diff --git a/scripts/build/build/target.py b/scripts/build/build/target.py
index 63c278a233cb57..8411ff9432c2c7 100644
--- a/scripts/build/build/target.py
+++ b/scripts/build/build/target.py
@@ -95,6 +95,27 @@ def Accept(self, full_input: str):
 
         return True
 
+    def ToDict(self):
+        """Converts a TargetPart into a dictionary
+        """
+
+        result: Dict[str, str] = {}
+        result['name'] = self.name
+
+        build_arguments: Dict[str, str] = {}
+        for key, value in self.build_arguments.items():
+            build_arguments[key] = str(value)
+
+        result['build_arguments'] = build_arguments
+
+        if self.only_if_re is not None:
+            result['only_if_re'] = str(self.only_if_re.pattern)
+
+        if self.except_if_re is not None:
+            result['except_if_re'] = str(self.except_if_re.pattern)
+
+        return result
+
 
 def _HasVariantPrefix(value: str, prefix: str):
     """Checks if the given value is <prefix> or starts with "<prefix>-".
@@ -264,6 +285,44 @@ def HumanString(self):
 
         return result
 
+    def ToDict(self):
+        """Outputs a parseable description of the available variants
+        and modifiers:
+
+            like:
+
+            {
+                "name": "foo"
+                "shorthand": "foo-bar-baz[-m1]"
+                "parts": [
+                    {
+                        "name": "foo",
+                        "build_arguments": {
+                            "board": "bar"
+                        }
+                    }
+                    {
+                        "name": "baz",
+                        "build_arguments": {
+                            "app": "foo.baz"
+                        }
+                    }
+                ],
+                "modifiers": [
+                    {
+                        "name": "modifier1",
+                        "m1": "True"
+                    }
+                ]
+            }
+        """
+        return {
+            'name': self.name,
+            'shorthand': self.HumanString(),
+            'parts': [[part.ToDict() for part in target] for target in self.fixed_targets],
+            'modifiers': [part.ToDict() for part in self.modifiers]
+        }
+
     def AllVariants(self) -> Iterable[str]:
         """Returns all possible accepted variants by this target.
 
diff --git a/scripts/build/build_examples.py b/scripts/build/build_examples.py
index c70a5da7981d49..a52c9aa6f3e131 100755
--- a/scripts/build/build_examples.py
+++ b/scripts/build/build_examples.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+import json
 import logging
 import os
 import sys
@@ -177,21 +178,29 @@ def cmd_generate(context):
 
 @main.command(
     'targets',
-    help=('List the targets that would be generated/built given '
-          'the input arguments'))
+    help=('Lists the targets that can be used with the build and gen commands'))
 @click.option(
-    '--expand',
-    default=False,
-    is_flag=True,
-    help='Expand all possible targets rather than the shorthand string')
+    '--format',
+    default='summary',
+    type=click.Choice(['summary', 'expanded', 'json'], case_sensitive=False),
+    help="""
+        summary - list of shorthand strings summarzing the available targets;
+
+        expanded - list all possible targets rather than the shorthand string;
+
+        json - a JSON representation of the available targets
+        """)
 @click.pass_context
-def cmd_targets(context, expand):
-    for target in build.targets.BUILD_TARGETS:
-        if expand:
+def cmd_targets(context, format):
+    if format == 'expanded':
+        for target in build.targets.BUILD_TARGETS:
             build.target.report_rejected_parts = False
             for s in target.AllVariants():
                 print(s)
-        else:
+    elif format == 'json':
+        print(json.dumps([target.ToDict() for target in build.targets.BUILD_TARGETS], indent=4))
+    else:
+        for target in build.targets.BUILD_TARGETS:
             print(target.HumanString())