This is my sister's famous juicy BBQ chicken breast recipe. It was the most tender and juicy barbecued chicken breast I've tried.

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This is my sister’s famous juicy BBQ chicken breast recipe. The marinade is simple with just 3 ingredients. She made this chicken recipe for a great big family gathering (I’m talkin’ ’bout 35+ people) and everyone was smitten. It was the most tender and juicy barbecued chicken breast I’ve tried.

I’m sharing all of my sister, Sveta’s, tips and tricks for her scrumptious grilled chicken. You know what’s awesome? Since it marinates overnight, all of your prep is done in advance! I love that I can just toss it on the grill (more like have my husband throw it on the grill) before my party starts; giving me time to focus on other details.

This is the Juiciest Barbecued Chicken Breast (my sister's famous recipe and a family favorite!) @natashaskitchen

Ingredients for the Best BBQ Chicken:

3-4 lbs whole, boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup ranch
6-8 medium cloves of garlic, pressed
*Johnny’s seasoning, added to taste (store-bought or make your own with recipe below)
1/2 cup your favorite BBQ sauce + more to serve

*You can make your own Johnny’s seasoning easily:

1 ½ Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Juiciest Barbecued Chicken Breast-10

How to Make the best BBQ Chicken breast:

1. Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

2. In a casserole dish (no need to get extra dishes dirty), combine 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup ranch and press in 6-8 garlic cloves.

Juiciest Barbecued Chicken Breast-3

3. Add chicken and turn several times to coat generously in the marinade.

4. Season each individual side of the marinated chicken breasts with Johnny’s seasoning to taste (I used about half of the seasoning mix). Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to marinate. Marinate 10 hours or up to 24 hours.

Juiciest Barbecued Chicken Breast-4

5. Preheat your grill to 400˚F. Brush the grates with oil. Place chicken on the grill then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook approximately 10 minutes per side (rotating the chicken 90˚ after 5 minutes to create criss-cross grill marks). When you turn your chicken over, generously brush the grilled side of the chicken with BBQ sauce. Repeat; grilling your second side, rotating 90˚ after 5 minutes. Brush the second grilled side generously with BBQ sauce.

Notes:

When done, chicken breast should have an internal temp of 165˚ and should be firm but still soft. Juices will run clear when you cut into it. Our chicken breasts were pretty large and took about 25 minutes total on the grill. Don’t overcook them or they will turn rubbery and keep in mind they will continue cooking even off the grill.

6. Remove from grill, place on a platter and immediately cover tightly with foil. Let chicken rest under foil for 15 minutes before cutting into it.

Juiciest Barbecued Chicken Breast-5

Serve with more BBQ sauce, these mashed potatoes and this cucumber tomato salad (or this creamy cucumber & tomato salad), and you’ll want this to drink. Over and out. Enjoy! It really was amazing.

This is the Juiciest Barbecued Chicken Breast (my sister's famous recipe and a family favorite!) @natashaskitchen

This is the Juiciest Barbecued Chicken Breast (my sister's famous recipe and a family favorite!) @natashaskitchen

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Juiciest Barbecued Chicken Breast

4.98 from 35 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Grilled Chicken Breast
This is my sister's famous juicy BBQ chicken breast recipe. The marinade is so simple with just 3 ingredients. You know what's awesome? You can do all of the prep in advance so all you have to do is toss it on the grill before your party starts!
Prep Time: 10 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 10 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 -8

Ingredients for Juicy BBQ Chicken Breast:

  • 3-4 lbs whole, boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1/2 cup ranch
  • 6-8 medium cloves of garlic, pressed
  • *Johnny's seasoning, store-bought or make your own with recipe below, added to taste
  • 1/2 cup your favorite BBQ sauce + more to serve

Homemade Johnny’s Seasoning:

