12 Grilled Chicken Recipes Everyone Will Love
Time to fire up the grill! You’ll be needing it all summer long.
GREG DUPREE
Summer is just around the corner, which means it’s time to dust off the old grill and gather around for a backyard barbecue. Every grill master knows the trifecta of a delicious American cookout—hot dogs, hamburgers, and steaks. But grilled chicken is the versatile main course you may be overlooking when building your BBQ menu. It’s popular for its protein content, but chicken is also a good source of nutrients like B vitamins, selenium, and phosphorus.
On its own, chicken doesn’t have a bold flavor, so it’s the perfect nearly blank canvas for your spread. From the different cuts of chicken to the various ways to season and prepare it, the options are endless. Grilling chicken is always a crowd pleaser, so here are 12 grilled chicken recipes to keep the smoky flavors coming all summer long.
Related:How Long to Grill Hamburgers for Rare, Medium, and More
Chicken Tortilla Crunch Salad
If your idea of a salad is iceberg lettuce and premade dressing, there’s nothing wrong with that. But once you make this Chicken Tortilla Crunch Salad, you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for the tastes and textures a salad can offer. Fajita chicken thighs are supposed to be the star of the show, but the creamy dressing is responsible for the explosion of flavor in every bite. Shredded cabbage and thinly sliced bell pepper keep it light, while tortilla chips and roasted pumpkin seeds keep it crunchy.
Chicken Skewers With Almond Couscous and Kale
Skewers, anyone? This summery recipe thoughtfully takes on the trio of a balanced meal—protein, grain, and vegetable—offering a healthy twist on a barbecue classic. The marinated chicken skewers are served with selenium-rich couscous and charred kale. If kale hasn’t won you over, you just haven’t tried it charred yet.
Spicy Grilled Chicken With Shaved Zucchini Salad
Turn up the heat because this spicy grilled chicken is a peppery departure from your typical weeknight roasted chicken. Aleppo pepper—a chili pepper used often in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking—gives it a little kick, but the colorful zucchini ribbons on the side balance it out.
Grilled Chicken With Blueberry-Peach Salsa
GREG DUPREE
Mango isn’t the only fruit that belongs in salsa. This vibrant blueberry-peach salsa will brighten up any meal. Together with grilled chicken thighs that are seasoned with chili powder, brown sugar, and lime, this meal is the perfect combination of sweet, savory, and zesty.
Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad With Avocado
Salads just hit differently in the summer, but they don’t always have to be reserved for side dishes. This salad combines grilled chicken with a bed of colorful veggies—corn, avocado, and spinach—for a nutrient-rich meal that the whole family will love. With Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs, it doesn’t skimp out on flavor either.
Chicken Kebabs With Tomato Salad
There’s something special about making and eating skewered food. If you have young children in the family, putting chicken on a stick may be a clever way to get them to eat more protein. These chicken kebabs are served with grilled corn and fresh tomatoes seasoned with orange zest and spices. Essentially, this meal screams summertime.
Related:6 Easiest Ways to Cook Chicken Thighs—Including Grilled, Pan-Seared, and More
Grilled Chicken and Pepper Salad
If you want a colorful plate packed with nutrients and veggies, this grilled chicken recipe is the one for you. Whoever thought of combining a mountain of mixed greens, fresh herbs, yogurt dressing, and sweet mini peppers with grilled chicken and pita pockets is a genius. And so are you if you make this next time you fire up the grill.
Grilled Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas
Easy, 20-minute chicken recipes like this one will keep you full and satisfied on busy weeknights. It calls for rotisserie chicken for maximum convenience, but you can use grilled chicken to keep the summer vibes going. Once the quesadillas are assembled, you’ll grill the entire thing for even more of that signature char flavor.
Glazed Chicken and Pineapple
There’s grilled chicken, and then there’s glazed grilled chicken. This Hawaiian-inspired chicken recipe makes magic out of pineapple juice, tamari, ketchup, honey, and mirin—the base of your glaze. You’ll channel your inner chef as you grill and baste the glazed chicken, serving it over a fragrant bed of rice and grilled pineapple rings. You’ll be saying “mahalo” after making this masterpiece.
Cherry-Bourbon Chicken Wings
Buffalo sauce isn’t the only way to enjoy chicken wings. You can put store bought Buffalo sauces to shame by making your own sweet and sour sauce at home and popping those bad boys on the grill. This recipe uses a bourbon- and cherry-based sauce to create caramelized goodness on the grill. The cherries are responsible for the sour notes, which are balanced out with the sweetness of ketchup and brown sugar. The finished product is a quick grilled chicken recipe you’ll be coming back to time and time again.
Cool and Crunchy Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Marinated chicken served with fresh, crunchy veggies and rice noodles? Yes please! Sometimes you need a refreshing meal with raw veggies, and this one is full of flavor and texture. It calls for a homemade marinade to give the grilled chicken some Vietnamese-inspired notes, perfectly complementing shaved carrots, cucumber sticks, and lettuce boats.
Related:19 Rotisserie Chicken Dinner Ideas That Are Quick and Easy
Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Wings
Garlic and Parmesan cheese—name a better duo. There’s a reason why this combo is right behind Buffalo sauce in terms of popular wing seasonings. If you’ve never made wings before, this recipe is a good place to start. It couldn’t be simpler. Toss the grilled chicken wings in cheese and an airy garlic-lemon sauce, and enjoy!
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