The purpose of this blog is to demonstrate how a base recipe, in this case Barbecue Chicken, can create a new recipe with a few ingredient changes.
First, we create a recipe, then we taste the recipe, and then we change up the ingredients to develop a new recipe from the original recipe.
This is the innovative part of the process. That is why our approach to cooking is: create, taste, innovate.
Why Barbecue Chicken is the Perfect Base
Barbecue chicken is a weeknight staple because it balances sweet, smoky, and savory flavors with minimal effort.
By mastering one simple base, chicken and your favorite BBQ sauce, you can create an entire week of meals that feel completely different just by changing the cooking method or the vegetable pairing.
Pro Tips for the BBQ Chicken Base
Prevent the “BBQ Burn”: Most barbecue sauces contain sugar, which burns quickly over high heat. To get that perfect caramelized crust without the bitter char, add your sauce during the last 5–10 minutes of cooking (whether grilling or baking).
Choosing Your Sauce: For a traditional Italian-American “Invent Your Recipe” twist, look for a sauce that isn’t too smoky. A honey-based or apple cider vinegar-based BBQ sauce pairs beautifully with the garden vegetables like zucchini and peppers often found in my recipes.
The Sauté Hack: If you are short on time, cutting the chicken into small “bites” (as seen in the 30-minute recipe below) increases the surface area for the sauce to cling to, giving you maximum flavor in half the time of a whole breast.
How to “Invent” Your Next BBQ Variation
Want to branch out from my 5 recipes? Try these quick pivots:
The Hawaiian Pivot: Add canned pineapple chunks and red onion to your skillet.
The Spicy Pivot: Stir in a teaspoon of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce into your BBQ base.
The Crunchy Pivot: Serve your BBQ chicken over a cold bed of coleslaw for a “BBQ Salad” experience.
What to Cook Next?
Already have the ingredients prepped?
Since you’ve already got the chicken and skillet ready, you can easily pivot to these other Italian-inspired favorites:
Swap the BBQ for Garlic & Oil: Try my most popular Whole Wheat Pasta Aglio e Olio for a classic Mediterranean flavor. (Just add in the chicken)
Swap the BBQ for Marinara: Use that same chicken prep for my Baked Chicken and Rotini comfort meal.
Add some Hearty Beans: If you love one-pan chicken meals, my Chicken and Cannellini Beans is a high-protein alternative to the BBQ base.
Want more ways to use your garden harvest?
If you enjoyed adding zucchini or peppers to your BBQ chicken, here are more ways I ‘invent’ recipes with my garden haul:
The Veggie-Heavy Pasta: My Easy Pasta Primavera Recipe is a great way to showcase fresh-picked vegetables.
The Light Seafood Option: For a completely different fresh flavor, try the Cold Scungilli Salad, it’s a garden-fresh Italian tradition.
The Sheet-Pan Classic: My Baked Italian Sausage and Potatoes is my go-to for using up a big harvest of root vegetables and peppers.
Ready to invent your next favorite dish?
Now that you’ve mastered the BBQ pivot, apply the same ‘Create, Taste, Innovate’ steps to these other versatile bases:
Master the Pasta Base: Learn how I turn one pot of pasta into four different meals in the Pasta with Peppers Series.
Master the Protein Base: See how to transform simple beans and chicken into five distinct dishes in my Chicken and Cannellini Bean Hub.
The Ultimate Vegetarian Stir Fry Base: Discover my garden fresh cooking in the Stir Fry Cabbage Guide.
Welcome to our Barbecue Chicken Recipe Series Page
Quick Skillet BBQ Chicken Bites with Sweet Onions
The BBQ Chicken Base Series
See how I use BBQ sauce and chicken in this “Invent Your Recipe” series. Master the base Barbecue Chicken, then try these 5 unique variations:
- The Hub: Master Base Recipe: Barbecue Chicken (5 Ways)
- #1 Skillet Bites: Quick Skillet BBQ Chicken Bites with Sweet Onions
- #2 Oven Baked: Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts with Green Beans
- #3 Roasted: Boneless BBQ Chicken Breasts with Roasted Potatoes
- #4 Pan-Seared: 15-Minute Pan-Seared BBQ Chicken Tenders
- #5 Grilled Kabobs: Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs with Zucchini and Peppers
Barbecue Chicken Bites. Boneless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces and sautéed with onions and barbecue sauce.
In this version, Barbecue Chicken Bites, I am using chicken bites and sweet onion to create a wonderful and BBQ chicken dish. This series of recipes will feature chicken prepared using different cooking methods and complementary ingredients, but fill feature BBQ sauce.
What will change the most in these recipes are the cooking methods and complimentary ingredients. For instance, in the second version of this recipe the chicken is baked with BBQ sauce and served with green beans.
Invent Your Recipe Tip: If your garden is overflowing with peppers or onions, double the amount in this skillet recipe. The BBQ sauce glazes the vegetables perfectly, making it a great way to eat your harvest!
