Healthy BBQ & Grilled Chicken Recipes

Cook chicken tenders quickly on the grill and top with pesto made with cilantro and sesame seeds for a zesty, speedy dinner. Serve with: Quinoa and grilled asparagus.

A quick and efficient way to cook a whole bird on the grill is to butterfly, or "spatchcock" it. When cooking a whole chicken on the grill, try searing the chicken first over direct heat then finish cooking over indirect heat (as instructed in this recipe). That way you avoid the all too common problem when grilling--chicken burned on the outside and raw in the center. For best flavor, let the chicken marinate in the rub overnight in the refrigerator. Serve with lime wedges and fresh salsa.

In this recipe for gai yang, or Thai grilled chicken, the chicken marinade is enriched with a little coconut milk, which keeps the meat moist during grilling. Prepare the sweet-and-spicy dipping sauce the day you want to use it, because it loses freshness quickly. If you prefer to use chicken breasts instead of thighs and drumsticks, use 3 bone-in breast halves and cut each in half crosswise for 6 servings total.

Peppery arugula, grilled corn and a tangy lime vinaigrette give this healthy taco salad recipe a serious upgrade. This recipe is the perfect vehicle for using the crushed-up tortilla chips at the bottom of the bag.

This hearty grilled chicken salad recipe highlights the classic combination of sharp Cheddar and sweet crunchy apples. For a fabulous starter anytime you entertain, simply skip the chicken.

Serve these easy grilled chicken kebabs with apple and cabbage slaw and potatoes for a healthy dinner that's great for summer cookouts. Leave yourself enough time to marinate the chicken for up to three hours in the simple orange-ginger marinade before threading it onto skewers and putting them on the grill.

Need a new chicken dinner idea? Try this grilled chicken and vegetable dish from chef Rick Bayless. Grilling the chicken and summer vegetables is a no-brainer, but in colder months, you may wish to move indoors and roast the chicken, along with some root vegetables. Whatever the weather, it's worth seeking out piloncillo for the beer glaze. This unrefined sugar used in Mexican cooking is made from evaporated cane juice. Its complex caramelized flavor balances any bitterness in the beer. Look for it in Latin markets and online.

These grilled chicken wings get that wonderful mix of sweet and spicy flavors from honey and harissa. Most grills cook unevenly, so it's important to keep these wings moving around to ensure crispy skin without burning. Traditional chicken wing sides--carrots and celery--cook right alongside the chicken for a quick dinner on the grill.

Cucumbers do double duty in this healthy Greek chicken pita recipe--they're grated to lend a refreshing flavor to the quick cucumber-yogurt sauce and sliced to provide cool crunch tucked into the pita. Serve these Mediterranean sandwiches for a healthy dinner or light lunch.

Jamaican jerk sauce traditionally uses Scotch bonnet peppers; here, we substitute jalapeños for a milder flavor. The jerk sauce serves as both a marinade and a sauce for meaty grilled chicken thighs. This healthy grill recipe takes just 30 minutes of active time, so as long as you plan ahead and factor in the marinating time it's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or easy weekend BBQ.

This healthy grilled chicken breast recipe--a twist on chicken piccata--features a creamy white-wine-and-caper pan sauce that gets a burst of summer flavor from fresh grape tomatoes and basil. Pounding the chicken prior to grilling ensures even cooking and makes this easy dinner even faster. The piccata sauce would also be great with shrimp, firm white fish or pork.

Add some flavor of the Caribbean to your weeknight dinners with this healthy and easy jerk chicken recipe. The chicken is cooked on a grill pan rather than an outdoor grill--make sure the pan is well-heated before adding the chicken to achieve the crisp char you would get from an outdoor grill. A simple side of coconut rice and peas completes this satisfying and nutritious meal.

In this healthy grilled chicken recipe, ancho chile powder adds a rich, mild flavor to lean chicken breasts. If you can't find ancho chile powder, feel free to use mild chili powder in its place. A vibrant salsa with avocado and grilled apricots, nectarines and/or peaches completes the pretty picture. Grilling not-quite-ripe stone fruit is a mouth­watering way to bring out its natural flavor and sweetness--plus, the fruit is grilled right alongside the chicken, making for a quick recipe.

This Tandoori chicken recipe is marinated overnight in yogurt with a blend of aromatic spices and served with a light-tasting couscous full of lemon zest, cilantro, currants, and toasted pine nuts.

Chicken satay moves from classic Thai restaurant appetizer to delicious homemade dinner with this easy meal-prep recipe. A crunchy Asian-inspired slaw serves as the satisfying low-carb base, and the bold, creamy peanut sauce brings a hint of heat to every bite.

This grilled chicken has an Italian-inspired taste when topped with a freshly made pesto. Serve it with fresh peas and roasted potato wedges for dinner, or over mixed salad greens for a hearty lunch salad.

Cumin and red pepper spice up the grilled chicken in this fun tostada recipe. Kids will love the sweet kiwi topping.

This hearty chicken recipe gets amazing flavor from an apple butter glaze and grilled apple rings.

The deliciously thick, barbeque-based sauce on these chicken and zucchini skewers is flavored with bourbon and soy. Ready in just 35 minutes, this southern-inspired recipe is perfect served with brown rice and a side salad.

Fennel adds a nice flavoring to the marinade in this Mediterranean-inspired chicken souvlaki dish. The kabobs are perfectly paired with a veggie-packed, yogurt-dressed Israeli couscous.

Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber and vitamin A, and can be prepared in a variety of ways. In this recipe, shredded sweet potatoes are formed into patties, cooked like pancakes, and served with jerk-seasoned chicken and a citrusy avocado-mango salsa.

The sweetness in this Maple-Bourbon Chicken recipe is from the real maple syrup and grilled sweet potatoes. Bacon is also included!

Marinate the chicken in fridge for a few hours before cooking to make sure the chicken is juicy, tender, and flavorful. Serve over homemade zesty Caribbean Rice for a crowd-pleasing meal.

Thanks to a yogurt-based marinade, these chicken kabobs are especially tender. The curry powder lends a kick without too much heat, and to please the vegetarians at your table, you can simply grill the chicken and vegetables on separate skewers.

Miso, the soy-based paste used in many Japanese recipes, forms the savory foundation for flavorful marinated chicken and shrimp grilled on skewers.