22 Easy Grilled Chicken Recipes for Summer Nights

No tough, sinewy meat here: These chicken recipes promise tender, flavorful results.

Chicken is easily the most searched for ingredient on New York Times Cooking, and it stands to reason: It’s economical, it’s widely available, it’s better for the climate than other meats. And it’s endlessly adaptable, a blank canvas for all sorts of preparations and vibrant, delicious seasonings.

In the cold weather months, that means cozy soups, braises and burnished roasts. But in the summer, grilling becomes the method of choice, as it gets you out of a hot kitchen, and adds a layer of fire-kissed flavor and texture to the otherwise mild-mannered meat. You can always salt the dickens out of chicken, grill it well and get tasty results, but if you’re looking for something a bit more exciting, here are our favorite easy grilled chicken recipes that will keep you busy and full all season long.

1. Grilled Chicken Breasts

Grilled chicken breasts don’t have to be dry: With this recipe from Steven Raichlen, they can be especially delicious, enhanced by a lemon and herb marinade that also works well as a sauce powerful enough to stand up to the grill’s smokiness.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Breasts

2. Mayo-Marinated Chicken With Chimichurri

J. Kenji López-Alt has a clever trick for keeping grilled chicken breasts tender: He slathers them with mayonnaise, then lets them marinate up to 24 hours before grilling. In this recipe, he mixes the mayo with a little chimichurri, but you can flavor it with almost anything. Pesto, salsa verde, bottled barbecue sauce, jarred Thai curry paste, teriyaki sauce or mole work equally well.

Recipe: Mayo-Marinated Chicken With Chimichurri

3. Grilled Soy-Basted Chicken Thighs With Spicy Cashews

This salty-spicy-sweet recipe from Sam Sifton is a reader and staff favorite. Boneless chicken thighs rest in a combination of sesame oil, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and black pepper. Then, while grilled, they’re basted with a mixture of soy, ginger and brown sugar, creating a shiny, impossibly delicious lacquer. Make a double batch of the Sriracha cashews for snacking later.

Recipe: Grilled Soy-Basted Chicken Thighs With Spicy Cashews

4. Joojeh Kabab ba Holu (Saffron Chicken Kababs With Peaches)

Saffron infuses these beautiful kababs, an Iranian barbecue staple, from Naz Deravian. It’s a thoughtful recipe that makes sure no ingredient goes to waste. To her point, “even the onion from the marinade is cooked to serve as an accompaniment.” Peaches and blistered tomatoes give it all a little tang and sweetness, and a marinade will give them all a deep juiciness. K.C.

Recipe: Joojeh Kabab ba Holu (Saffron Chicken Kababs With Peaches)

5. Pollo Asado

This Mexican staple takes a little extra time and effort, but it’s so good you might find yourself making it again and again (like the readers in the comments). Ham El-Waylly’s recipe uses two types of dried chiles, guajillo and pasilla, which give an unmistakable smokiness. Find annatto seeds or achiote paste, responsible for the chicken’s signature red hue, online or at a Latin supermarket.

Recipe: Pollo Asado

6. Ginger-Lime Chicken

Kenji’s mayo chicken (above) inspired this lively recipe from Ali Slagle. She added ginger and lime zest to the mayonnaise for a light and bright flavor that you’ll crave again and again. (For those without a grill, she offers stovetop instructions.)

Recipe: Ginger-Lime Chicken

7. Peach and Molasses Chicken

Store-bought jam gives this recipe from Nicole Taylor’s “Watermelon and Red Birds” its intense fruit flavor. Feel free to use any kind you like, as she notes, if you don’t like peach jam, but make sure you absolutely reach for skin-on chicken. Crispy and so full of flavor from the grill and the sweet-savory jam-based sauce, it’s the best part. K.C.

Recipe: Peach and Molasses Chicken

8. Tajín Grilled Chicken

Tajín is a Mexican seasoning made with dried, ground red chiles, sea salt and dehydrated lime juice. In this recipe from Rick A. Martinez, Tajín is combined with agave syrup, orange juice, orange zest, chipotles, adobo, garlic and olive oil to make a glossy, smoky-sweet sauce for grilled chicken.

Recipe: Tajín Grilled Chicken

9. Grilled Chicken With Yogurt Marinade

Lidey Heuck takes inspiration from Turkish chicken kebabs for this recipe: Boneless skinless chicken thighs, which cook more evenly than thighs, are marinated in a blend of yogurt and herbs, to keep them tender. Her version relies on thyme and oregano, but feel free to experiment with whatever you have on hand. K.C.

