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Easy Marinated BBQ Chicken

Three ingredients, five minutes' prep, and the chicken everyone asks about. Not spicy, so it's perfect for kids.

By Dan6 October 2026Prep: 5–10 minsCook: 5–10 mins each sideServes 6 (with sides)
Marinated chicken strips and burgers cooking on a Weber kettle BBQ
Marinated chicken strips on my Weber, next to a couple of homemade burgers.

This is the easiest, tastiest way I know to do chicken on the BBQ for the whole family. Whenever I make it, someone comments on how nice the chicken is. It's not spicy, it's dead simple, and kids love it.

The secret is that there isn't one: a good supermarket chicken seasoning, plenty of olive oil, and cutting the chicken into strips so it cooks quickly.

Ingredients

  • 500g fresh chicken breasts
  • ½ jar of chicken seasoning (I use the Lidl or Aldi one)
  • 100ml olive oil

Serves: about 6 people when served with burgers, sausages, corn on the cob, salad and coleslaw.
You'll also need: a large bowl, kitchen scissors, a lid or cling film, and disposable gloves (optional).

Method

  1. Pour the olive oil and chicken seasoning into a large bowl and mix them together.
  2. Put on some disposable gloves if you don't want raw chicken and oil all over your hands.
  3. Using scissors, cut the chicken into strips about 1 inch (2–3cm) wide and drop them into the bowl.
  4. Using your hands, coat every strip in the marinade.
  5. Cover the bowl with a lid or cling film and set aside until the BBQ is ready. Keep it in the fridge if you're preparing it well ahead.
  6. Grill over the hot side of the BBQ for about 5–10 minutes each side, depending on the heat. If the outside is browning too fast, move the strips to the cooler side to finish.
  7. The chicken is ready when there's no pink meat in the middle of the thickest strip and the juices run clear. If you have a meat thermometer, look for 75°C.

Dan's notes

  • Why so much oil? The oil helps stop the chicken drying out and burning too quickly over the coals.
  • Why 1-inch strips? They cook quickly, which is ideal when you've got starving little mouths waiting.
  • Scissors, not a knife: cutting raw chicken with kitchen scissors is quicker and much less messy.
Marinated chicken strips, sausages and burgers just placed on a kettle BBQ
Straight from the bowl onto the grill.
Seasoned chicken strips and sausages cooking on an electric griddle
Chicken strips and sausages on an electric griddle on holiday.

What to serve it with

At ours it goes on the table with homemade burgers in brioche buns, sausages, corn on the cob, salad and coleslaw, plus the full line-up of sauces: burger sauce, ketchup, mayo and BBQ sauce.

BBQ tips for perfect chicken

  • Set up two zones if your BBQ allows it: hot coals on one side, none on the other. I do this on my Weber kettle.
  • Light the coals with a chimney starter so the BBQ is ready in about 20 minutes. Here's how I do it.
  • Wait for the coals to turn grey before cooking. Flames mean burnt outsides and raw middles.
  • Keep raw and cooked separate: use clean tongs and a clean plate for cooked chicken.
Food safety: always make sure chicken is cooked all the way through, steaming hot, with no pink meat and clear juices, before serving, especially for children.
Dan, founder of Blaze & Graze
Dan, founder of Blaze & Graze

Home cook and keen DIYer, cooking for family and friends on the deck I built. More about me.