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These Grilled BBQ Chicken Halves deliver smoky, juicy BBQ flavor with a sticky honey BBQ finish that feels made for backyard cooking. They are perfect for cookouts, Fourth of July plates, weekend grilling, or anytime you want a classic BBQ chicken recipe that still brings big flavor with simple ingredients.
What makes this version stand out is the way the chicken is seasoned with AB’s Sweet BBQ Rub, cooked over controlled indirect heat, and finished with AB BBQ Sauce mixed with honey. The chicken stays tender while the outside gets glossy, sticky, and caramelized with that backyard BBQ flavor. Serve it with Smokey BBQ Baked Beans, Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, or Your Next Holiday Potato Salad for a full Smokin’ and Grillin’ with AB-style plate.
🍽️ A Quick Look at the Recipe
Recipe Name: Grilled BBQ Chicken Halves
⏱️ Ready In: About 1 hour 10 minutes
👨👩👧👦 Serves: 4
🥣 Key Ingredients: Chicken halves, AB’s Sweet BBQ Rub, yellow mustard, AB BBQ Sauce, honey
📖 Dietary Info: Gluten-free if using gluten-free BBQ sauce and rub
🔥 Why You’ll Love It: You get juicy grilled chicken, smoky seasoning, and a sticky honey BBQ glaze all in one easy cookout-style recipe.
Key Ingredients
Chicken Halves
Chicken halves are great for grilling because they cook more evenly than a whole chicken while still keeping the meat juicy. You get a mix of breast, thigh, leg, and wing meat in every serving.
AB’s Sweet BBQ Rub
AB’s Sweet BBQ Rub brings sweet, smoky, savory flavor to the chicken before it ever hits the grill. It helps build that classic BBQ crust on the outside.
Yellow Mustard
Yellow mustard works as a binder for the seasoning. It helps the rub stick to the chicken and adds a slight tang without making the chicken taste like mustard.
AB BBQ Sauce and Honey
AB BBQ Sauce gives the chicken that classic BBQ finish, while honey adds shine, sweetness, and a sticky texture. Brushing it on near the end keeps the sauce from burning.
Optional BBQ Poultry Rub
If you do not have AB’s Sweet BBQ Rub, you can make a simple poultry-style BBQ rub with brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne.
AB CHICKEN RECIPE MATCH
Make This Recipe Hit with Real Seasoning
When I’m grilling chicken halves, I like to build flavor before they ever hit the fire. AB’s Sweet BBQ Rub brings that sweet, smoky, savory balance that works perfectly with juicy grilled chicken.
Use it as your main seasoning, then finish the chicken with AB BBQ Sauce mixed with honey for that sticky backyard BBQ glaze.
Instructions
Step 1: Prep the Chicken
Preheat your grill to 325°F to 350°F and set it up for two-zone cooking. Keep one side for indirect heat and one side for direct heat. Pat the chicken halves dry with paper towels so the skin can brown better on the grill.
Step 2: Season the Chicken
Coat the chicken halves with olive oil and yellow mustard. Season all sides generously with AB’s Sweet BBQ Rub.
Step 3: Grill Over Indirect Heat
Place the chicken halves on the indirect heat side of the grill, skin side up. Close the lid and cook for 35 to 45 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the chicken starts to brown and the breast reaches about 150°F.
Step 4: Sauce and Finish
Mix AB BBQ Sauce with honey in a small bowl. Brush the chicken with the honey BBQ sauce, then move it closer to the direct heat side of the grill. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, flipping and brushing with more sauce until the outside is sticky, glossy, and lightly caramelized.
Remove the chicken from the grill when the breast reaches 165°F and the thigh reaches 175°F to 185°F. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Tricks
Pat the chicken dry before seasoning so the skin gets better color and texture.
Use indirect heat for most of the cook so the chicken does not burn before the inside is done.
Do not brush the BBQ sauce on too early. The honey and sauce can burn if they sit over the heat for too long.
For deeper flavor, season the chicken and let it sit in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours before grilling.
Use a meat thermometer to check both the breast and thigh. The breast should reach 165°F, while the thigh is best around 175°F to 185°F.
Variations
Spicy BBQ Chicken Halves: Add extra cayenne to the seasoning and mix a little hot sauce into the AB BBQ Sauce and honey.
