Are you looking for a tasty way to grill? In this article we discuss the top four flavor-packed grilled chicken recipes, which are must-tries for everyone in summer 2025. Tender meats grilled over an open flame are enhanced by the myriad of tasty options available.
These meals, which range from smoky barbecue-style skewers to citrus-marinated thighs, are ideal for summer evenings and backyard parties. There is a blend of spices and methods to meet every want, whether you like a sweet glaze, a herbaceous rub, or a fiery kick. For a balanced, healthful, and filling meal, serve your creation with roasted potatoes, fresh veggies, or even a simple salad.
- Flavor-Packed Paprika-Grilled Chicken:
While this is a pretty straightforward grilled chicken recipe, the vinaigrette at the end was a last-minute touch that worked out nicely. In grilled meat , people really like oil-and-vinegar-based sauces on grilled meats, where they work beautifully with the smoky, caramelized exterior.
Ingredients
For the dish:
- Six tablespoons of plain yogurt
- Three crushed garlic cloves
- Three tablespoons of paprika powder
- Two teaspoons of olive oil
- One tablespoon of sambal oelek or other hot chile paste
- One pinch of cayenne
- One five-pound entire chicken, divided into eight parts
- Salt
- Half a cup of olive oil
- Two teaspoons of vinegar from sherry
- One tablespoon of ketchup
- ⅛ teaspoon hot chile paste (such as sambal oelek)
- One sprinkle of paprika
- Season with salt and pepper.
Menu Instructions
Step 1 : In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, cayenne pepper, one tablespoon of hot chile paste, two tablespoons of olive oil, three tablespoons of paprika, and garlic. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat them evenly. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and let it marinate for three hours in the fridge.
Step 2: Lightly oil the grates of an outdoor grill and preheat it to medium-high heat. After taking the chicken out of the bag, place it on a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet. Use additional paper towels to pat the chicken pieces dry. Add salt for seasoning.
Step 3: In a small mixing bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, sherry vinegar, ketchup, 1/8 teaspoon hot chile paste, a dash of paprika, and salt and pepper. Set aside. Grill the chicken, skin side down, on a hot grill for 4 minutes with the lid closed.
Step 4: Turn the chicken and cook with the lid covered for about 6 minutes, or until it is thoroughly browned and no longer pink in the center. An instant-read thermometer put into the thickest region of the thigh should register 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius). Spread the sherry vinegar sauce over the cooked chicken and serve.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time | Servings | Additional Time |
| 10 mins | 10 mins | 3 hrs 20 mins | 6 Servings | 3 hrs |
- Flavor-Packed Slow- Chipotle Grilled chicken:
Chipotle in adobo brings a bold smoky heat that transforms simple dishes into something special. Here, it’s used as a marinade for slow-grilled chicken, giving it a deep, spicy flavor that’s perfect for tacos. Load the chicken into warm tortillas, top with charred scallions, a good salsa, and whatever toppings you love – and you’ve got tacos that are smoky, juicy, and full of flavor.
Items:
For the dish:
- Three tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for drizzling
- Two tablespoons chipotle in adobo (one tablespoon finely chopped chipotle peppers and one tablespoon sauce)
- Two teaspoons smoked paprika
- One teaspoon honey
- One teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- One/two teaspoon ground cumin
- Two cloves garlic, finely grated
- One lime and juice of one / two, plus wedges for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- One whole chicken (one/ two to four pounds)
- Two bunches scallions, root ends trimmed
- Sixteen small corn tortillas with prepared salsa, for serving
Menu Instructions
Step 1 : In a small bowl, combine the vegetable oil, chipotle and sauce, smoked paprika, honey, oregano, cumin, garlic, lime zest and juice, two teaspoons of salt, and one-fourth teaspoon of pepper. First, rub some under the skin of the thighs and breasts, and then all over the chicken’s exterior. Give it a half hour to sit at room temperature.
Step 2: Get a grill ready for indirect low heat: All burners on gas grills (three or more) should be set to medium-high heat. After fifteen minutes or so, turn off one of the middle burners and reduce the other burners to low. When using a charcoal grill, place a chimney starter on one side of the grill that is full of lit and ashed-over charcoal briquettes. To prevent flare-ups, place a drip pan on the opposite side.
