Smoked BBQ Chicken Breasts
A simple smoked bbq chicken rub recipe that you can cook on the smoker, air fryer, or oven! I used the smoker for this recipe but my air fryer would be the next runner up! For this recipe we just pound down chicken nice and thin and season it a with a simple BBQ rub and then serve it up on sandwiches buns with some mayo and bbq sauce plus a side of choice, like creamy cucumber salad.
I love the simplicity of this recipe. This is a great one to batch cook ahead of time and then use the chicken throughout the week for different meals. You can add this chicken to a salad, wraps, rice bowls, or on it’s own with some mac and cheese and salad. The point is, you have a yummy and healthy protein to work with!
First Let’s Talk Kitchen Tools
A Note on Equipment
I’m using our Traeger smoker, which I love. But don’t worry — this recipe works great in the oven or air fryer too. (If you’re using the oven or air fryer, just follow the same steps, then cook at 400°F until the chicken is fully cooked and slightly crisped on the edges, about 10-13 minutes) I’ve been using my air fryer a lot lately for chicken — it comes out so crispy and perfect every time, I’m completely hooked!
How To Make Simple Smoked BBQ Chicken Breasts
First, take your 6 chicken breasts and butterfly them, cutting all the way through to create thinner pieces. Lay them flat, cover with plastic wrap, and pound each one to about 1/4 inch thick using a meat mallet.
Next, mix up your smoky spice blend!
For the spice blend, I did 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp smoked paprika (heaping), 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp oregano, 1.5 tsp salt, 3 tsp brown sugar, 1–2 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional, for a tangy kick)
Marinate
Toss the chicken pieces in the spice rub until well coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour. This gives the flavors time to soak in.
Next, Cook Your Chicken
I smoked ours on the Traeger at 400 until fully cooked and slightly caramelized around the edges. If you’re using the oven or air fryer, cook at 400°F for 10–13 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and slightly crisp. Do this in batches and do not crowd the air fryer basket.
I served these up as BBQ chicken sandwiches using homemade buns — they were juicy, flavorful, and perfect for eating on the go. I made a quick sauce, mixing mayo and bbq sauce 1:1 and spreading that over the buns. This was PERFECT.
A beautiful side dish to do with this is a creamy cucumber salad. I used this Cucumber Salad Recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen.
I ended up packing up these sandwiches for my boys who were heading off to a baseball game! This a great summer meal to pack for the road!
This recipe is featured in my Delicious Summer Meals video:
Smoked BBQ Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
Method
- Start by butterflying your chicken breasts — slice them in half horizontally to create thinner pieces. Lay them flat between layers of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/4 inch thick. This helps them cook quickly and evenly, and makes them perfect for sandwiches.
- In a large bowl, mix together all the spices, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil. This isn’t a wet marinade—it’s more of a thick rub, and the olive oil helps it coat the chicken nicely.
- Toss the chicken pieces in the spice rub until well coated. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour. This gives the flavors time to soak in.
- Smoked on the Traeger at 400 until fully cooked and slightly caramelized around the edges. If you’re using an air fryer, cook at 400°F for 10–15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is cooked through and slightly crisp. For the oven, cook at 400 on upper rack for 15-20 minutes until slightly crisp.
- We like to serve these as BBQ chicken sandwiches on buns with a sauce of 1:1 mayo and bbq sauce.
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