Smoky BBQ Chicken Halves: Add a small handful of wood chips or wood chunks to the grill for extra smoke flavor.
Cajun BBQ Chicken Halves: Add Cajun seasoning to the rub blend for a bolder Southern-style flavor.
Extra Sticky BBQ Chicken: Brush on an extra layer of honey BBQ sauce during the last few minutes of cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these grilled BBQ chicken halves with Smokey BBQ Baked Beans or My Signature Smoked BBQ Baked Beans for a classic cookout plate.
Add Southern Cornbread Muffins, Southern Cornbread, or Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls on the side to soak up the sauce.
Pair the chicken with Southern Coleslaw, Garlic Butter Skillet Asparagus, or Oven Roasted Zucchini and Squash for something fresh.
For a lighter option, serve it with Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts or Garlic Butter Creole Green Beans.
Comfort-style plate, add Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, Ultimate Baked Mac and Cheese, Your Next Holiday Potato Salad, or Southern Candied Yams.
For a full BBQ spread, serve it with 3-2-1 Ribs, Smoked St. Louis Style Ribs, BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, baked beans, and Best Peach Cobbler Ever.
Add extra AB BBQ Sauce, hot sauce, pickles, or sliced jalapeños on the side.
Notes
Cook times may vary depending on the size of the chicken halves and the heat of your grill.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat gently in the oven or air fryer so the chicken stays juicy and the skin does not turn soggy.
You can adjust the sweetness by adding more or less honey to the BBQ sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. You can season the chicken up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. For best results, grill it fresh and sauce it near the end of cooking.
How do I store leftovers?
Store leftover grilled BBQ chicken halves in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also remove the meat from the bones and use it for sandwiches, salads, wraps, or BBQ chicken plates.
Can I substitute the chicken halves?
Yes. You can use chicken quarters, drumsticks, thighs, or bone-in chicken breasts. Just adjust the cook time depending on the size of the pieces.
What’s the best way to reheat this?
Reheat the chicken in a 325°F oven until warmed through. Cover it loosely with foil to keep it moist, then uncover it for the last few minutes if you want the outside to firm back up.
Can I make this on a smoker?
Yes. Smoke the chicken at 275°F to 300°F until it is almost done, then brush with the honey BBQ sauce and finish at a higher heat to set the glaze.
Can I make this in the oven?
Yes. Bake the chicken halves at 375°F until cooked through, then brush with the honey BBQ sauce and broil for a few minutes to caramelize the outside.
If you tried Grilled BBQ Chicken Halves or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments!
Summarize and Save
Grilled BBQ Chicken Halves
Ingredients
- 2 whole chickens split in half
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 to 4 tbsp AB’s Sweet BBQ Rub
- 1 ½ cups AB BBQ Sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- Optional BBQ Poultry Rub
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to 325°F to 350°F. Set the grill up for two-zone cooking, with one side for indirect heat and one side for direct heat. This lets the chicken cook through gently before finishing over hotter heat.
- Pat the chicken halves dry with paper towels. Coat each chicken half with olive oil. Season all sides generously with AB’s Sweet BBQ Rub. (Alternatively use BBQ Poultry Rub)
- Place the chicken halves on the indirect heat side of the grill, skin side up. Close the lid and let the chicken cook for 35 to 45 minutes, flipping occasionally so it cooks evenly.
- While the chicken cooks, mix AB BBQ Sauce and honey in a bowl until smooth. Set the sauce aside until the chicken is almost done.
- Once the chicken reaches about 150°F in the breast, brush both sides with the honey BBQ sauce. Move the chicken closer to the direct heat side of the grill.
- Continue grilling for 10 to 15 minutes, flipping and brushing with more sauce until the outside is sticky, glossy, and lightly caramelized. Keep an eye on the sauce so it does not burn.
- Remove the chicken from the grill when the breast reaches 165°F and the thigh reaches 175°F to 185°F. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving so the juices can settle.
- Serve warm with extra AB BBQ Sauce on the side.
Notes
- AB’s Sweet BBQ Rub gives the chicken a sweet, smoky BBQ flavor, but the optional poultry rub works if you need a homemade substitute.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
- For a stickier finish, brush on one final light layer of honey BBQ sauce right before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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