23 Best Grilled Chicken Recipes From Around the World

Intro :(Grilled Chicken Recipes)

There’s a moment every backyard cook knows well: the grill grates are hot, the coals have settled into that perfect gray glow, and you’re standing there with a plain, unseasoned chicken breast wondering if you’re about to make the same dinner you made last Tuesday. This summer, skip the rut. Home cooks from Lagos to Lima to Luang Prabang have spent generations figuring out how to turn simple chicken into something unforgettable, and their techniques are easier to bring to your own patio than you might think.

We’ve rounded up 23 grilled chicken recipes that pull from four corners of the globe — Mediterranean herbs and yogurt marinades, the fiery chile pastes of East and Southeast Asia, the citrus-and-soy brightness of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the smoky, spice-heavy traditions of Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Expect the smoky heat of African piri-piri, the herbal snap of Laotian ping gai, the tangy richness of Peruvian pollo a la brasa, plus a full lineup of kebabs and satays that never seem to go out of style. Grab your tongs — here’s where to start.

If you’re looking for another lighter protein option to serve alongside your summer meals, try our Light Maryland Crab Cakes, made with lump crab meat and broiled until golden and crispy.

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Flavors

This region built its reputation on bright acidity and confident herbs, and these recipes deliver both. Toronto Chicken Shawarma brings street-food energy home, layering peppers and onions with chicken finished in a quick yogurt-tahini sauce. Chef John’s Calabrian Chicken takes a bolder swing, with a marinade built around crushed Calabrian chilies, rosemary, anchovy, vinegar, citrus, and egg — an unexpected combination that produces a deeply savory crust.

Yogurt shows up again and again here, and for good reason. Marinated Greek Chicken Kabobs use yogurt, lemon juice, and crumbled feta to keep skewered chicken juicy through the char, while Turkish Chicken Kebabs rely on a similar yogurt base purely for tenderizing power. Grilled Greek Chicken takes the slower route, cooking over semi-indirect heat with garlic, oregano, red pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, and vinegar working together for hours. Round things out with Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce, paired with a cooling homemade tzatziki, or the more understated Greek Style Garlic Chicken Breast, a family-recipe favorite that proves simple garlic and herbs still earn their place at the table.

East & Southeast Asian Grilling Traditions

If the Mediterranean leans herbal, this region leans aromatic and layered. Laotian Grilled Chicken (Ping Gai) keeps things deceptively simple — fresh cilantro and cracked pepper, served with a sweet, garlicky dipping sauce that does most of the heavy lifting. Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce channels Thai street food, marinating skewers in coconut milk, yellow curry powder, and fish sauce before serving alongside a rich peanut sauce.

For those chasing real heat, Spicy Korean Chicken marinates thighs in gochujang and gochugaru alongside sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger — a combination that caramelizes beautifully over open flame. Indonesian Satay offers a shortcut version, with just a 15-minute marinade and a straightforward peanut dip for weeknight grilling. Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Chicken flattens thighs for even cooking and wraps the finished chicken in rice paper with lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, mint, and peanuts for a fresh, hands-on meal. Closing out the region, Grilled Chicken Adobo brings the Filipino classic to the grill, marinating chicken in soy sauce, garlic, honey, and vinegar before serving it over rice.

Latin American & Caribbean Bold Flavors

This is where citrus, spice, and sugar collide. Grilled Pollo a la Brasa demands patience, soaking chicken for 8 to 24 hours in a marinade loaded with soy sauce, cumin, paprika, garlic, and a dozen other spices — the reward is chicken with real depth. Aztec Chicken with Sweet Potato-Corn Mash takes a sweeter route, using honey, garlic, and ancho spice, then serving the chicken over roasted corn and sweet potato mash with grilled plantains.

The Caribbean brings heat and brightness in equal measure. Runaway Bay Jamaican Chicken blends onion, garlic, habanero, ginger, brown sugar, vinegar, and citrus in a food processor for a marinade that’s equal parts fiery and fragrant. Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian Grilled Chicken), a second take on the classic, pairs the chicken with a jalapeño-cilantro cream sauce that’s become nearly as famous as the chicken itself. Jamaican Jerked Chicken sticks to tradition with a homemade jerk sauce of soy sauce, citrus juices, and warming spices, while Caribbean Chicken Salad lightens things up, topping greens with teriyaki chicken strips, pineapple, tomato-jalapeño salsa, and a honey-mustard vinaigrette.

African & Indian Subcontinent Spice Traditions

This region rounds things out with some of the boldest spice work on the list. Peri Peri African Chicken delivers serious heat, best served with salad, fries, or stuffed into pita with garlic yogurt. Piri Piri Chicken leans on African bird’s eye chilies alongside cilantro, garlic, and lime, tempered by a cooling yogurt sauce and fonio pilaf. From the Indian subcontinent, Tandoori Grilled Chicken marinates in yogurt and traditional tandoori spices before hitting direct char-grilled heat, served with warm pita and mint chutney. Tandoori Chicken Salad takes those same spices in a different direction, using mango yogurt and garam masala over greens with raisins, almonds, pineapple, and a curry honey-mustard dressing.

What Ties These Marinades Together

Look closely and a few techniques repeat across continents. Yogurt-based marinades — found in the Greek kabobs, Turkish kebabs, and both tandoori recipes — work because the mild acidity breaks down proteins gently, keeping chicken tender without turning it mushy. Chile-driven marinades, from African piri-piri and Korean gochujang to Calabrian chili and Jamaican jerk, all lean on capsaicin heat balanced against sugar, acid, or dairy. And citrus, soy, and herb combinations — think Peruvian pollo a la brasa, Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, Filipino adobo, and Laotian ping gai — show how soy sauce and fresh citrus can do the work of salt and acid at once.

Keep the Grilling Going

Once you’ve worked through this list, there’s plenty more to explore. Check out our roundups of 5-Star Grilled Chicken Recipes, Top-Rated Greek Grilled Chicken, Grilled Chicken Thigh Recipes, and our full BBQ & Grilled Chicken collection for even more ways to keep the grill busy all summer long.

If you love exploring chicken recipes from different cultures, you can also browse Allrecipes’ grilled chicken recipes from world cuisines for even more international grilling inspiration. From Mediterranean flavors to Asian and Latin American favorites, it’s a great resource for discovering new ways to season and grill chicken.