My Grilled Chicken Wings Recipe is the easiest and tastiest you'll ever find. Seriously. Eat it today! It takes about five minutes to put everything together and less than 20 minutes to cook these wings. I made 30 of them last night for our family, and it was smiles all around.
We will smother the wings in an incredible wet rub and grill them to perfection. They're so tasty you don't need a dipping sauce. Thanks to the wet rub, you'll notice how the wings cook perfectly without sticking to the grill grates. Instead, they pick up an attractive color and awesome chargrilled flavor. I like my grilled wings a little crispy and charred! Dust off your grill and grab some fresh chicken wings! I'll show you how to create the best grilled flavors in your kitchen!
This recipe is:
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- Low Carb
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- Keto
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- Gluten Free
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- Dairy Free
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- Paleo
Table of Contents
5 Reasons To Love This Recipe
We have this recipe on rotation at my household because we are addicted to its flavors. It may also become your best crispy wings recipe for reasons like:
- They taste better than fried or baked wings.
- After you make them on the grill once, you’ll never go back to baked wings again.
- Incredibly easy to make with simple ingredients.
- Always crispy with a delicious chargrilled flavor.
- Low-carb, but people will only talk about their wonderful flavors.
Are Grilled Chicken Wings Low-Carb?
Yes, chicken is a zero-carb food. Unless they are made with high-carb ingredients, sauces, seasonings, and marinade, grilled chicken wings fit a low-carb diet. You can also check my article on Carbs in Chicken Wings for in-depth information.
This recipe is wonderfully low-carb. Each wing has less than 1 g net carbs. The negligible carb content comes from the seasoning ingredients. I carefully picked them to keep the carb load down, so you can enjoy the wings without worrying about disrupting your low-carb eating plan.
Grilled Chicken Wings Ingredients List
My delicious grilled chicken recipe requires a few common pantry ingredients:
- 30 chicken wings flats and drums
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Ingredients Substitutions
Replace the ingredients you are missing with these top-quality swaps:
- Chicken wings: Use chicken thighs or legs, and adjust the cooking time appropriately.
- Apple cider vinegar: Swap for white or red wine vinegar.
- Olive oil: Coconut, avocado, or MCT oil will do.
- Hungarian paprika: Regular paprika or smoked paprika are excellent alternatives.
- Cayenne pepper: Use ground chipotle for a smokey flavor, ground Ancho chili for less heat, or regular chili powder for an all-around deliciousness.
Additional Ingredients
Use any of these optional ingredients to take the wings' flavors a notch higher:
- Dried herbs: The recipe loves some dried oregano, parsley, chives, or an Italian seasoning blend. Dried herbs tend to char a little on the grill, but they still taste good.
- Citrus: To brighten the chicken, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over it toward the end of the cooking. Use just a little drizzle, as the lemon can overpower the cooked spices.
- Sauces: I love pairing these wings with hot pepper sauces or my chipotle aioli, honey mustard sauce, or super-easy BBQ sauce.
Note: The additional ingredients are optional and not part of the original recipe.
Cooking Tools
Besides a grill, you need the following tools for the chicken wing recipe:
- A large mixing bowl
- Tongs
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Instant-read meat thermometer
How To Grill Chicken Wings On Gas Grill: Complete Cooking Guide
Cooking Method
- Grilling
Preparation Steps
- Check out How To Prepare Chicken Wings in my easy guide.
- Preheat your gas grill with all burners on HIGH. Make sure that it is clean and at about 500 degrees before grilling.
Cooking Instructions
- Add the olive oil and all the marinade ingredients spices to a bowl large enough to fit all the wings. Mix well to combine.
- Add the wings to the chicken wings marinade, and mix with a rubber spatula to coat.
- If you are running a 4-burner grill, use the 2-zone grilling method. Turn the 2 burners on the right to low heat. Add all the wings to the 2 burners of the preheated grill to cook them under indirect heat. Cook for 10 minutes, watching for flare-ups.
- After 10 minutes, use tongs and flip the wings to the other side of the grill. After moving the wings, turn the left burners to low heat and the right burners to high heat. Cook for another 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the wings from the grill and serve hot. Enjoy!
Step 1: The wet rub for these grilled wings is made from olive oil and spices. It is so tasty that you don’t need a dipping sauce. Boo yah.