Get the full Quick Skillet BBQ Chicken Bites with Sweet Onions Recipe here.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts cut into thin pieces
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
Preparing the Chicken:
- Trim the fat from the boneless chicken breast and cut them into ½ inch strips. Next, in a mixing bowl add the flour.
- Dredge each chicken strip into the flour, ensuring to coat the whole piece, and set aside for cooking.
Cooking the Chicken:
- In a large skillet add the canola oil and bring to a high heat. Next, add in the chicken, salt, and black pepper and sauté for 5 minutes, flipping the chicken after 2 minutes.
- Next, add in the onion and sauté for 2 minutes, mixing occasionally. Finally, add in the barbeque sauce and sauté for 5 minutes, mixing occasionally, until the chicken starts to get a crust.
To Serve:
- Serve the barbeque chicken bites over a bed of rice, or with a vegetable.
Notes
Nutrition
Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts with Green Beans
The BBQ Chicken Base Series
See how I use BBQ sauce and chicken in this “Invent Your Recipe” series. Master the base Barbecue Chicken, then try these 5 unique variations:
- The Hub: Master Base Recipe: Barbecue Chicken (5 Ways)
- #1 Skillet Bites: Quick Skillet BBQ Chicken Bites with Sweet Onions
- #2 Oven Baked: Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts with Green Beans
- #3 Roasted: Boneless BBQ Chicken Breasts with Roasted Potatoes
- #4 Pan-Seared: 15-Minute Pan-Seared BBQ Chicken Tenders
- #5 Grilled Kabobs: Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs with Zucchini and Peppers
Tender and Juicy Barbecue Chicken without the barbecue grill. This is the second iteration of the BBQ chicken recipe. In this version I decided to pair the chicken with a side of green beans and yellow rice.
In this version, Tender and Juicy Barbecue Chicken, I am baking the chicken breasts with BBQ sauce and serving with a side of green beans to change up this dish. This recipe is a subtle change, as the first version of this recipe calls for chicken bites and sweet onions.
However, a small change like this really does make a completely different dish and eating experience.
Get the full Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts with Green Beans Recipe here.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 12 oz green beans
- ½ tsp. salt for chicken
- Pinch black pepper for chicken
- ½ tsp. garlic powder for chicken
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
- ¼ tsp. salt for green beans
- Pinch black pepper for green beans
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees
Preparing the green beans:
- In a large skillet bring the canola oil to high heat.2 tbsp. canola oil
- Add in the green beans, salt and pepper and sauté the green beans for 5-7 minutes, mixing occasionally, until the green beans are tender.12 oz green beans, ¼ tsp. salt, Pinch black pepper
Preparing chicken:
- While the green beans are cooking, season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, barbecue sauce, and garlic powder.½ tsp. salt, Pinch black pepper, ½ tsp. garlic powder, ½ cup barbecue sauce, 4 chicken breasts
- Bake chicken at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until chicken if firm and barbeque sauce has begun to brown.
To Serve:
- Place the chicken next to the green beans and serve with rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Boneless BBQ Chicken Breasts with Roasted Potatoes
The BBQ Chicken Base Series
See how I use BBQ sauce and chicken in this “Invent Your Recipe” series. Master the base Barbecue Chicken, then try these 5 unique variations:
- The Hub: Master Base Recipe: Barbecue Chicken (5 Ways)
- #1 Skillet Bites: Quick Skillet BBQ Chicken Bites with Sweet Onions
- #2 Oven Baked: Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts with Green Beans
- #3 Roasted: Boneless BBQ Chicken Breasts with Roasted Potatoes
- #4 Pan-Seared: 15-Minute Pan-Seared BBQ Chicken Tenders
- #5 Grilled Kabobs: Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs with Zucchini and Peppers
Baked BBQ chicken with Zucchini. Boneless chicken breasts covered with BBQ sauce and baked to perfection.
In this version of the recipe we are using zucchini and potatoes to change up this dish. With these ingredient changes this recipe offers a whole new eating experience.
Get the full Boneless BBQ Chicken Breasts with Roasted Potatoes Recipe here.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 lb. small roasting potatoes
- 2 small zucchinis sliced
- ½ tsp. salt for chicken
- Pinch black pepper for chicken
- ½ tsp. garlic powder for chicken
- 2 tbsp. Canola oil for zucchini
- ¼ tsp. salt for zucchini
- Pinch black pepper for zucchini
- ¼ cup Canola oil for potatoes
- ½ tsp. salt for potatoes
- ¼ tsp. black pepper for potatoes
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Preparing the potatoes:
- Place the potatoes on a large baking sheet and season with salt, pepper, and oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.1 lb. small roasting potatoes, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper, ¼ cup Canola oil
Preparing chicken:
- While the potatoes are cooking, season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, barbecue sauce, and garlic powder.2 chicken breasts, ½ tsp. salt, Pinch black pepper, ½ tsp. garlic powder, ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- Bake chicken at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until chicken if firm and barbecue sauce has begun to brown.
