Cracker Barrel Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken
Cracker Barrel’s Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken is one of those simple restaurant dishes that tastes far better than their short ingredient list suggests. These juicy, flattened chicken breasts are seasoned with smoked paprika and Morton Season-All for a bold, subtly smoky flavor with a hint of heat. This easy copycat recipe captures everything you love about the original using just four pantry staples. It comes together in under 15 minutes with minimal cleanup, making it a smart choice for any busy weeknight.
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Cracker Barrel’s Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken earns its place on the restaurant’s country-style menu for delivering bold, satisfying flavor without fuss. The seasoning is direct, the method is straightforward, and the result is a juicy, lightly smoky chicken breast that works as a weeknight staple or a weekend crowd-pleaser.
What sets the homemade version apart from a standard grilled chicken breast is its preparation. Halving and pounding the chicken to an even thickness make it possible to achieve a properly cooked, moist interior without overcooking the exterior.
Why you’ll love this recipe
With four ingredients and less than 15 minutes, you can bring this restaurant-quality meal to the table. Even if you don’t have a grill, it’s not a problem. You can get the same results using a grill pan or even a heavy skillet!
This Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken Cracker Barrel copycat recipe is perfect when you are craving a quick, healthy dinner that doesn’t skimp on taste!
Smoky grilled chicken ingredients
To make Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken Cracker Barrel style, you’ll need:
- Chicken breasts – The main protein; cutting them horizontally and pounding them thin ensures fast, even cooking throughout.
- Morton Season-All seasoned salt – A spiced salt blend with mild heat and layered seasonings that deeply flavors the chicken.
- Smoked paprika – Adds a woodsy, smoky depth and the characteristic reddish color to the finished crust.
- Neutral oil – Prevents the chicken from sticking to the pan without adding competing flavor.
Morton Season-All seasoned salt is the key to this recipe because of its bold flavors and hint of heat that doesn’t show up in many other seasoned salt brands. Anyone trying to reduce their sodium intake can also find a reduced-sodium version on supermarket shelves.
How to make smoky grilled chicken
To prepare the chicken:
- Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally. Depending on the size of your pan, you can either butterfly the chicken breasts or cut them into two separate pieces.
- Dry the cut chicken breast with a paper towel and set aside.
- Take one piece of cut chicken and place it on a cutting board. Cover the chicken with a piece of plastic wrap and pound it thin. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Stir together the Morton Season-All seasoned salt and the smoked paprika.
- Generously sprinkle the seasonings on both sides of the chicken.
To cook the chicken:
- Heat a pan over medium heat. You can use a heavy-bottom skillet or a grill pan if you want the grill lines.
- Brush the pan with the neutral oil.
- Add a few pieces of chicken to the hot pan without overcrowding it.
- Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees.
- Keep the cooked chicken warm in a covered pan in an oven set to WARM.
- Repeat with the remaining chicken.
What to serve with it
Mashed potatoes, mac ‘n cheese, carrots, and green beans are all great country sides to have with Smoky Grilled Chicken, but they are a little too ordinary. When you have an entree as delicious as this, you need your side dishes to be a little more unique. So, why not give one of the following recipes a try?
Cauliflower au Gratin with Pepper Jack Cheese. Cauliflower doesn’t get much love, but this dish is the perfect way to introduce picky eaters to it. Cauliflower au Gratin is a super quick and easy recipe that combines a traditional French side with a bit of Texas spice.
Sauerkraut Salad. When you want something more interesting than potatoes and way easier to make, you need to check out Sauerkraut Salad. This recipe takes only a few minutes to make, but you can make it in advance, and it will only be tastier. This cold salad with a sweet and tart flavor and a huge crunch is perfect for any summer meal.
Creamed Spinach. Although creamed spinach is more commonly served with beef, it goes very well with the Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken Cracker Barrel. This recipe from Lawry’s is loaded with onions, garlic, and bacon for a delicious side that even spinach-haters can’t get enough of.
How to store and reheat the leftovers
Allow the leftover chicken to cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat the chicken without drying it out, pour just enough chicken stock into a baking dish to cover the bottom. Add the chicken, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and warm the chicken in a 350-degree preheated oven for 10 minutes.
How long will the chicken last?
You can save leftovers for up to three days.
More Cracker Barrel copycat recipes
- Chicken Fried Chicken
- Country Fried Pork Chops
- Cracker Barrel Meatloaf
- Hamburger Steak
- Grilled Chicken Tenders
- Southern Fried Chicken
Favorite grilled chicken recipes
- Grilled Chicken Alfredo
- Grilled Chicken Fajitas
- Grilled Chicken Flatbread
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich
- Grilled Chicken Wrap
- Grilled Margarita Chicken
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Check out my easy chicken recipes and the best copycat Cracker Barrel recipes here on CopyKat!
Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Cracker Barrel Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Morton Season-All seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Gently pound with a meat pounder to ensure even thickness.
- Combine the seasoned salt and smoked paprika in a small dish. Sprinkle the seasoning blend on both sides of the chicken.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, place the chicken in the skillet. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken.
Video
Notes
- Pounding the chicken is the most important step in this recipe. Uneven thickness is the single most common reason chicken breasts turn out dry on the outside or underdone in the center.
- If you are using a grill pan, preheat it for at least 2 to 3 minutes before adding the chicken. A properly preheated pan creates a better crust quickly, which helps the meat stay juicy by sealing the surface before too much moisture escapes.
- For the boldest seasoning, sprinkle the spice blend on the chicken at least 15 minutes before cooking and let it sit at room temperature. If time allows, you can season the pieces up to an hour ahead and refrigerate them uncovered on a plate.
- Do not skip the warm oven holding step when cooking multiple batches. Stacking finished chicken on a plate covered with foil causes steam to soften the crust. The WARM oven keeps the texture intact.
Made this last night on the grill with split chicken breasts. The last 5 min I brushed on soy sauce. That is the thing about chicken recipes. You change it a little and you have a new favorite! I did brine them for about 5 hours in advance.