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Easy Grilled Chicken Recipes for Game Day

ByTheresa Huse
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Grillers, get ready! Just because summer is over doesn’t mean grilling season is over. With temperatures cooling down and football season heating up, it’s the perfect time to fire up the grill for the big game. This post has you covered with the ultimate grilled chicken recipes for game day, from juicy chicken thighs to flavorful skewers and sliders.

Whether you’re a devoted griller or just looking for a simple dinner solution, these easy grilled chicken recipes are the perfect addition to any backyard BBQ. You’ll find delicious options that are great for feeding a crowd and simple enough for any weeknight meal.

Game Day Grilled Chicken Recipes

We love to grill all year long. What about you? Plus, what’s not to love about cooking outdoors in the spring, summer, fall, game days, and for tailgating… Are you looking for something else to grill? Find more grilled recipes here. 

Grilling and Game Day Made Easy

Today I’m sharing my chicken recipes for the grill that are easy to make, plate, and eat. This will be a touchdown for you! Whether you are grilling or tailgating, this will be one winning meal! Which will leave you with one #LegendaryTailgate

What You’ll Find Inside

Get ready to grill chicken thighs, legs, skewers, and a chicken slider recipe! Not to mention a yummy Sweet Potato Pineapple Salad recipe is coming down the home stretch. Hike, Hike… Let me take you “all the way” to the goal line with this football fantasy meal! But, hey, you can make this anytime you want, chicken cooked on the grill! 

Grilled Chicken 

Easy Grilling Recipes | Football Tailgating Recipes

Sometimes all you need to start with is a simple idea, a grill, chicken, and an easy side dish. Why wear yourself out or overcomplicate things? You want to be able to enjoy all the football fun too!

This shop was previously compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. This post has been updated. All opinions are mine alone. #LegendaryTailgate #CollectiveBias

Best Tips for Grilled Chicken

One of the best ways to get flavorful chicken is to marinate it. Start by prepping your chicken and marinating it with Mr. Stubb’s BBQ Sauces and Marinades before grilling.

I’m at the fifty-yard line, and we have a ways to go. I head down to my local store, Albertson’s, where I pick up Foster Farms Chicken packages and Stubb’s BBQ Sauce. 

Foster Farms Chicken and Stubbs BBQ Sauce and marinate

I grabbed the Foster Farms chicken and Stubb’s Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce to start prepping my meal.

Have you tried Stubb’s? Oh, ya, this will take you to the 10-yard line quickly. Next, your wide receiver is about to catch that ball. Let’s take this meal to the touchdown line! Let’s get this chicken ready to grill! This barbecue sauce is so good! 

Grilled Chicken| Steps for how to Marinade chicken and finished grilled chicken

  1. I added my chicken thighs and legs to plastic bags. Then I let the Stubb’s Citrus & Onion marinade do the work, marinating my chicken.
  2. Then I cut up thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Added them to skewers and coated them with Stubb’s BBQ sauce.
  3. After I covered and sealed it in plastic bags. I put the chicken in the fridge for several hours. When ready to grill, we pulled the chicken out of the refrigerator (and baggies) and discarded excess marinade.

How to Grill The Chicken

Grilled Chicken Thighs and Grilled Chicken Legs

Grilled Chicken |Chicken on a gas grill

  1. First, put the bigger cuts of chicken onto a grill that has had the grates brushed with oil before starting the grill.
  2. Drumsticks 8-12 min. each side, thighs 10-15 minutes each side.
  3. Next, I barbecued the slider’s chicken meat on skewers after grilling the chicken thighs and legs halfway first.
  4. Close the lid after putting the chicken on the grill. This will help prevent flare-ups.
  5. But stay close to monitor your chicken while it’s grilling. 

Grilled Chicken Skewers

Grilled chicken closeup

Grilling chicken skewers is easy!

  1. Grill chicken skewers on medium-high heat for 8-12 minutes (depending on thickness and heat of the grill).
  2. Flip the chicken over after 4 minutes.
  3. Finish cooking the chicken skewers to a temperature of 160°-162°F.
  4. Take the skewers off the grill. Cover them with foil, let them rest for 5 minutes. The carryover cooking will get it to the proper temperature, 165°F.

Best Tips for Grilled Chicken

Chicken thighs on BBQ grill close up

Grill Settings vs. Coal Instructions

 Grill the chicken for about 10-15 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is and the thickness of the chicken meat. Mine was on medium heat to start, then lowered slightly.

