This juicy grilled chicken with sweet-and-savory Asian BBQ glaze is an easy cookout dinner. Lots of umami oyster sauce and roasted garlic really take it to the next level!
Why You’ll Love This Grilled Chicken Recipe
If you’re tired of regular BBQ chicken, this grilled chicken with onion-soy sauce glaze will be your new favorite recipe for the summer.
- Great for cookouts. You’ll be firing up the grill all summer long to make this sweet oyster sauce-glazed grilled chicken.
- Better than store-bought. This homemade BBQ sauce doesn’t have any excess sodium or processed sugars, making it way better than what you can buy at the store.
- Perfect for meal preps. Make 2 batches, one to enjoy during the week and another to freeze for later.
- Asian-inspired. All you need is garlic, oyster sauce, and salty soy sauce for some beautiful Asian flair.
What You’ll Need
Sauteed onions and oyster sauce add natural sweetness to the BBQ sauce. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.
- Garlic – It must be fresh garlic.
- Black pepper – Freshly-cracked black pepper is best.
- Onion – I prefer white or yellow onion for this.
- Vegetable oil – Corn, canola, and peanut oil work too.
- Oyster sauce – Try to use regular oyster sauce and not Thai oyster sauce.
- Soy sauce – Go for low-sodium soy sauce.
- Water – Veggie or chicken stock are great swaps.
- White wine vinegar – You can also use rice vinegar.
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts and wings are best for this.
Can I Use Other Cuts Of Chicken?
Absolutely! You can also use chicken thighs or leg-quarters if you prefer. These cuts can even be skin-on, just add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time per side.
How To Make Grilled Chicken With Asian BBQ Sauce
You won’t buy store-bought BBQ sauce again after seeing how easy this homemade version is. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.
- Roast the garlic. Preheat the oven to 350F. Drizzle the garlic with a teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap it in foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until soft. Remove it from the oven. Let them cool for 10-15 minutes and then squeeze out the garlic into a small bowl.
- Cook the onion. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sautée it for 10 minutes, or until caramelized.
- Make the sauce. Pour the oyster sauce, black pepper, and roasted garlic into the skillet. Stir well and cook for 1 minute. Add soy sauce, water, and vinegar. Continue cooking, stirring continuously until thickened. Remove it from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Blend until smooth. Set it aside.
- Season the chicken. Set the grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Grill it. Set the chicken on the grill and cook it for 7 minutes. Flip it and cook for another 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Generously brush sauce over the chicken. Flip it over and brush with more sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Variations
Switch things up with your grilled chicken by adding tangy red curry paste or fruity coconut sugar into the marinade.
- Make it spicy. Add 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili oil or red pepper flakes to the sauce for more heat. For more Asian flair, add 1/2 tablespoon Korean Gochujang chili paste instead.
- Add Thai flair. Mix 3 teaspoons tablespoon finely chopped ginger, 1/2 tablespoon red curry paste, and 1/2 tablespoon lemongrass paste (or finely chopped lemongrass) into the marinade for fragrant Thai vibes.
- Swap the protein. Use large shrimp or pork chops instead of chicken for easy variations of this recipe. Grill the shrimp until slightly curled and pink on the outside. The pork should be cooked for 4-5 minutes per side or until no longer pink on the inside.
- Make it sweet-and-savory. Stir 1 teaspoon raw honey, coconut sugar, or agave nectar into the sauce at a time until sweetened to taste for the perfect sweet-and-savory bite.
- Leave the skin on. If you prefer your chicken with the skin on, make sure to grill each piece until the skin’s golden and crispy.
Serving Suggestions
This Asian-style grilled chicken is an easy dinner option. Serve it with steamed rice or Shrimp Fried Rice for a take-out style meal. My Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp is another great side. For veggie sides, try my Grilled Vegetable Plate or Tomato Cucumber Salad. If you prefer a warm soup, go for my Beef Pho Noodle Soup or Mushroom Soup.
Proper Storage
Make sure to store the chicken within 30 minutes of cooking to prevent spoilage.
- Fridge: Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Transfer the chicken to freezer bags in serving-size portions. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as usual.
- To reheat it: Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon water and microwave in 20-second increments. You can also heat it in a pan (covered) over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken Cauliflower
- Gluten Free Chicken Tostadas
Grilled Chicken with Asian Barbecue Sauce
This perfectly juicy grilled chicken recipe with homemade sweet-and-savory sauce is an easy Asian-style dinner.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 6 garlic cloves unpeeled
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 1 onion coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 1 1/2 pound of chicken wings
Instructions
Sauce:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Wrap the garlic cloves in foil with a teaspoon of olive oil and bake for about 30 minutes, until soft. (I roasted a whole head of garlic and kept the extra cloves for bread and sauces throughout the week).
- Squeeze cloves out of skin into a small bowl.
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook covered for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until caramelized.
- Add Oyster sauce, pepper and 6 cloves of garlic to pan and cook a minute or two.
- Add soy sauce and cook for two minutes.
- Add water and vinegar and allow to boil and cook till sauce is thick. About five minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool about 5 minutes. Add to blender and puree for about 30 seconds.
- Store sauce in a Ball Jar. Pour desired amount to use in separate bowl when you glaze chicken.
Chicken:
- Place chicken on plate and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat grill to medium-high heat.
- Grill chicken for 7 minutes and flip.
- Cook for additional 7 minutes.
- Lower grill heat to medium. Add sauce to completely cover chicken, turn and cover both sides.
- Cook for 2 minutes more.
- Remove and enjoy
Thanks for the recipe! Just wondering how much water are we suppose to add? The webpage says ?, so I can’t see the amount.
Also does week 15 have a shopping list? I noticed for week 15 and 16 there were no shopping lists. Thanks!