Step 3: On the indirect side, place the chicken breast-side up. An instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh (avoid the bone) should read at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit after 1 hour and 30 to 1 hour and 40 minutes of cooking, with the chicken covered and rotated periodically. (If you’re using charcoal, you may need to add more as you cook.) Before slicing, give the chicken twenty minutes to rest.
Step 4: Raise the grill’s temperature to medium-high in the interim. Season the scallions with salt and pepper and drizzle them with oil. Just a few minutes on the grill will soften it and give it dark charred spots on all sides. Simultaneously, preheat the tortillas on the grill for approximately one minute on each side; stack the grilled tortillas and cover with foil to maintain their warmth. Serve the chicken with salsa, lime wedges, charred scallions, and warm tortillas.
| Level | Total Time | Servings |
| Easy | 3 hrs 5 mins Active : 20 mins | 4 Servings |
- Flavor-Packed Cordon Bleu Grilled chicken:
For more than fifty years, chicken cordon bleu—named for the blue sashes worn by French knights—has been a favorite in the US and is a great option for grilling: The lean chicken breasts are kept from drying out by the cheese-and-ham filling.
Items:
For the dish:
- Four skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about eight ounces each)
- Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Eight thin slices Swiss cheese (about four ounces)
- Four slices smoked deli ham, such as Black Forest (about 4 ounces)
- One/two cup sour cream
- Two teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- One, One/Two teaspoons dijon mustard
- One/Two small clove garlic, finely grated, Chopped fresh chives, for topping
Menu Instructions
Step 1 : Set a grill’s temperature to medium. Cut the chicken into butterfly shapes. About halfway through the thickest part of each breast, cut it horizontally, then open it like a book. Be careful not to tear the chicken as you gently pound each breast between two sheets of parchment to an even one-four-inch thickness.
Step 2: Season the chicken with salt and pepper after lightly drizzling it with olive oil. On each chicken breast, arrange a slice of cheese, a piece of ham, and another slice of cheese. Secure with toothpicks and roll up into a log; if the meat is torn, roll up the ripped side first to protect the cheese. Add salt and pepper to each roll after rubbing it with olive oil.
Step 3: Cook the chicken on the grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning it occasionally, until it is cooked through. After moving to a cutting board, give it five to ten minutes to rest. Prepare the sauce in the interim: Add salt and pepper to taste and stir together the sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and 3 tablespoons water.
Step 4: Transfer the sauce to a plate using a spoon. Slice the rolls after removing the toothpicks from the chicken, twisting if they become stuck. Place on top of the sauce and garnish with chives.
| Level | Total Time | Servings |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 45 mins Active : 45 mins | 4 Servings |
- Flavor-Packed Marinated Thighs Grilled Chicken:
The pink peppercorns provide a pleasant spicy kick to this excellent basic marinade for grilling meats.
Items:
For the dish:
- Two cups fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- Eight large sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
- Four large sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
- Three cloves garlic, minced
- One small shallot, diced
- Two tablespoons cracked black peppercorns
- Two tablespoons cracked pink peppercorns
- One, One/ four cups extra-virgin olive oil
- Eight skin-on chicken thighs
- Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for seasoning, salad, for serving
Menu Instructions
Step 1 : Combine the garlic, shallots, parsley, thyme, rosemary, black peppercorns, and pink peppercorns in a bowl. Cover the herbs and spices with olive oil. Two tablespoons of the marinade should be set aside.
Step 2: The chicken thighs should be put in a plastic bag that can be sealed. Put the marinade in the fridge and let it sit there for the entire night.
Step 3: Set the grill’s temperature to medium.
Step 4: After taking the chicken thighs out of the marinade, pat them dry with a paper towel and put them on the hot grill, fleshy side down. Grill for seven to eight minutes on each side, turning once, until cooked through. Add a dash of flaky salt and the remaining two tablespoons of marinade to finish. Top with your preferred salad.
| Level | Total Time | Servings |
| Easy Total: 8 hr 30 min | Prep: 15 mins Inactive : 8hr Cook: 15 min | 4 Servings |