How to Grill Chicken Wings

Co-authored by Santos Aviles

Chicken wings are an immensely flavorful, customizable, and easy dinner idea for yourself or the whole family. While they can be cooked in the oven or deep-fried, grilling your chicken wings can add another layer of smoky deliciousness with the charring from an open flame. By knowing how to get the most flavor into your wings and the right way to cook them, you can have a big plate of chicken wings people will be fighting to finish.

Ingredients

Grilled Chicken Wings

3 pounds (1.4 kg) of chicken wings
Cooking oil, such as canola or olive oil

Basic Marinade

¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of light soy sauce
¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons (44 mL) of vinegar
¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of olive oil
2 tsp (5g) of onion powder
2 tsp (2g) of dried oregano
1 tsp (6g) of kosher salt
1 tsp (3g) of garlic powder
1 tsp (0.5g) of dried parsley
1 tsp (2g) black pepper
1/2 tsp (1g) of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp (0.5g) of dried thyme
1/4 tsp (0.5g) of dried basil

Makes marinade for 3 pounds (1.4 kg) of chicken wings

Buffalo Marinade

¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of melted butter
¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of hot sauce
2 tbsp (15g) of paprika
1 tsp (6g) of kosher salt
1/2 tsp (1g) of black pepper

Makes marinade for 3 pounds (1.4 kg) of chicken wings

Fresh Herbed Marinade

6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup (15g) of fresh oregano, finely chopped
1/3 cup (15g) of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of olive oil
1 tsp (6g) of kosher salt
1 tsp (2g) of black pepper

Makes marinade for 3 pounds (1.4 kg) of chicken wings

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making a Marinade

1
Try a basic sticky marinade. Combine ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of light soy sauce, ¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of dark soy sauce, 3 tablespoons (44 mL) of vinegar, ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of olive oil, 2 tsp (5g) of onion powder, 2 tsp (2g) dried oregano, 1 tsp (6g) of kosher salt, 1 tsp (3g) of garlic powder, 1 tsp (0.5g) of dried parsley, 1 tsp (2g) of black pepper, 1/4 tsp (0.5g) of dried thyme, 1/4 tsp (0.5g) of dried basil with 1/2 tsp (1g) of cayenne pepper in a bowl.^{[1]
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- The soy sauce and vinegar base makes this a solid marinade already, so feel free to customize the other spices and ratios to fit the flavors you want in your wings. There’s no wrong answer as long as you think it tastes great!
- Marinating your chicken wings before grilling them allows whatever flavors you choose to get all the way to the bone, making the wings taste incredible.
2
Make a classic buffalo sauce marinade if you prefer spicier wings. Combine ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of melted butter, ¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of hot sauce, 2 tbsp (15g) of paprika, 1 tsp (6g) of kosher salt and 1/2 tsp (1g) of black pepper in a bowl and mix thoroughly.^{[2]
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- If you want your wings even hotter, add in more buffalo sauce to this recipe. If you need it hotter still, add 1 tsp (2g) of cayenne pepper to the bowl before mixing.
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3
Try a fresher, herby marinade for wings with a Mediterranean flavor. Combine 6 cloves of minced garlic, 1/3 cup (15g) each of finely chopped fresh oregano and rosemary, ¹⁄₃ cup (79 mL) of olive oil, 1 tsp (6g) of salt and 1 tsp (2g) of black pepper in a bowl and stir together.^{[3]
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4
Put your wings in a container or ziplock bag. The easiest way to marinate your chicken wings will be in a large ziplock bag or sealable container. Transfer your wings to either of these, making sure to leave enough room for the wings to move around a little if shaken.
- A ziplock bag will allow you to make sure that each chicken wing is completely covered in marinade, but will be single use. Any large container will work but might make covering the wings a little more difficult.^{[4]
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- If you don't have a container or bag big enough to hold your wings, split them evenly between two. Make sure to divide your marinade between the wings evenly as well.
5
Cover your wings in the marinade and seal the container. Pour your chosen marinade over your chicken wings, making sure to cover as many as possible. Tightly seal the bag or container, and lightly shake the wings to cover all of them in the marinade.^{[5]
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- You might need to reopen your container and use your hands to get the marinade over every wing. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterward if you do so.
- The marinade for your chicken wings works just as well as a dipping sauce once they’re cooked. Hold back around ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of your marinade to use as a dipping sauce. If it’s too thin, cook it over a low heat in a saucepan to reduce it slightly.^{[6]
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6
Marinate your wings in the fridge for at least 4 hours. When it comes to marinating, longer is almost always better. Put your wings in the refrigerator and leave them to marinate for at least 4 hours. To add more flavor, leave the wings to marinate for up to 24 hours.^{[7]
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- Make the wings ahead of time and keep them marinating in the fridge right up until you’re ready to cook them.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Cooking Your Wings

