18 Amazing Ways to Grill Chicken This Summer

Got chicken? Got a grill? Then you're halfway to making any of these eighteen delicious recipes! From chicken satay to chili garlic chicken to grilled spatchcocked chicken, you have enough recipes to keep you happy all summer long.

By
Claudia Cash
Claudia Cash
Claudia is the Community Manager for Simply Recipes and has contributed numerous articles focused on cooking on a budget, quick and easy meals, and kid-friendly foods.
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and
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.
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Updated July 06, 2022
12 Best Grilled Chicken Recipes

Summers are a bit chaotic when kids are home all day AND it’s scorching outside. It can be hard to find the motivation to cook anything. Thankfully, a trusty grill can save your sanity in summer, especially if you cook for your family, or friends, frequently.

Cooking that often definitely comes with some challenges, and when planning a menu, you often need meals that are fast, healthy, and within a reasonable budget.

Enter: CHICKEN! This go-to meat of choice grills up in a variety of ways. (Think kabobs, drumsticks, on top of salads!) It’s a healthy protein that doesn’t break the bank.

It’s no wonder why chicken + grilling is a successful formula for getting dinner on the table during the long summer months!

  • How to Grill Juicy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

    Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe
    Elise Bauer

    Simplicity at its finest! Brining the chicken for a quick thirty minutes is the key because it allows the chicken breasts to absorb enough moisture so they don’t dry out when grilling!

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  • Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

    Peanut Satay Chicken
    Sally Vargas

    These do take some time to marinate, but they only need about 8 minutes of grilling time, which is perfect for the scorching summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven and you also don’t want to spend a ton of time in front of the grill!

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  • Spatchcocked Grilled Chicken with Orange and Ginger

    Ginger-Orange Spatchcocked Chicken
    Sally Vargas

    Q: Why spatchcock a chicken, especially when grilling? A: Your chicken will grill more evenly (win), it cooks a little faster (another win), and it makes it easier to cut into serving pieces (triple win!).

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  • Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken

    Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken on plate
    Elise Bauer

    The acidity from the lime juice acts as a tenderizer and really adds zip to your chicken. Not a fan of cilantro? Try adding in some freshly grated ginger to the marinade instead! Serve alongside refried black beans or Mexican quinoa salad for a complete meal!

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    Continue to 5 of 18 below.

  • Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki Sauce

    Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers
    Elise Bauer

    You'll love these kabobs because they’re fresh, healthy, and easy to make and kids (and grownups, too) love the fact that the chicken is on skewers. It's a dish the whole family loves!

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  • Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

    Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken Recipe
    Sabrina Modelle

    This salad is ready in under a half an hour! Grill the chicken AND the bread for the ultimate smoky experience. Want to make this a gluten-free dish? Use gluten-free bread for the croutons!

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  • Grilled Salsa Verde Chicken

    Grilled Chicken with Salsa Verde
    Sally Vargas

    Prep time is extremely minimal with this dish and grilling the chicken helps keep the mess outside. Serve alongside a simple corn salad, on warmed corn tortillas, or over rice! The choice is yours!

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  • Greek Chicken Skewers with Yogurt Sauce (Chicken Souvlaki)

    Greek Chicken Skewers with Flatbread and Yogurt Sauce (Chicken Souvlaki)
    Sally Vargas

    Get ready to chow down with fresh Mediterranean flavors! Tangy yogurt, fresh veggies, and warm flatbread will be your newest summer obsession!

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    Continue to 9 of 18 below.

  • Chili Garlic Chicken

    Grilled Chicken with Chili Garlic Sauce
    Nick Evans

    All you need to do is set this chicken on top of a bowl of rice, and dinner is served! The honey in the marinade balances out the heat from the chili garlic sauce, so don’t skip it!

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  • Grilled Chicken Tarragon with Tomato Sauce

    Grilled Chicken Tarragon with Tomato Sauce
    Elise Bauer

    Tarragon really is the star of the show in this dish, but if you don’t like it or don’t have any on hand, basil is a perfectly acceptable substitute! The sauce cooks up while the chicken is being grilled, so this is ready in no time.

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  • Chicken and Pineapple Kabobs

    Chicken Pineapple Kabobs Recipe
    Nick Evans

    Food on a stick is always a hit! Add in the fact that juicy pineapple, crisp peppers, and tangy yogurt sauce are a powerful trio, and you’ve got a dinner that even the pickiest of eaters will love!

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  • Chipotle Grilled Chicken with Avocado Sandwich

    Chipotle Grilled Chicken with Avocado Sandwich
    Elise Bauer

    Grilled chicken, creamy avocado, and crisp lettuce are the perfect sandwich combination! We've added mayo to this sandwich, but if you're not a fan, feel free to mash up the avocado instead. Serve alongside fresh watermelon and corn on the cob for a fun summer dish!

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    Continue to 13 of 18 below.

  • Grilled Buffalo Wings

    A plate of grilled wings.
    Eliezer Martinez

    Slow-grilled and coated with Buffalo wing sauce, these chicken wings go down easy so make extra. In fact, if you're the one doing the grilling, hide a few for yourself because they'll go fast.

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  • BBQ Chicken on the Grill

    Overhead view of grilled chicken legs.
    Ciara Kehoe

    The trick to the best grilled BBQ chicken is time. Grill them low and slow and your patience will pay off with the best BBQ chicken everyone around the table has ever had. Use your favorite sauce or try our bourbon barbecue sauce.

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  • Grilled Chicken with Yogurt Garlic Marinade

    Grilled Chicken with Yogurt Garlic Marinade
    Elise Bauer

    Marinate this super flavorful chicken in yogurt seasoned with garlic, cumin, cinnamon, paprika and pepper for two hours (or all day if you want to let it marinate while you're at work). The result is tender chicken right off the grill.

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  • Grilled Lime Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

    Grilled chicken with black bean sauce and avocado on side
    Elise Bauer

    A thick and creamy cilantro-infused black bean sauce makes lime-marinated chicken hard to resist. Topped with chopped red onion, this unique grilled chicken is sure to please.

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    Continue to 17 of 18 below.

  • Beer Can Chicken

    Grilled Beer Can Chicken
    October Creative and Elise Bauer

    Beer can chicken is a modern classic for a reason. The tender, falling-off-the-bone whole chicken becomes moist on the inside from the steamed beer and crispy on the outside from the heat of the grill.

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  • Jerk Chicken

    Overhead view of jerk chicken on a platter with dipping sauce.
    Ciara Kehoe

    Raid your spice rack to make this delectable jerk chicken. A whole chicken, cut in half, marinades overnight in an olive oil/molasses/vinegar/lime juice-based marinade infused with spicy peppers, rum, and half a dozen spices. Grill and then make lots of yummy noises.

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