Step 2: After the wet rub is made, pour it over the wings in a large bowl. Use a rubber spatula to help coat the wings. You’re ready for the grill now. Super simple.
Step 3: When you are cooking the wings on the grill, make sure that your heat is LOW under the wings to prevent flare-ups. Don’t they look delicious?
💡 My Pro Tip
I’ve been making this recipe for over a decade now. My family adores grilled chicken wings, so we have it frequently. Over the years, I’ve found that seasoning them with apple cider vinegar and salt, then letting them sit for 4-5 minutes, creates an irresistible tender and juicy chicken wing with a crispy exterior. (This only works if you are cooking wings on the grill, though. In the oven, the chicken becomes mushy.) After the wings have sat for 4-5 minutes, add the remaining ingredients and toss them on the grill.
Another trick is to marinate the wings with ⅓ cup of olive oil mixed with all the spices. Create the flavor-packed grilled chicken wing marinade and place the wings in it for a couple of hours in the fridge. Take out, bring to room temperature, and cook.
I have more useful Grilling Tips If you want to ace some grilling skills!
⏲️ Time-Saving Tips
- Bring the wings to room temperature before cooking. This will reduce the overall cooking time and ensure you have delightfully juicy wings.
- Preheat your grill. Ensure your grill gets hot before you add the wings. The grill grates must be piping hot to get the beautiful grill marks on the wings and for them to cook through when we turn down the heat. If the grill is too cold when you add the wings, it will take longer to cook, and you won't get that nice sear and crisp skin.
What To Serve With Grilled Chicken Wings?
The beautifully charred grilled chicken wings taste fantastic on their own, but you can pair them with various side dishes, sauces, and dips, including:
- Coleslaw: The cool and crunchy texture of the delightfully creamy coleslaw balances the smoky flavor of the wings perfectly.
- Cauliflower Potato Salad: The creamy low-carb salad is a comforting side dish that pairs well with the flavorful chicken wings.
- Grilled Artichokes: The crispy baby artichokes are a delicious and colorful side dish for the crispy skin. Grill them together if you have space on your grill for convenience.
- Cucumber Feta Salad: This fresh salad is a refreshing and nutritious side dish that complements the richness of the grilled chicken wings.
- Avocado Lime Crema: The brightness and creaminess of the crema will make the crispy grilled chicken wings burst with flavor.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
- Once at room temperature, leftover chicken wings can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing
The wings freeze well. Cool to room temperature, toss into a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen wings in the fridge overnight and follow the reheating instructions below.
Reheating
I do not recommend reheating in a microwave or on the stovetop. The microwave changes the texture of the wing and the skin. You won't like it. The stovetop also changes the texture and flavor of the wing. For some reason, they taste metallic, no matter what pan I use to reheat. Trust me, I have tried it several times. I recommend reheating leftover wings in the oven at 375°F (190°C) until heated or on a hot grill. The wings reheat best on the grill.
Conclusion
My Grilled Chicken Wings Recipe yields savory wings with a beautiful char and crisped skin. They are perfect as a main meal, game day snack, or party wings appetizer. Pair them with the famous Tabasco Buffalo Sauce for a hot Buffalo chicken wing flavor, a homemade ranch dip, or my Creamy Garlic Parmesan Wing Sauce. The tender wings taste heavenly with the Buffalo hot sauce. This is not a sponsored plug; it is just a suggestion of what goes well with the recipe!
Now you know how to cook wings on the grill, you won't be left out this grilling season. I hope you enjoy their majestic flavors as much as we do. Happy eating.
Other Healthy Chicken Wings Recipes:
If you're a fan of chicken wings, give one of my other delicious wings recipes a try!
FAQs
Yes, grilled chicken wings prepared and cooked in a health-conscious manner are a flavorful and healthy part of a balanced diet.
It depends on the grill temperature, the size of the wings, and whether the wings are cooked with direct or indirect heat. Therefore, the cooking time ranges between 10 and 20 minutes. Stick with a recipe's cooking time recommendation for optimal results, and check the chicken's internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer for doneness. Well-cooked chicken wings should have an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Yes, use your favorite chicken dry rub for maximum flavors.
