10 Best Sauces for Grilled Chicken, Sorted

Chicken straight off the grill has smoky edges, juicy middle bits and just enough char to beg for a sauce with personality. The best sauces for grilled chicken do more than add heat or moisture: they sharpen the flavour, play with the smoke and make a humble thigh, skewer or breast feel like the main event.

The trick is matching the sauce to the chicken and the occasion. A sticky barbecue number is made for wings and drumsticks, while a bright herb sauce can wake up a simple lemony breast. Here are ten sauce directions worth having in your barbecue rotation.

The best sauces for grilled chicken start with balance

Grilled chicken is a friendly canvas, but it is not a blank one. Char brings slight bitterness, rendered fat brings richness, and a proper salting gives you savoury depth. Great sauces either contrast those notes with acid and freshness, or lean into them with sweetness, smoke and spice.

There is one non-negotiable: keep sugary sauces away from the grill until the final minutes. Honey, brown sugar and fruit can caramelise beautifully, then turn black and bitter in a flash. Grill the chicken until nearly done, brush on the glaze, then let it lacquer over gentle heat. Save loose, bright sauces for serving tableside, where their punch stays loud.

1. Smoky barbecue sauce

This is the classic for a reason. A good smoky barbecue sauce gives grilled chicken that glossy, sticky finish, with tomato tang, molasses-like depth and enough smoke to echo the coals rather than fight them.

Use it on drumsticks, wings and boneless thighs, especially when the barbecue is feeding a crowd. The trade-off is sweetness: if your rub is already sugary, choose a more tangy sauce or serve the barbecue sauce on the side. Otherwise, things can get a bit lolly-shop fast.

2. Peri-peri sauce

Peri-peri and flame-grilled chicken are a no-brainer. It brings chilli heat, citrusy brightness, garlic and usually a lively vinegar kick, cutting straight through chicken skin and any creamy sides on the plate.

It works brilliantly as both a marinade and a finishing sauce, but use those jobs differently. Marinate for flavour, then use a fresh portion at the table for zip. Never baste cooked chicken with marinade that has touched raw meat unless it has been properly cooked first.

3. Chimichurri

Chimichurri is the green, garlicky answer for chicken that needs lifting rather than coating. Parsley, oregano, garlic, vinegar and olive oil bring freshness with serious savoury bite. It is especially good on chicken breasts, which can be lean and mild, or on skewers packed with capsicum and onion.

Make it a little ahead so the garlic settles into the herbs, but do not leave it for days expecting the same colour and brightness. Spoon it over hot chicken just before serving and let those herbs hit the heat. That aroma is half the point.

4. Honey mustard sauce

Sweet, tangy, creamy and enormously kid-friendly, honey mustard earns its spot at every casual barbie. It suits tenders, chicken burgers and skinless thighs, while its mellow profile makes it an easy choice when not everyone wants chilli on their plate.

For the best result, add a sharp mustard and a squeeze of lemon rather than relying on honey alone. The acid stops the sauce tasting flat. If you are glazing chicken, apply it late and keep a close eye on the heat - honey is delicious, but it is a notorious burner.

5. Buffalo-style hot sauce

A buttery Buffalo-style sauce is built for wings, obviously, but do not stop there. Toss grilled chicken strips through it for wraps, pile it into a toasted roll with crunchy slaw, or serve it beside charred chicken skewers and celery for a low-fuss party platter.

Its beauty is the balance of vinegar, chilli and richness. Go easy if the chicken has been heavily smoked or rubbed with lots of paprika, as the flavours can become a bit one-note. With simply seasoned chicken, though, it is sharp, saucy magic.

6. Thai lemongrass chilli sauce

For chicken skewers, thighs or a whole butterflied bird, Thai-inspired lemongrass chilli sauce brings a different kind of energy. Think fragrant lemongrass, garlic, lime, a touch of sweetness and a building chilli warmth rather than a blunt smack of heat.

This is the move when your table has rice, cucumber salad, herbs and something crisp to drink. It plays beautifully with chicken without burying it. At Mat’s Hot Shop, this sort of flavour-first heat is exactly the point: chilli should make dinner more interesting, not merely more painful.

7. Yoghurt and harissa sauce

Harissa brings roasted chilli, warm spice and a deep savoury note. Fold it through thick yoghurt with lemon and salt, and you have a cool-hot sauce that clings to grilled chicken like it was meant to be there.

It is particularly strong with chicken thighs seasoned with cumin, coriander and garlic, plus a side of flatbread or roasted veg. The yoghurt softens harissa’s heat, so this is a smart option for a mixed crowd. Want more fire? Put extra harissa on the table and let the keen ones go for it.

8. Cantonese garlic chilli sauce

Sweet-savoury garlic chilli sauce with a Cantonese lean is a weeknight weapon. It has enough body to glaze chicken, enough garlic to feel punchy, and enough sweetness to work with the grill’s char. Serve it with steamed rice, grilled broccolini and sesame-dressed cucumbers for a dinner that feels far more organised than it was.

Choose thighs or wings here. They can handle a sticky sauce and a little high-heat drama. Brush it on towards the end, then reserve some clean sauce for dipping. That second hit of garlic chilli is what has people reaching back in.

9. Pickle-forward sauce

Pickle-forward hot sauce is for the people who always ask for extra pickles on their chicken burger. Briny, vinegary and often flecked with dill or mustardy spice, it cuts richness with zero fuss. It is outrageously good on grilled chicken burgers with cheese, lettuce and a soft bun.

This style is not for every plate. With a very lemony marinade or a salad already loaded with pickled onions, the acidity can stack up. Pair it with creamy slaw, avocado or mayo instead, and let that sharp dill pickle character do its thing.

10. Peach or mango chilli sauce

Fruit and chicken are a very good time when the fruit is balanced by chilli and acid. Peach, mango or pineapple chilli sauces bring a sunny sweetness that loves charred thighs, skewers and chicken cooked over charcoal. They are also excellent with coconut rice and grilled corn.

The danger is drifting into syrup territory. Look for a sauce with proper acidity, savoury spice or fresh chilli behind the fruit. It should taste bright and ripe, not like dessert wandered onto the barbecue.

How to serve grilled chicken with more than one sauce

You do not need to choose one bottle and commit. A platter of simply grilled chicken with two or three contrasting sauces is the easiest way to keep everyone happy. Try one smoky and sticky option, one bright herb or citrus option, and one proper chilli sauce. Add lemon wedges, a crunchy salad and plenty of napkins, because saucy chicken is not a knife-and-fork personality.

If you are cooking for heat lovers and chilli cautious mates, keep the chicken seasoning simple and put the heat in the sauces. Everyone gets the same beautifully grilled bird, then builds their own level of chaos. Start with the flavour you are craving, grill with confidence, and keep the best sauce within arm’s reach.