50 Grilled Chicken Recipes Worth Firing Up the Coals For

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

"If your goal is to keep the house cool and make dinner with as little effort as possible, the last thing you need is a bunch of seasonings and sauces to keep track of, not to mention a mess of dishes and tools," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen writes. "Enter this grilled chicken recipe that maximizes the flavor and minimizes the mess." Good looking out, foil.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

The cinnamon and spicy cayenne notes in jerk seasoning pair magically with juicy, zesty mango. Better yet, the whole thing is ready in 35 minutes flat. Serve it with warm bread, white rice or roasted potatoes.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 4

Charring your chicken breasts for ten minutes on the grill adds a certain je ne sais quoi to this classic French dish. Since this recipe is tasty at any temperature, you can grill the chicken ahead and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to serve. Pass the Parm, will ya?

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, high protein
• Serves: 4

Everyone knows the real star of a salad isn’t the greens—it's the toppings. This one has plenty, including juicy cherry tomatoes, buttery avocado and hearty barley. Substitute any grain you'd like, from quinoa to millet to brown rice.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, high protein, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

By spatchcocking the chicken, you’ll reduce the cooking time to less than an hour. Not only does removing the bird's backbone speed things along, but it also ensures a crispy exterior, since more of the skin can make direct contact with the grill once the chicken is flattened.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
• Serves: 4

As much as I love a boneless, skinless breast, it’s nice to switch things up. These babies have a sticky, spicy glaze you won't be able to refuse. As for the tangy, refreshing slaw, it's mixed with Greek yogurt instead of humdrum mayo.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

They're just as crispy and satisfying as a bucket of fried chicken, but a whole lot healthier. Like on grilled cheese, the mayo in the marinade ensures impeccable browning and imparts plenty of savory flavor to the chicken's exterior.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, high protein
• Serves: 4

Once you put homemade frizzled onions on a sandwich, you'll never settle for just lettuce and tomato again. Did I mention the from-scratch dill sauce, made with fresh citrus, buttermilk and Greek yogurt for maximum tang and acidity? I'll take three, thanks.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, gluten free
• Serves: 4

Each portion of this dish cooks inside a little foil packet that you place directly on the grill. That means that once everything’s cooked, you can simply discard the foil and call it a night. See ya later, dirty dishes.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 4

I’ll eat pretty much any kind of pizza, but this savory-sweet combination might take the cake. It starts with store-bought pizza dough for convenience and is endlessly riffable. Trade ricotta for burrata, nectarines for peaches—you get the picture.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 4

Any grain would work as the base for these bowls, but I like couscous since it cooks in about five minutes. You could also use kale or arugula in place of spinach in the pesto. (Better yet, go with a store-bought kind and your secret will be safe with me.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, high protein
• Serves: 6

Close your eyes, take a bite and it’ll be like you’re eating dinner alfresco in Santorini. (Well, sort of.) This grilled chicken recipe's Mediterranean flavors pair seamlessly with white wine, Greek salad and warm pita...but you already knew that.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

The chicken is seasoned with baharat, a Middle Eastern spice blend typically made from a mixture of dried mint, dried oregano, cinnamon, coriander, cumin and nutmeg. Don’t skip the cherry tomatoes, dipping sauce or mint—they come together while the chicken is marinating and round out the dish.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, high protein, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 5

Marinating the chicken in yogurt ensures it stays tender and juicy (which is important when grilling lean, white-meat breasts). This grilled chicken recipe calls for making your own Mediterranean seasoning salt with dried herbs, garlic powder and a touch of ground black pepper.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 6

Sure, you could set up a deep-fryer situation on your stove…or you could take things to the grill and eliminate the mess entirely. Pro tip: You can start these wings up to three days in advance, meaning your pre-dinner prep will be minimal when you're ready to eat.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

The contrast between cool lettuce and charred chicken makes this dish well worth lighting up the grill. Use iceberg for the crispiest crunch, and pile on all the fresh mint and cilantro your heart desires for a gourmet presentation.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours and 45 minutes (includes marinating time)
• Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, high protein
• Serves: 5

The spicy dipping sauce is as easy to make as tossing everything in a blender, and the skewers cook in all of ten minutes’ time. If you don't have a grill or grill pan (or don't feel like using either), you can cook them in a cast iron skillet to ensure you still get the char you seek.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, dairy free
• Serves: 4 to 6