If using coals for grilling, I like to mound the coals in the center and leave the outer edges with fewer coals to move the meat over if needed. This gives you an area that will continue cooking without being overly hot!

Wood Skewers vs Metal Skewers

You can use wood skewers or metal skewers to cook the chicken.

Wood Skewers

  1. Soak wood skewers for about 30 minutes before using them on the grill. This will help prevent them from burning.
  2. They are convenient and disposable after use. And work well for foods that cook quickly over direct heat.

Metal Skewers

  1. No soaking needed: You will need something to turn them with (hot pads, tongs).
  2. Cooks the food faster: It does this by the metal conducting heat. This helps cook the meat from the inside out, which reduces the overall cook time.
  3. Reusable: This is cost-effective. They will need cleaning.

Proper Grilling Temperature for Chicken

  • Use a meat thermometer to gauge the internal temperature of the chicken meat.
  • A good rule of thumb is to pull the chicken off the grill when its internal temperature reaches 160°F to 162°F.
  • Then, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for about 5 minutes. As it rests, it has carryover cooking, which will get it to 165°F.
  • The proper grilling temperature for chicken is 165°F internal temperature.

Now get ready to eat this tasty BBQ Chicken!

Grilled Chicken Chicken Thigh close up on a plate with sweet potato salad and chips

The thighs were so juicy and so good! Drumsticks 8-12 min. each side, thighs 10-15 minutes each side.

Sauteed Onions

We made sauteed onions, glazed with honey and Dijon mustard, for the sliders. You can grab the chicken sliders recipe below!

Sauted onions with honey mustard

The sliders are so easy to make and tasty! Take my play-by-play for sautéed honey mustard, it will take you to the goal line! And topped with a gorgonzola crumbled cheese (The recipe is below). YUM! Football and flavor for days or should I say, “You’ll have the opposing team in a daze?!”

Grilled Chicken Sliders

Grilled Chicken Sliders

Grilled Chicken - grilled chicken sliders, chicken skewers and sweet potato pineapple salad - Tailgating dinner on a paper plate. Recipes for grilled chicken at DearCreatives.com

Sweet and slightly spicy grilled chicken sliders. This chicken slider has a savory Dijon mustard, honey-glazed onions, and cheese crumbles! The bonus BBQ sauce that creates a touch down in your mouth! See how to grill this recipe and other ways to grill chicken...

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • Rosemary & Olive Oil French bread rolls *small size
  • Red onion half an onion per 6 sliders
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard 
  • 1 tsp. Honey 
  • Stubb's BBQ Sauce Sticky Sweet or Honey Pecan
  • 1-2lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Grilled Cut-up Chicken 2-3 pieces per slider)
  • Gorgonzola cheese crumbles.
  • Olive Oil

Instructions

How to grill the chicken for sliders

  1. Add cut-up skinless chicken breasts onto skewers.
  2. Add the chicken skewers to the grill that is clean and has been prepared by slightly brushing the grates with oil. (See video for reference).
  3. Grill the skewers on each side about 3-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chunks of chicken.
  4. Lastly, brush the chicken with barbecue sauce, adding the sauce to the chicken that has been grilled after flipping and is almost done.
  5. When grilled chicken skewers are done. Take the chicken off the ones with the BBQ Sauce and slice it thinner, if needed. 
  6. Add more barbecue sauce to the bottom slice of your pre-sliced slider French bread rolls. (I used rosemary and olive oil French bread rolls)
  7. Next, you will add your chicken, sautéed onions (recipe below), and crumbled cheese to the bun. I used a gorgonzola crumble, but you could also use blue cheese crumbles. 
  8. Put a toothpick through to hold the sliders together.
  9. Plate, serve, and enjoy!

How to make sauteed onions for chicken sliders

  1. Slice half a large red onion thinly.
  2. Add about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to a slightly heated nonstick skillet.
  3. Then add the sliced onions to a non-stick skillet with olive oil.
  4. Next, add one teaspoon of honey to the onions, stir.
  5. Then, add one teaspoonful of Dijon mustard, stir, and sauté on medium-low heat.
  6. Do not overcook the onions. Adjust the heat down as needed.
  7. Cook only until they are slightly soft. Time may vary depending on the number of onions.
  8. Set prepared onions into a dish, let cool slightly before adding to sliders.
  9. This amount will make up to 6-8 sliders.

