1. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of vitamin E (VE, α-tocopherol acetate) on growth performance and meat quality of broilers fed on diets containing maize distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS). 2. A total of 360 one-d-old broilers were randomly assigned to 6 groups. Each group comprised 6 replicates of 10 broilers. Broilers were allocated to 1 of 6 diets and fed for 49 d in a 3 × 2 factorial design. The dietary treatments included three concentrations of DDGS (0, 10 or 20%) and two concentrations of VE (0 or 200 mg/kg). 3. Diets containing 20% DDGS decreased the growth phase and average daily feed intake, demonstrating that small amounts of DDGS affected feed intake in broilers and that an excess of DDGS was not conducive to feed intake. 4. Different dietary concentrations of DDGS did not significantly improve colour, drip loss, cooking loss, or shear force. Supplementation with 200 mg/kg VE significantly reduced cooking loss and shear force and improved colour. 5. In conclusion, supplementation with DDGS at 10% and/or α-tocopherol acetate at 200 mg/kg had positive effects on growth performance and meat quality in broilers.