While in-season strawberries and fresh corn are hard to beat, you could easily adapt the ingredients to make this in any season. (For instance, swap in roasted sweet potatoes and diced apples in the fall.) Just don't skip the herbaceous cilantro vinaigrette.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

Harissa is a North African red pepper paste that adds depth to this otherwise simple grilled chicken recipe. You can use store-bought, but it’s easy to make at home with a few key spices, like caraway seeds, coriander and smoked paprika.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, high protein
• Serves: 2 to 4

The charred lemons aren't necessarily for eating, but please don't skip 'em. They steam up as they hit the grill, infusing everything with bright, citrusy flavor. Plus, they look downright cheffy, if you ask me—color your guests impressed.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: dairy free, beginner-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 4

When you simply can’t be bothered with turning on the oven, make this instead. Every element gets cooked on the grill (except the rice, of course). "The marinade is a simple mix of lime, honey, chili flakes, herbs and a good amount of garlic," recipe creator Tieghan Gerard writes. "You only need to marinate the chicken for fifteen minutes or so before grilling, and while that's happening, you can be prepping the rest of the recipe."

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 4 to 6

I’ve yet to meet a sandwich I love more than a BLT, so it makes that I'd be drooling over this summer salad. Add chicken, corn and avocado, and you’ve got yourself a gourmet meal. (P.S.: Grill the chicken in advance and keep it on hand for quick, easy assembly whenever a craving strikes.)

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 4

The sweetness of the pineapple is just the thing to offset all that smoky, peppery chicken. Word to the wise? Make a second batch of salsa for tacos, tortilla chips, grilled fish and guacamole. It pairs well with just about everything.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Grilled chicken is worth hosting a barbecue. And this grilled chicken? Even more so. The whiskey adds a hint of sweetness to the spicy homemade sauce, starring canned chipotles in adobo. While this booze is technically optional, I'd say treat yourself.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, gluten free
• Serves: 2

With flavor bombs like balsamic vinegar, mustard and olives in the marinade, you won’t need anything else to dress up this grilled chicken recipe (although a side of feta- and oregano-topped fries wouldn't hurt). Plate it with Greek salad and toasted pita for a complete meal.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 4

Why’s it so easy, you ask? Because you basically just toss everything in a bag to marinate, wait, then transfer the chicken to the grill. Even better, I'm positive you have nearly all the necessary ingredients already in your pantry. (Think brown sugar, Dijon mustard and dried herbs.)

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Corn on a sandwich—where have you been all my life? Between the fresh-of-the-cob kernels, fresh blueberries and aromatic basil, this recipe is a delicious ode to summer. Warning: Once you taste the pesto yogurt, you'll want to slather it on every sandwich you ever make.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Set aside an hour to marinate the skewers for the most flavorful results. Once that's finished, everything cooks in about 20 minutes flat. Bonus? Fresh garlic and ginger are super flavorful and potent in their own ways, so the ingredient list is pretty minimal.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 4

News flash: Grilled chicken doesn't exclusively mean breasts or thighs. These burgers, made with ground poultry, are just as irresistible as any beef version. They're extra sweet, moist and tender, since sweet spuds are shredded and mixed into the patties.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
• Serves: 4

Tandoori chicken is a popular Indian dish traditionally cooked in a clay tandoor oven. But you don’t need one to make this simplified version—just your trusty grill. "You could also bake them at a high temp in the oven," recipe creator Jenny Goycochea-Marker writes, "but I really love the char that comes from the grill. It adds such a nice smokiness to the chicken."

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 6

You had me at panzanella, a salad that makes bread (here, garlicky croutons) the star of the show. The rest is a shallot-infused Champagne vinaigrette, juicy heirloom tomatoes, dill-lemon grilled chicken and more fresh produce.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 4

The longer you let the chicken sit in the lime-cumin marinade, the better it will taste. If you can't find key limes, feel free to substitute regular ones. Just be sure to go wild with the toppings (I'm thinking cotija cheese, avocado, paper-thin sliced radish and cilantro).

