 8g
137%
Protein 68g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.
David Dial

About David

David is bringing up the guy quotient here on Food Fanatic, representing all things Grilling in a big way. On his own site, Spiced, David covers every kind of culinary adventure.

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