Preparing the zucchini:
- While the chicken is cooking, in a skillet bring 2 tablespoons of oil to high heat.2 tbsp. Canola oil
- Add the sliced zucchini, salt, and black pepper and sauté for 7-9 minutes, mixing occasionally, until the zucchini is tender and begins to turn golden brown.2 small zucchinis sliced, Pinch black pepper, ¼ tsp. salt
To Serve:
- Place the chicken, potatoes, and zucchini evenly in a bowl or on a plate
Notes
Nutrition
15-Minute Pan-Seared BBQ Chicken Tenders
The BBQ Chicken Base Series
See how I use BBQ sauce and chicken in this “Invent Your Recipe” series. Master the base Barbecue Chicken, then try these 5 unique variations:
- The Hub: Master Base Recipe: Barbecue Chicken (5 Ways)
- #1 Skillet Bites: Quick Skillet BBQ Chicken Bites with Sweet Onions
- #2 Oven Baked: Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts with Green Beans
- #3 Roasted: Boneless BBQ Chicken Breasts with Roasted Potatoes
- #4 Pan-Seared: 15-Minute Pan-Seared BBQ Chicken Tenders
- #5 Grilled Kabobs: Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs with Zucchini and Peppers
Chicken tenderloins with BBQ sauce. Chicken tenderloins sautéed with BBQ sauce and served with broccoli.
In this version, Chicken Tenderloins with BBQ Sauce, I am pan searing chicken tenders and adding in BBQ sauce to change up this dish. With the chicken tenders pan seared this recipe offers a whole new eating experience.
Get the Full 15-Minute Pan-Seared BBQ Chicken Tenders Recipe here.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken tenderloins about 8
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tbsp. canola oil
Instructions
- Before beginning the recipe remember to read the “Invent Your Recipe” section below for additional suggestions, recipe combinations, or ingredient alternatives.
Preparing the Chicken:
- In a large skillet add the canola oil and bring to a high heat. Next, add the chicken tenderloins and fry until golden in color, about 2 minutes per side.
- Next, add the BBQ sauce and sauté for 2 minutes. Flip the chicken over and sauté for 2 more minutes.
To Serve:
- Place chicken tenderloins with BBQ sauce on a bed of brown rice and serve alongside steamed broccoli or your favorite vegetable.
Notes
Nutrition
Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs with Zucchini and Peppers
The BBQ Chicken Base Series
See how I use BBQ sauce and chicken in this “Invent Your Recipe” series. Master the base Barbecue Chicken, then try these 5 unique variations:
- The Hub: Master Base Recipe: Barbecue Chicken (5 Ways)
- #1 Skillet Bites: Quick Skillet BBQ Chicken Bites with Sweet Onions
- #2 Oven Baked: Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts with Green Beans
- #3 Roasted: Boneless BBQ Chicken Breasts with Roasted Potatoes
- #4 Pan-Seared: 15-Minute Pan-Seared BBQ Chicken Tenders
- #5 Grilled Kabobs: Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs with Zucchini and Peppers
Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs. Boneless chicken breasts, bell peppers, red onions, and zucchini are placed on skewers, marinated in BBQ sauce, and grilled to perfection.
Welcome to the fifth recipe in our Barbecue Chicken series of recipes. In this version, Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs, I am grilling the chicken tenders and placing the chicken on skewers with vegetables.
Grilling the chicken in this recipe offers a whole new eating experience.
Get the full Grilled BBQ Chicken Kabobs with Zucchini and Peppers Recipe here.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 bell peppers cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 red onion cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 zucchini cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Metal or wood skewers
Instructions
- Note: soaking wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes before using will help prevent the wood from fraying.
Preparing the Skewers:
- To prepare a skewer, place a cherry tomato at one end. Next, slide on a piece of chicken, bell pepper, red onion, and zucchini. Repeat the chicken, bell pepper, red onion, and zucchini pattern until the skewer is full.
- Cap the other end of the skewer with a cherry tomato. Repeat this process until all the chicken has been placed onto the skewers.
- Place the chicken kabobs in a 9 x11 pan or large platter.
Marinating the Chicken Kabobs:
- In a small bowl, add the BBQ sauce, salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and olive oil, and mix well.
- Next, brush the BBQ sauce mixture on all sides of each chicken kabob until covered well.
- Place in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 30 minutes. For best result marinate for 2-3 hours.
Cooking the skewers:
- On a preheated grill, place the skewers one inch apart and cook until the chicken is finished, about 9-12 minutes.
- Rotate the skewers throughout the cooking process, every 2-3 minutes.
To Serve:
- Place chicken skewers on a large serving dish.
Notes
Nutrition
For even more ideas check out our Pinterest page…