Instructions

  • Rinse chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
  • In a casserole dish (no need to get extra dishes dirty), combine 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup ranch and press in 6-8 garlic cloves.
  • Add chicken and turn it several times to coat generously in the marinade.
  • Season each individual side of the marinated chicken breasts with Johnny's seasoning, adding it to taste - I used about half of the seasoning mix. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to marinate. Marinate 10 hours or up to 24 hours.
  • Preheat your grill to 400˚F. Brush the grates with oil. Place chicken on the grill then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook approximately 10 minutes per side (rotating the chicken 90˚ after 5 minutes to create criss-cross grill marks). When you turn your chicken over, generously brush the grilled side of the chicken with BBQ sauce. Repeat grilling your second side, rotating 90˚ after 5 minutes. Brush the second grilled side generously with BBQ sauce.
  • Remove from grill, place on a platter and immediately cover with foil. Let chicken rest under foil for 15 minutes before cutting into it. Serve with more BBQ sauce, these mashed potatoes and this salad (or this salad), and you'll want this to drink.

Notes

Notes: When done, chicken breast should have an internal temp of 165˚ and should be firm but still soft. Juices will run clear when you cut into it. Our chicken breasts were pretty large and took about 25 minutes total on the grill. Don't overcook them or they will turn rubbery and keep in mind they will continue cooking even off the grill.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Barbecued Chicken Breast
Skill Level: Medium/ Easy
Cost to Make: $$

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This is the Juiciest Barbecued Chicken Breast (my sister's famous recipe and a family favorite!) @natashaskitchen

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Comments

  • Cindy A
    June 3, 2023

    I have a quick question. How do you oil a hot grill as it calls for in this recipe?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 3, 2023

      Hi Cindy, we dip a wadded paper towel in a little oil and, using tongs, wipe the oil evenly over the grate. I hope this helps!

      Reply

      • Cindy A
        June 3, 2023

        Thank you so much, Natasha. I am excited to make this for a big Father’s Day BBQ!

        Reply

        • NatashasKitchen.com
          June 3, 2023

          You’re welcome! I hope it’s a hit!

          Reply

          • Cindy A
            June 26, 2023

            It was a hit! Everyone thought this was fantastic. Thank you so much for your recipes.

          • Natashas Kitchen
            June 26, 2023

            I’m so happy you loved this recipe, Cindy! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

  • Nancy
    March 1, 2023

    This recipe was phenomenal!! I paired it with roasted butternut squash with rosemary, onions and pine nuts. So good! Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 1, 2023

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Nancy!

      Reply

  • Carol
    August 25, 2022

    Just love all your recipes!
    Wondering if you could use chicken drumsticks as well as chicken breasts in your recipe for Juicy BBQ chicken breasts as some prefer dark meat?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 25, 2022

      Hi Carol! Thank you, I’m glad you enjoy my recipes. I would recommend this recipe for barbecued chicken thighs. I also have some baked chicken drumstick recipes on here, just use the search bar above. 🙂

      Reply

  • Corinne Bell
    July 19, 2022

    This seriously is the BEST grilled chicken. My picky eating kids devour this chicken. My oldest who is seven ate so much of this and then stated he wanted the leftovers for lunch. 😍 I had to stop my husband from finishing it.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 19, 2022

      Love it when kids enjoy my recipes too. Thanks a lot for the great feedback!

      Reply

  • Shannon
    July 18, 2022

    Has anyone ever tried this method with pork chops? Seems like it would work well but I’m definitely no expert on food!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 18, 2022

      Hi Shannon. I think it could work with pork chops with some slight adjustments. They would just need to be cooked long enough to reach an internal temperature of 145 ℉. You can also view some of my pork recipes here.

      Reply

  • Margaret
    June 27, 2022

    I love all of your recipes, Natasha, and thank you for them. I want to make your really delicious Bake Feta Pasta for my daughters’s birthday and want to serve grilled chicken with it. would your grilled chicken breast be just as good without the bbq sauce?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 27, 2022

      Hi Margaret, yes, I think this chicken would work great.

      Reply

  • Hilary Varner
    February 23, 2022

    This is amazing! Super juicy amd so easy. My boyfriend usually dumps texas pete on everything I cook but not with this recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 23, 2022

      I’m so happy to hear this was a hit, Hilary!

      Reply

  • Paul King
    July 19, 2021

    Really good. I let it marinade for 24hrs. Family loved it. Used Stubb’s bbq sauce. Will definitely make this again.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 19, 2021

      I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Paul!

      Reply

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