1
Brush the grill grate with oil to prevent the wings from sticking to it. Dip a pastry brush or paper towel into a cooking oil, and lightly brush down the grate of the grill. This will prevent the wings from sticking to the grill and tearing as you try and remove them.^{[8]
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- If you’re oiling a hot grill, dab a paper towel in cooking oil and use long-handled tongs to cover the surface.
- Use whatever cooking oil you have on hand. Sunflower, canola and olive oil will all work perfectly.
2
Preheat your grill to a medium-high heat. When you’re ready to start cooking your wings, make sure your grill is heated up to a medium-high heat around 400 °F (204 °C). ^{[9]
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- If you’re unsure if you have the right heat for your grill, place your hand around 6 inches above the surface. If you can hold it there for around 5 seconds, the heat should be about right.^{[10]
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3
Spread the wings evenly across the grill. Take each wing out of the marinade and lay it across the grill, being careful not to burn yourself. Make sure the wings are evenly distributed over the heat and not overlapping, as this can change the speed at which each wing will cook.^{[11]
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- Take note of which wings you put on the grill first, as these will have the most time to cook. When the wings are done, remove them from the grill in the same order you put them down to give each wing the same amount of time to cook.
- A proper distance from the heat source is essential to crispy wings.
4
Brown the wings on one side for 10 minutes. Leave the wings on the grill to develop color and slight charring on one side. Check the wings every few minutes to keep them from burning or sticking to the grill.^{[12]
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- You don’t need to worry about cooking the wings all the way through at this point. Focus on getting a good color on one side before flipping them.
5
Flip the wings over and cover the grill for 10 minutes. Using a pair of tongs or a spatula, flip all of the wings over so the browned, crispy side is facing upwards. Put the cover back on the grill and leave the wings for a further 10 minutes so that they can cook through.^{[13]
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- Putting the cover on the grill will trap the heat in and help the chicken cook all the way through.
- If you’re worried about your tongs sticking to the chicken as you’re cooking it, coat the ends of them in a little cooking oil before attempting to handle the chicken with them.
6
Check that the wings are cooked fully. Before taking all of the wings off the grill, make sure that they are cooked through and aren’t pink on the inside. Use a fork to tear open one of the thicker or bigger wings to check if they are done. If you’re unsure, leave the wings to cook for a few more minutes.^{[14]
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- If you have an instant-read thermometer, you can check the internal temperature of a few of the wings. If it reads somewhere above 165 °F (74 °C), the wings should be fully cooked.^{[15]
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7
Take the wings off the grill and serve immediately. Use tongs to take the cooked wings off of the grill and transfer them to a serving plate. The charring on the wings from the grill will taste best when they're straight off the heat. Serve alongside some store-bought sauce, or with leftover marinade for dipping.^{[16]
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- If you’re using leftover marinade as a dipping sauce, make sure NOT to use any that has been in contact with raw chicken. This can be unsafe and lead to illness.
- Refrigerate chicken wings within 2 hours of serving them. Once refrigerated, they'll last for around 4 days before needing to be thrown out.^{[17]
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Community Q&A

Question

How do you keep them from burning?

Community Answer

Pay attention to what you're doing while you are grilling. If you cover the grill with the lid you will limit the oxygen and be less likely to have flare ups.
Question

How long do I cook chicken wings on a charcoal grill?

Community Answer

Use medium-high indirect heat (375 F), and cook about 30 minutes. Move to direct heat for two to three minutes per side to crisp up and finish cooking through.
Question

How long do I smoke chicken wings on a barbecue smoker?

Community Answer

Low and slow. I smoke my wings at 250 for 3.5 to 4 hours. I have a Brinkman with a water pan, I put rosemary and basil in the water, pre-marinate the wings overnight, and use applewood or cherry to smoke them. Yum!

Warnings

Always be careful when cooking on a grill. Exposed flame can be dangerous if you’re not careful.

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Never eat raw chicken or anything that has come in contact with it, as this can cause severe illness.

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