10. Grilled Chicken With Parsley-Olive Sauce

Marinating chicken before grilling can add loads of flavor, but, if you don’t have the time or didn’t plan ahead, you can still make a great grilled chicken dish. Ali Slagle actually prefers not marinating, but grilling, then seasoning enthusiastically after, a technique she employs in this recipe. Grill the chicken, toss with olives and olive brine, lemon zest and juice, fresh parsley and chile, and let it rest for 5 to 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken With Parsley-Olive Sauce

11. Grilled Chicken Thighs and Corn With Lime-Basil Butter

If the lime-basil butter doesn’t get you excited, then it might be the sweet corn, charred from the grill. Served with chicken thighs, it’s a deceptively simple, but delicious dish that’s the epitome of summer. Make extra basil butter to spread on tomato sandwiches or anything else that needs it.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Thighs and Corn With Lime-Basil Butter

12. Barbecued Chicken

Sam Sifton’s recipe yields perfectly burnished barbecue chicken with a sticky sweet sauce, thanks to a basting technique he picked up from the chef and outdoor cooking maven Adam Perry Lang, who thins out his sauce with water, then bastes the chicken over and over. This allows it to reduce and intensify rather than seize up and burn as a thicker sauce might. One more thing: Be sure to move and flip the pieces fairly frequently to keep them from burning.

Recipe: Barbecued Chicken

13. Grilled Za’atar Chicken With Garlic Yogurt and Cilantro

In this recipe, Melissa Clark marinates boneless chicken thighs in a zesty marinade of za’atar, yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, cilantro, oregano, salt and black pepper before grilling them until charred with crisp edges. Yes, you can use boneless chicken breasts in place of the thighs, but keep an eye on them; the yogurt will help keep them moist, but they’ll still cook faster than the dark meat.

Recipe: Grilled Za’atar Chicken With Garlic Yogurt and Cilantro

14. Souvlaki

If juicy, garlicky Greek skewers are a restaurant favorite of yours, consider making Lidey Heuck’s recipe at home. She recommends dropping the chicken into a yogurt marinade for a few hours, which creates a beautiful char, while keeping the meat tender.

Recipe: Souvlaki

15. Grilled Chicken Salad

For this ingenious recipe from Yossy Arefi, throw some chicken breasts onto the grill the next time you fire it up. Toss the charred chicken with a yogurt-forward dressing dotted with celery, red onion and cilantro for a light and fresh chicken salad.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Salad

16. Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)

Yakitori is Japanese skewered and grilled chicken that can use approximately 30 different chicken parts, from momo, or chicken thigh, to nankotsu, or chicken cartilage. In this recipe, Melissa Clark calls for marinating chicken thighs, gizzards and livers in a savory-sweet sauce of ginger, sake, mirin, soy sauce, garlic and a touch of brown sugar, then grilling or broiling and scattering with chopped scallions. Serve it alongside something fresh and green.

Recipe: Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers)

17. Ranch Grilled Chicken

This recipe is as good as it sounds: grilled chicken, drizzled in a simple homemade ranch dressing that’s packed with chives, dill, shallots and garlic. Christian Reynoso includes a lemony radish salad that uses the same herbs as the sauce, so it’s a full, low-waste meal. Marinate the chicken for as little as 30 minutes if you want to, as it’s the sauce that’s the star of the show.

Recipe: Ranch Grilled Chicken

18. Grilled Honey-Mustard Chicken Thighs

Lidey Heuck uses Dijon mustard two ways here: in the marinade for the chicken and in the sticky, honeyed glaze that is poured over top. This is a great recipe for meal prepping — cut up the chicken and dip in the honey-mustard sauce throughout the week.

Recipe: Grilled Honey-Mustard Chicken Thighs

19. Satay-Style Grilled Chicken Thighs

In this simplified recipe, Sherry Rujikarn skips the skewers usually associated with satay and packs the flavors of coconut milk, fish sauce and curry paste into grilled chicken thighs. The marinade caramelizes and chars, and a punchy cucumber-peanut salad is the perfect textural side. It begs to be eaten over rice, preferably outside.

Recipe: Satay-Style Grilled Chicken Thighs

20. Huli Huli Chicken

This streamlined version of this classic dish from Hawaii, from Alana Kysar, adapted by Margaux Laskey, involves no turning, and any grill you have. Simply marinate the chicken pieces or thighs in the teriyaki-style sauce, grill and enjoy.

Recipe: Huli Huli Chicken

21. Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken With Honey, Chile and Lemon

Grilling a whole chicken seems daunting, but Clare de Boer’s recipe is simple and impressive enough for company. Make sure to spatchcock the bird, remove the wing tips and slash the breasts and legs to ensure it stays juicy, then serve it over a bed of chickpeas, with Greek yogurt for dipping.

Recipe: Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken With Honey, Chile and Lemon

22. Suya Spiced Grilled Chicken Thighs With Nectarines

Suya spice, a smoky West African spice blend with a base of ground roasted peanuts, is the star in this easy but elegant dish from Yewande Komolafe. A bed of grilled nectarines and scallions is topped with the chicken, which is sprinkled with more chopped peanuts. Serve with additional suya spice on the side for dipping.

Recipe: Suya Spiced Grilled Chicken Thighs With Nectarines

Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.