Grilled Chicken Wings Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to grilling wings? ›

Utilizing a two-zone cooking system and a reverse sear method is the best way to cook wings on the grill. Start the wings first on the indirect heat side of the grill (at about 325 degrees Fahrenheit), flip them as needed as they brown, and then gradually move them to the direct heat side to sear and finish them.

It takes approximately 25-30 minutes to grill chicken wings. Make sure you are flipping the wings every few minutes to ensure they are cooked evenly through and the skin cooks evenly as well.

Food stylist Richmond Flores' go-to method is marinating the wings and then steaming them before frying. This method, he says, imparts tremendous flavor and tenderizes the meat, but more importantly, the steaming helps render the fat from the skin which then allows the wings to crisp up perfectly.

Advantages to grilling wings

First, by not frying, we can add layers of flavor to our wings. We use a BBQ rub on them in this case—a rub that would normally float away in the fryer. That means deeper flavor, and that's great. Of course, we'll also get flavor from the grill itself, with tasty bits of char on each wing.

Prevent Sticking

Toss the wings in a few tablespoons of neutral cooking oil (like canola or vegetable oil), then season with salt and pepper before adding them to the grill. The oil will prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill.

The most widespread trick on the internet involves sprinkling a little baking powder onto the wings before baking them. The kitchen science wizards at America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats both found this worked best for them.

We like a Mediterranean-inspired mix of oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil, but any fresh marinade will help infuse the wings with flavor down to the bone. Resealable plastic bags are your friend here; combine the marinade and wings in one and let it sit for at least an hour before grilling.

A grill with one side that's hot and one side that's cool — one side with no or very little fire underneath it — is what you need: put the wings on the cool side, cover the grill and let the ovenlike heat melt the fat away through the grates without any fear of an intense flame burning the skin from below.

What you want are wings that are nicely charred on all sides and cooked through. Use tongs to transfer fully-cooked wings to a bowl. Add BBQ sauce.

Place the lid on the grill and let them finish cooking through. Depending on the size of the wings, they should take about 8 to 10 minutes to finish cooking. Use your digital meat thermometer to make sure they've hit the internal temperature of 175°F.

Should I boil chicken wings before grilling? ›

This is an easy way to make some great buffalo wings. By boiling the chicken first, you keep the chicken moist before it hits the grill to finish off.

Soaking chicken wings in salty water causes the meat to retain more moisture during cooking. You're less likely to end up with dry meat if you brine the wings. You can also add aromatics such as garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns to the brine. This will give the meat and skin a hint of additional flavor.

This is because the sugars in most marinades will burn on the grill before the chicken is fully cooked. It is best to toss the grilled wings in sauce AFTER they are cooked, not before.

Place the lid on the grill and let them finish cooking through. Depending on the size of the wings, they should take about 8 to 10 minutes to finish cooking. Use your digital meat thermometer to make sure they've hit the internal temperature of 175°F.

Use indirect and direct heat

The hot zone should be 350 to 400 F, while the cool zone remains unlit. Before placing the wings on the grill, make sure the wings are covered in vegetable oil and salt, and pepper. The oil prevents the chicken from sticking to the grill (per My Recipes).