Notes

  1. If you don't want to make skewers, just cook the chicken breasts on the grill (as shown in the video) and then thinly slice the chicken for the sliders.
  2. Double or triple the recipe as needed.
  3. Don't overcrowd onions when sautéing.
  4. Cut grilled slider chicken thinner if needed. You'll need 2-3 slices of chicken per slider.
  5. Prepare your slider buns ahead of time by pre-slicing them. 
  6. Store them in a plastic bag until needed.
  7. The honey was raw buckwheat honey, but any good honey should be fine.
  8. See this post (Grilled Chicken Recipes - https://www.dearcreatives.com/grilled-chicken-recipes/ for how to grill chicken legs and thighs. And for internal temperature readings. Plus, step-by-step images and where to grab the side dish recipe. Find grilling recipes here.

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Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 490Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 151mgSodium 458mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 2gSugar 7gProtein 51g

Not all nutritional information is always 100% accurate.

© Theresa Huse - DearCreatives.com
Cuisine: American / Category: Recipes

There is nothing like good BBQ chicken! Drumsticks, thighs, sliders, or skewers! 

Game Day

Grilled Chicken Legs and chicken thighs

Football lovers and tailgating lovers, you’ll be hitting the goal line before you know it! How? These heroes are Foster Farms drumsticks and thighs, plus Stubb’s grilling marinades and BBQ sauces. 

Use these recipes any time you are barbecuing and looking for easy grilled chicken recipes for game day!

Side Dishes for Your BBQ

Grilled Chicken Side Dish |Close up of Sweet Potato Pinepple Salad

Next, get this recipe for Sweet Potato Pineapple Salad Recipe! It’s super yummy! You can make this sweet potato salad a day ahead of time or on the same day. It has a sweet-spicy flavor that says fall football party! I served it in little clear cups wrapped up for easy prep and serving. But you can make it and serve it from one bowl. Or head over to get any of these pasta salad recipes.

Which grilled chicken recipes for game day will you try first?

Pin it for Later

A platter of various grilled chicken recipes, including skewers, sliders on a paper plate, and chicken thighs, with a side dish visible in the background. recipe at DearCreatives.com

Related Recipes

Where to Find The Products

Foster Farms Chicken and Stubbs BBQ Sauce in the grocery store

You’ll find your Foster Farms Fresh & Natural Chicken and Stubb’s BBQ Sauces, marinades, and rubs at your local stores. I found mine at Albertsons. The Foster Farm Chicken is in the meat section, and you’ll find all Stubb’s products in the BBQ sauce aisle.

Shop for Stubb’s Sauces on Amazon. 

About the products used in the recipe

Stubb’s

  • Stubb’s Sauces are high-quality, Certified Gluten-Free, and verified Non-GMO
  • Free of high-fructose corn syrup
  • No artificial preservatives

Foster Farm’s Chicken *Fresh & Natural

  • 100% Natural
  • No added hormones or steroids
  • American Humane Certified

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Photographer. Foodie, DIY/Crafter. Mom to 5 who loves to share recipes and creativity...

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23 Comments

  1. That looks amazeballs, I’m pinning right now! And…your photographs are lovely…really stunning.

    1. Hey Jill, Thanks so much for sharing & the compliment. Hope to see you again soon.

  2. What a great tailgating meal…you’ve got everything covered! [client]

    1. Hi Janet, Thanks for the compliment glad you liked it. Just add drinks & enjoy.

  3. YUM! that chicken looks amazing!!

    1. Hi Lauren, Thanks! It was really yummy. Thanks for stopping by.

    2. Hi Lauren, I love it. I’m not sure what your using now but, this has lots of settings, manual and auto options. I still don’t think I know them all. I had a Canon CyberShot prior to this and that was good but, this camera is much more powerful. Make sure to get the metal body vs plastic. I’m looking for a back up camera now to be able to send mine in to get tune ups. I’ll email you more details. But, one thing to consider is you are buying the lens separate unless you get a standard lens with the camera which is a good way to start. My zoom lens (which was used) broke and now I’m back down to one lens until I purchase another.

    1. Hi Christine, Thanks, hope you get to grill some up soon.

  5. yum!! those all look so good! My boys love grilled chicken!

    1. Hi Emily, Thanks. My whole family does too. Thanks for stopping by.

  6. I was trying to read the recipe, but I keep getting distracted by all the lovely food photos! Yum!

    1. Hi Melanie, Thanks for the compliments. Good thing it’s easy then.

    1. Hi Victoria, Glad you love grilled chicken too. Thanks for the compliments.

    1. Hi Michelle, Good to hear! Hope you all get to enjoy it sometime.

  10. Chicken thighs are my favorite! These sliders look great 🙂

  11. Looks so yummy! thanks for sharing

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