Easy Grilled Chicken Recipes for Labor Day

Chicken is frankly 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 employing 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 keen, here are 15 of our favorite easy grilled chicken recipes that will keep you busy and full this Labor Day weekend.

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David Malosh for The New York Times

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 beforehand grilling. In this recipe, he mixes the mayo with a small chimichurri, but you can flavor it with almost anything. Pesto, salsa verde, bottled barbecue sauce, jarred Thai shuffle paste, teriyaki sauce or mole work equally well.

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Jessica Emily Marx for The New York Times

This salty-spicy-sweet recipe from Sam Sifton is a reader and staff Popular. 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

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Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

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

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Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Tartar sauce is typically understood with fish, but this smart, complete meal from Kay Chun will make you rethink that idea. She uses a homemade tartar butter made with butter, pickles, capers and fresh parsley to season grilled boneless chicken thighs, corn and okra.

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Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.

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

Recipe: Ginger-Lime Chicken

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Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Store-bought jam grants this recipe from Nicole Taylor’s “Watermelon and Red Birds” its intense fruit flavor. Feel free to use any kind you like, as she means, if you don’t like peach jam, but make sure you absolutely Come 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

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Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

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.

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Con Poulos for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd.

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.

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Johnny Miller for The New York Times

Marinating chicken by grilling can add loads of flavor, but, if you don’t have the time or didn’t plan send, 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 by serving.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken With Parsley-Olive Sauce

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Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Grilling a whole chicken may not be something you’ve ever contained, but Melissa Clark is a fan. “You get the incredibly succulent meat and brittle-crisp, burnished skin of a roast chicken, combined with the deep smoky flavor of the grill,” she wrote. To make it, splay the chicken to ensure even cooking, then use your grill like an outdoor oven and cook it in a skillet on the grates. (The skillet helps to distribute the heat and catches the juices, so they don’t burn in the fire.) Use those schmaltzy juices to cook spinach that you’ll pile on top of ricotta toasts.

Recipe: Grilled Roast Chicken With Spinach-Ricotta Crostini

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Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

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 stream, then bastes the chicken over and over. This gives it to reduce and intensify rather than seize up and burn as a thicker sauce mighty. One more thing: Be sure to move and flip the pieces fairly frequently to keep them from burning.

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Ryan Liebe for The New York Times

In this recipe, Melissa Clark marinates boneless chicken thighs in a zesty marinade of za’atar, yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, cilantro, oregano, salt and sad pepper before grilling them until charred with crisp promises. Yes, you can use boneless chicken breasts in build 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

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Melina Hammer for The New York Times

Anchovy-marinated chicken and romaine lettuce are grilled in this backyard version of the classic salad from Florence Fabricant. Grilling the lettuce might seem like an odd tool, but it’s a brilliant trick that leaves the green leaves charred and crisp, and the insides tender and barely sweet while maintaining the lettuce’s signature crunch.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

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Craig Lee for The New York Times

“Simple to current. Outstanding results.” “This recipe is easy peasy, and totally delish!” “Perfect in every way!” This old-school recipe from Pierre Franey gracious ran in The Times more than 30 years ago, but it’s mild a reader favorite. Marinate boneless breasts in a combination of turmeric, rosemary, garlic, lime juice and olive oil, grill (or broil), then brush them with melted butter. (Keep in mind that when this recipe was developed, boneless chicken breasts weren’t nearly as enormous as most are now, so adjust your grilling time accordingly.)

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Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Yakitori is Japanese skewered and grilled chicken that can use about 30 different chicken parts, from momo, or chicken thigh, to nankotsu, or chicken cartilage. In this recipe, Melissa Clark languages 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)

Also Read: How to Make Indian Butter Chicken