Sweet, Smoky Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce
Juicy grilled chicken and ripe peaches are an incredible combination. This recipe turns fresh peaches into a homemade BBQ sauce that's sweet, tangy, savory and just smoky enough to taste like it belongs over an open flame.
The peach BBQ sauce is what makes this chicken special. Fresh peaches provide natural sweetness, while ketchup, garlic, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and a little smoked paprika give the sauce the familiar tang and depth you expect from a good barbecue sauce.
Part of the sauce is used to flavor the chicken before grilling, while a separate reserved portion gets brushed over the chicken toward the end. The result is tender grilled chicken covered in a glossy peach BBQ glaze.
Grilled chicken finished with a sweet and tangy homemade peach BBQ sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup peeled and chopped fresh peaches
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch of salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
How to Make Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce
Make the peach sauce first, then let the grill do the rest.
Make the Peach BBQ Sauce
Add the chopped peaches, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, garlic and smoked paprika to a small saucepan. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
Simmer Until the Peaches Soften
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat and cook for approximately 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peaches are very soft and the sauce begins to thicken.
Blend Until Smooth
Remove the sauce from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Carefully blend with an immersion blender until smooth. You can also transfer the mixture to a regular blender. Taste and adjust the salt or pepper if needed.
Reserve Some Sauce
Divide the peach BBQ sauce into two separate portions before it touches the raw chicken. Keep one portion completely separate for brushing onto the chicken during the final minutes of grilling and for serving.
Prepare the Chicken
If the chicken breasts are especially thick, pound them lightly to create a more even thickness. Coat with olive oil and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Brush generously with the first portion of peach BBQ sauce.
Preheat the Grill
Preheat the grill to approximately 400°F. Clean and lightly oil the cooking grates, then create a direct-heat area for grilling and a cooler area in case the sauce begins to caramelize too quickly.
Grill the Chicken
Place the chicken over direct heat and grill for approximately 5–7 minutes on the first side. Flip and continue grilling until the chicken is nearly cooked through.
Glaze with Peach BBQ Sauce
During the final few minutes, brush the chicken generously with the clean reserved peach BBQ sauce. Flip once or twice as needed to let the sauce caramelize onto the chicken without burning.
Check the Temperature
Continue cooking until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F. Move the chicken to the cooler side of the grill if the outside is browning faster than the center is cooking.
Rest and Serve
Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Brush with a little more of the reserved peach BBQ sauce just before serving.
Why Peach BBQ Sauce Works So Well
Peaches bring sweetness to BBQ sauce without making it taste like dessert. The fruit balances the tang from vinegar and lemon, while garlic, mustard, soy sauce and smoked paprika add savory depth. Once that sauce hits the hot grill, the natural sugars begin to caramelize and create a sticky, flavorful glaze around the chicken.
Keep Your Grill Ready for the Next Recipe
BBQ sauces and marinades taste incredible when they caramelize over a hot grill, but they can also leave plenty of grease and cooking residue behind. Pro Grill provides professional BBQ cleaning to help keep your grill clean, maintained and ready for your next cookout.
Tips for Delicious Peach BBQ Chicken
A few simple details will make this recipe even better.
Ripe, fragrant peaches provide more natural sweetness and peach flavor. Slightly soft peaches are perfect for making BBQ sauce.
Chicken breasts cook more evenly when they're a similar thickness from end to end. Lightly pound thicker pieces before grilling if necessary.
Keep some peach BBQ sauce completely separate from the raw chicken so you have a clean batch available for glazing and serving.
Peaches, ketchup and brown sugar can caramelize quickly. If the glaze starts getting too dark, move the chicken to a cooler part of the grill.
Thickness varies from one chicken breast to another, so internal temperature is a better guide than relying only on cooking time.
Give the grilled chicken about five minutes to rest before slicing. Then add one final brush of that peach BBQ sauce before serving.
Easy Sides for Peach BBQ Chicken
The sweet and savory peach glaze works with plenty of simple grilled and fresh sides.
Sticky BBQ Sauce Can Leave Its Mark
That caramelization is one of the best parts of grilled BBQ chicken, but sugary sauces can also bake onto cooking grates and contribute to buildup below the grilling surface over time.
Learn more about professional BBQ maintenance or see what's included with Pro Grill's professional BBQ cleaning services .
Recipe Inspiration & Credit
This recipe was inspired by Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce from Jamie Geller . We've adapted the ingredients and grilling method for our version above. Jamie Geller also credits the original inspiration for her recipe to a Grilled Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce recipe that appeared in Bon Appétit.
This Peach BBQ Chicken Is Worth Firing Up the Grill
Juicy grilled chicken and a homemade sauce made with fresh peaches is a simple combination that delivers a lot of flavor. Sweet, tangy, smoky and just a little sticky—make extra peach BBQ sauce because you'll probably want more at the table.