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

Chicken Alfredo is great, but it could use a modern makeover. When it's grilled, its smokiness imparts just the right amount of intrigue without a ton of extra effort. I won't tell if you opt for store-bought Alfredo sauce.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

A sizzling pan of fajitas, while exciting, is probably better left to the pros. Take things to the grill for a quicker (and less hazardous) dinner. Pro tip: If you’d like to make extra for leftovers, you can freeze the chicken right in the marinade to defrost and immediately grill at a later date.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes,
• Serves: 4

No pizza stone? No problem. Even if you use store-bought dough, your pie will still rival the best wood-fired rendition with the help of a charcoal or gas grill. It would be even tastier with a bouquet of crispy prosciutto on top.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

How to update a classic? Cook your protein over coals. Oh, and slather it in cheater's Asiago Caesar dressing, complete with savory Worcestershire sauce and store-bought mayonnaise. (Read: You won't need to worry about raw eggs or anchovies here.)

• Time Commitment: 4 hours and 10 minutes (includes marinating time)
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, high protein, make ahead
• Serves: 4

If you have soy sauce, honey and a few cloves of garlic in your kitchen, you’re already halfway there. If you're using wooden skewers instead of metal, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before popping them on the grates. This will keep them from burning as the chicken cooks.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes (includes marinating time)
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 4

Any leftovers of this cruciferous veggie salad will taste even better after sitting in the fridge…if you have leftovers, that is. Marinate the chicken up to four hours ahead, cut all the produce while you wait, then cook the chicken and combine.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

To make this grilled chicken recipe ahead, marinate the poultry in store-bought barbecue sauce in the morning, so it’s ready to cook come dinnertime. Save even more time by starting with pre-chopped slaw mix instead of shredding your own cabbage and carrot.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

Inspired by shish tawook, aka Lebanese grilled chicken skewers, this is as tasty as street food. If you don't have fresh herbs on hand, substitute dried parsley, coriander and dill. Your secret will stay between us, promise.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 2 to 4

I love a caprese salad as much as the next person, but sometimes I wish they were a little more filling. Enter these skewers, which have caprese vibes but won’t leave you wanting more, thanks to satiating grilled chicken.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes (includes marinating time)
• Why I Love It: high protein, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 3

While the chicken cooks, toss the tomatillos, onions and jalapeño on the grill to char and soften. All you'll have to do next is give them a whirl in the blender with avocado and fresh lime juice to make a tantalizingly tart salsa.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 4

This is exactly what I picture when I think “dinner salad,” and it's also the easiest way to sneak some kale onto your plate. Bacon, apples, figs and a honey-Dijon dressing give the dish decidedly autumnal energy, but it's delicious year-round. Trust.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Trade chicken thighs for any quick-cooking protein you have on hand (like chicken breasts, ground pork or tofu); simply adjust the cooking time to suit. If you don't want to hunt down fresh lemongrass, add some fresh lemon zest in its place to mimic the flavor.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy. high protein
• Serves: 4

This grilled chicken recipe delivers maximum flavor for minimal effort. The secret technique? Basting the thighs with an irresistible, five-ingredient curry sauce (and plating them over chewy rice noodles, of course).

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4 to 6

Skip the bagged chopped salad and make this simple version at home. (You have a chef’s knife, right?) "If you would like to kick the flavor up a notch, I highly recommend whipping up the quick sauce and letting the chicken breasts marinate in it for at least 15 minutes (or up to 8 hours)," recipe creator Ali Martin writes.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, gluten free, high protein
• Serves: 5 to 6

These handhelds go from grill to table in ten minutes, and, in case you were wondering, they’re also gluten-free, since the recipe calls for wheatless buns and a mix of almond and oat flours in the patties. Tomato paste helps bind them, as well as offers color and tang to the chicken.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

I’ll share a secret: Compound butter is the easiest way to make a meal feel fancy. This one has fresh chives, parsley, thyme and lemon juice, but you could also add freshly minced garlic and lots of black pepper to the mix. Crushed red pepper flakes would be nice, too, if you like spice.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

Ah, the magic of honey and crushed red pepper flakes. Put this grilled chicken recipe in your back pocket to make on repeat all summer long (or whenever, TBH). I'd be curious to substitute maple syrup for honey, if you're vegan or prefer the taste.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 25 minutes (includes marinating time)
• Why I Love It: high protein, make ahead, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4

Fact: You’re never too old to have chicken tenders for dinner. Throw them on the grill and they’re officially grown-up. Plate them with potatoes in any form—roasted, mashed or fried will all do. Just be sure to char plenty of lemons for spritzing.