GRILLED CHICKEN WINGS RECIPE
Ingredients
- 30 chicken wings flats and drums
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon granulated onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Check out How To Prepare Chicken Wings in my easy guide.
- Preheat your gas grill with all burners on HIGH. Make sure that it is clean and at about 500 degrees before grilling.
Cooking Instructions
- Add the olive oil and all the marinade ingredients spices to a bowl large enough to fit all the wings. Mix well to combine.
- Add the wings to the chicken wings marinade, and mix with a rubber spatula to coat.
- If you are running a 4-burner grill, use the 2-zone grilling method. Turn the 2 burners on the right to low heat. Add all the wings to the 2 burners of the preheated grill to cook them under indirect heat. Cook for 10 minutes, watching for flare-ups.
- After 10 minutes, use tongs and flip the wings to the other side of the grill. After moving the wings, turn the left burners to low heat and the right burners to high heat. Cook for another 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the wings from the grill and serve hot. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
“This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.”
Recent Low Carb Recipes:
Is it low carb? Learn more about it:
Mary says
Love the recipies. Thanks
Scott Groth says
Hi Mary:
Thanks so much! You just made my day. Got some more great ones coming out and also the most EPIC Cinco de Mayo recipe roundup ever!
Thanks for reading-
Scott
Kristyn says
This looks delicious! I love that you can grill the wings instead of frying them.
Scott Groth says
Hi Kristyn:
Yeah- and we think that they taste even better than fried! The char from the grill tasted so refreshing. Hope you try them soon!
Take care-
Scott
Jennifer says
These wings look great, Scott! Great tip for flare ups. I've never added baking soda, but it makes sense! That's a major issue I have with my gas grill is all the flare ups. I'll try this!
Scott Groth says
Hi Jennifer:
That was a tip from my Director of Catering when I had my catering company. We had a super-high-powered grill that had a major problem with flare ups. The baking soda didn't just put it out, but seemed to prevent it from happening in that spot until we were done cooking. Plus, if it gets on the food a little, it doesn't change the flavor.
Hope you're having a wonderful day-
Take care- Scott
Katrin says
Scott, this is right up my street. Simple, and simply...great. Lovin' it!
Scott Groth says
Hi Katrin:
Thanks so much! The recipe is really fantastic. One of the best parts is the feedback I've been getting sent to me about just how easy they are... and how tender. Can't ask for much more!
Take care-
Scott
Bill Ritter says
Hey Scott, made these today and WooHoooo, We had a restaurant that had closed a while back and they made the best grilled wings. I have been trying to make them myself but just couldn't get it right. You nailed it, these are spot on. Just gave this recipe to my family Thanks Bill
Scott Groth says
Hey Bill:
So nice to hear that. Hope you and your family enjoy these. We definitely have lots of wings in our house- my kids adore them!
Thank you for posting and have an excellent day in the kitchen!
Scott
DoubleB says
Can I put the wings in the marinade overnight? Maybe about 14 - 16 hours?
Scott Groth says
Hi there:
Sure. That would make some really delightfully tender wings.
Thank you for stopping by and have a fantastic day in the kitchen!
Scott
Drew Carlman says
Easy. That's my first thought about grilling chicken wings. FIRE, that's my second. Have to be careful of the grill fire after the fat starts melting off the wings. But really tasty too. Saw this on Men's Journal.
Scott Groth says
Hi Drew:
Baking soda helps to tame those flares a little bit. Thank you for stopping by and checking out these heavenly wings.
Take care,
Scott
Jane Franks says
I am so delighted that I located your web site.
I always have a problem with different recipe ideas.
We have my dad and mom heading over next saturday and sunday
so I have been looking for something special. And I think that I have identified the perfect recipe!
I'll let you know once I've had the opportunity to
try it out. Thanks a lot for the wonderful idea.
Scott Groth says
Thank you so much, Jane. I really appreciate you taking the time to write this. Now I'm curious to see how the wings came out.
Hope you're having a savory day in the kitchen!
Scott
Betty McCormick says
These wings are outstanding! I have never grilled wings before so I was a little nervous making this recipe. I can’t wait to make them again. I’m really enjoying your website. It’s so easy to read/follow and your information is spot on. Congrats on succeeding with your new lifestyle and accomplishments!!