No need for complicated techniques, rubs, or marinades with this easy recipe!
Oven instructions are included in the recipe card below.
Jump to:
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Just 4 easy ingredients.
- SO MUCH FLAVOR!
- Done in minutes with hardly any prep time.
Grilling is one of the best things about summer. It's the quickest and easiest way to get a meal on the table without ordering takeout!
This barbeque chicken breast always comes out tender and juicy because of the bacon wrap. It's perfect for busy weeknights or relaxed weekends!
🧾 Ingredients
I use my homemade bbq sauce and seasoned salt but you can use whatever you like.
You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of the breast if you prefer.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
Step one
- Preheat the grill to 425F.
- Divide the chicken so you have 6 pieces.
- Sprinkle the seasoned salt on both sides.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 30 minutes if you have time.
Step two
- Wrap the bacon around the skinless chicken breasts and secure.
- Brush one side with bbq sauce and place on the hot grill (425°F), sauce side down.
- Grill for about 5 to 8 minutes and then flip.
- Brush sauce on the top and grill until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Remove from the grill and set aside for 5 minutes before serving.
Instructions for making baked bbq chicken breast in the oven are included in the green recipe card below.
🎥 Video
Click on the image to watch me make this recipe from start to finish with extra tips! (Video opens in a new tab).
🥄 Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
- Grill
- Tongs
- Toothpicks
- Brush
- Plastic wrap
- Baking dish (to hold the chicken after salting)
🥫 Storage
You can assemble this up to 24 hours ahead of time, put in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Just put it on the grill when you are ready to eat.
Leftovers will be fine in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days - they make an awesome grilled chicken salad!
You can freeze these before or after they've been cooked. Just put them in a freezer container with parchment or waxed paper between the layers.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Don't put the cooked chicken on the same platter that the raw chicken was on even if you've wiped it off. It needs to be washed in hot hot soapy water before being used again. I like to take it to the grill on a paper plate so I can just throw the plate away.
- Taking 30 minutes to brine the chicken in a combination of 3 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of salt will make it even more tender and juicy.
- Brush the grill with oil or spray with a non-flammable, non-stick spray before you put the meat on it to keep it from sticking.
- In my opinion thick cut bacon does not work well in this recipe.
- Be sure to take the toothpicks out before serving. You don't want anyone getting hurt.
- If you have a grill pan you could also use it for this bbq chicken recipe.
- If your grill has a cover be sure to cook with the cover down. There's less chance of the chicken breast drying out.
- Get a good flavored bacon - don't skimp. It will give much more flavor!
- I know y'all know this but pour the bbq sauce you're using to brush the raw chicken with in a separate container and then throw away any leftover sauce and put the brush aside. Use fresh bbq sauce and a clean brush for any extra "saucing" at the table. You don't want anyone to add bbq sauce that's been contaminated.
👩🍳 FAQs
It depends on how thick it is but about 12 minutes total for boneless breast.
You can marinate it in buttermilk for 30 minutes before proceeding with your recipe or brine it in 3 cups of water with 3 tablespoons salt dissolved in it. Rinse and pat dry before continuing with the recipe.
425F is a good temperature to have the grill at before adding the chicken.
Yes! You'll need to plan on cooking it about 50% longer, though. So, instead of 20 minutes total time you might need 30 minutes, or instead of 10 minutes you might need 15, and so on.
🍽️ Serve with...
This is what goes with bbq chicken breasts as far as my family is concerned! These are some of our favorite side dishes.
- Pea & Cheese Salad with Bacon is creamy and delicious. So easy to make - and you can make it ahead of time.
- Dr Pepper Baked Beans are a classic summer recipe!
- Frito Salad is a potluck favorite! Crunchy corn chips, corn, bacon, cheese and a ton of fresh veggies make this extra yummy!
- Green beans & potatoes is an old fashioned favorite that's good any time of the year. You can also make green beans and ham in the crockpot!
- Layered cornbread salad is pretty so make it in a clear glass bowl! Cornbread, corn, bacon, tomatoes, cheese, and more are all layered with a homemade sour cream Ranch dressing. This feeds a crowd!
📚 Related recipes
Here are some more of our favorite chicken recipes!
📞 The last word
I think this is one of my favorite recipes for quick summer meals.
One thing I like to do is to brush the chicken breast with bbq sauce about every 2-3 minutes during the last few minutes of grilling. It just really coats it in a nice, sticky glaze that way.
Sometimes the glaze doesn't really cook into a sticky coating - I have no idea why. If that happens I use my handy dandy plumbers torch and just caramelize it that way!
Make sure to remove it from the grill and to the kitchen before using the torch, though. We don't want any explosions!
Our grill has a little container where you can add wood chips to add more campfire flavor! I like to use hickory or mesquite chips with this recipe.
This is a quick meal but if you have a little more time check out the grilled chicken with bourbon peaches!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
BBQ Chicken Breast Wrapped in Bacon
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken breast, or thighs. Boneless & skinless.
- 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
- 6 slices bacon
- ½ cup BBQ Sauce, homemade or your favorite brand.
Instructions
Grill Instructions
- Divide the chicken so you have 6 pieces, about ½ pound each. I usually butterfly it.
- Sprinkle the seasoned salt on both sides.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 30 minutes if you have time.
- Wrap the bacon around the chicken breast and secure with toothpicks.
- Brush one side with bbq sauce and place on a hot grill (425°F), sauce side down.
- Grill for about 5 to 8minutes and then flip with tongs.
- Brush sauce on the top and grill until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, about 5 minutes more.
- Remove from the grill and set aside for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the internal temperature to rise to 165° without overcooking and lets the juices settle. You'll have perfectly cooked, tender, & juicy chicken every time!
Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Follow the instructions for preparing the chicken but don't add bbq sauce.
- Place the chicken on a rack over a baking sheet if possible. If not then place the chicken in a baking pan that's been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Brush the top of the chicken generously with bbq sauce.
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over and brush with more bbq sauce.
- Bake 8 more minutes or until and insta-read thermometer registers 160°F.
- Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Taking 30 minutes to brine the chicken in a combination of 3 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of salt will make it even more tender and juicy.
- Brush the grill with oil or spray with a non-flammable, non-stick spray before you put the chicken on it to keep it from sticking.
- In my opinion thick cut bacon does not work well in this recipe.
- Be sure to take the toothpicks out before serving. You don't want anyone getting hurt.
- If your grill has a cover be sure to cook with the cover down. There's less chance of the chicken breast drying out.
- Get a good flavored bacon - don't skimp. It will give much more flavor!
- I know y'all know this but pour the bbq sauce you're using to brush the chicken with in a separate container and then throw away any leftover sauce and put the brush aside. Use fresh bbq sauce and a clean brush for any extra "saucing" at the table. You don't want anyone to add bbq sauce that's been contaminated with raw chicken
- Don't put the cooked chicken on the same platter that the raw chicken was on even if you've wiped it off. It needs to be washed in hot hot soapy water before being used again. I like to keep the raw chicken on a paper plate so I can just throw it away once the chicken goes on the grill.
Ray Davies
I use paper plates for almost all my cooking. You can use it as a cutting board, then toss. you can take stuff to the grill, and put it on, then toss. You can do almost anything where you have to clean a plate or cutting board during the cooking process and just toss the used dirty plate. No cross contamination and easy clean up,all you have to do is take out the garbage.
Marye
great idea!