Grilled Chicken Wings

Name: Grilled Chicken Wings
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken wings; 5 tablespoons cornstarch; 2 tablespoons cornflour; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1` teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional); 2 tablespoons olive oil

by Arman Liew

published on Jun 11, 2024

3 comments

5 from 5 votes

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My grilled chicken wings recipe is truly crispy on the outside with juicy meat in the middle. They cook up in less than 25 minutes.

Love busting out the grill? Check out my grilled bavette steak, grilled beef tenderloin, grilled pork tenderloin, and grilled tilapia next.

As much as I love to whip up oven-baked wings for my family, come grilling season, it’s ALL about grilled chicken wings. While not the most traditional cut of chicken to grill, the high heat actually makes them even easier to crisp up while keeping the meat extra juicy in the middle.

Table of Contents

Why I love this recipe
Ingredients Needed
How to grill chicken wings
Arman’s recipe tips
Storage instructions
Frequently asked questions
Other favorite chicken wing recipes
Grilled Chicken Wings (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

It is budget-friendly. Although the cost of groceries has gone up astronomically, chicken wings have remained cost-effective.
Naturally gluten-free. Most wing seasoning or breading use flour or breadcrumbs but not these ones. Cornstarch works a treat.
Quick and easy. No overnight marination and no hassle of double-breading.
It is so versatile. Hosting a game night, barbecue party, birthday, Sunday lunch, or humble weeknight dinner, my wings are always a hit.

★★★★★ REVIEW

“I’ve made your grilled wings several times for various cookouts, and everyone BEGS me for the recipes!” – Jillian

Ingredients Needed

Chicken wings. I often pick a mixture of wingettes and drummettes because everyone is satisfied (I personally love the meatier bite from drumettes). Please keep the skin on!
Cornflour AND cornstarch. I use a mix of both to help the spice mixture stick but also intensify the crisp-factor.
Brown sugar. Just a touch of brown sugar helps to achieve the perfect crispy, caramelized skin.
Spices. My perfectly curated spice mix for these grilled wings includes kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes.
Olive oil. To brush the grill before cooking the wings. Any neutral flavored oil works.

How to grill chicken wings

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Mix all the dry ingredients, spices, and herbs in a small bowl.

Step 2- Coat the chicken. Dry the chicken and thoroughly coat it with the spice mix.

Step 3- Grill. Brush the grill with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Then, grill the chicken at medium-high heat on the preheated grill for 20-25 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes.

Serving ideas!

Because chicken is such a versatile protein, the serving possibilities are endless! Here are some of my family’s favorite sidekicks.

Veggies. Keep the sides simple by pairing the wings with sautéed vegetables like sauteed brussels sprouts, sauteed carrots, sauteed asparagus, and sauteed broccolini.
Salad. Healthy pasta salad, Greek couscous salad, wedge salad, or a green goddess salad are always summertime favorites.
Dips. Dunk your wings in some spicy mayo or big mac sauce.

Arman’s recipe tips

Pick uniformly sized chicken wings and bring the chicken to room temperature, to ensure an even cooking time.
You’ll know the chicken is fully cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
For the crispiest wings, set up two grilling zones on your grill (direct and indirect heat). Cook them over indirect heat for 15 minutes and then transfer them to the direct heat to get the crispy char.
Do not overcrowd the grill. Leave enough space between chicken wings on the grill to get evenly cooked, perfectly crisp chicken.
To avoid burned and unevenly cooked chicken wings, flip them every 5 minutes without fail.

Variations

Glaze them up. Brush your chicken wings with my katsu sauce or eel sauce for an Asian spin. You can also douse them with my hot honey sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking for a glossy, flavorful finish.
Make them cheesy. Add a tablespoon or two of parmesan cheese to the spice mix for a subtle cheesy flavor. Don’t go overboard, though- this cheese is notorious for burning quickly!
Make them lemony. Add some lemon zest to the spice mix and squeeze fresh lemon on top of the warm wings for a grilled version of the lemon chicken.
Brine your chicken wings. Optional, but if I have some time, I like to brine the wings in chicken broth before adding the seasoning mix. It will make them even juicier (if that is even possible!).

Storage instructions

To store. Refrigerate cooled chicken for three days in an airtight container.

To freeze. Freeze the chicken wings in ziplock bags for up to six months.

To reheat. The best way to enjoy leftover wings is by heating them in the oven at 180°C/350°F until hot.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use frozen chicken wings?

Frozen wings work just as great. Thaw the chicken wings and dry them with kitchen towels before coating them with the dry mix.

Other favorite chicken wing recipes

Originally published July 2023, updated and republished June 2024

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.