Grilled Chicken Wings (+ dry rub) is your go-to-guide on how to grill the perfect chicken wings every time! Learn all of our tips and tricks (like how to get that sauce to stick). Plus, we are included an amazing grilled chicken dry rub, if you want to try that out!
The BEST Grilled Chicken Wing Recipe
Grilling chicken wings are kind of a game day tradition around here! A Sunday afternoon staple in those chilly Fall days during football season. They are so, so easy and you can do so many different things with them (try a new dry rub, marinade, sauce, etc.) and this homemade blue cheese dressing makes the perfect dipping sauce! Our whole family loves to enjoy grilled wings in their own way and we are here to bring you all the variations because we have been making the best chicken wings on the grill for years!
Do you have an electric smoker? If so, then you have to try our smoked chicken wing recipe too!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Quick: these wings are only on the grill for about 10-15 minutes or so (maybe longer if you haven thicker wings) – such an easy meal!
- Appetizer or Meal: these are great for game day OR they can be an easy weeknight dinner!
- Dry Rub or Sauce: have fun and experiment with different dry rubs and sauces (we love our homemade bbq sauce)!
What You Will Need
- fresh chicken wings: at your local grocery store you should be able to find some standard wings and drummies!
- kosher salt and pepper: you can always keep things classic and just season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
- dry rub: we have some great dry rub options in the recipe card for you!
- sauce: or you can toss in your favorite sauce – read below for how to perfect that!
How To Grill Chicken Wings
The first steps to making this easy recipe are to pat the wings dry with a clean paper towel.
Now season them generously with either the wing dry rub or kosher salt and pepper.
Bring your gas grill to a medium high heat and clean the grill grates. Then place the seasoned wings over direct heat and cook until the internal temp reaches 163 degrees F (approx. 8-12 minutes for flat wings & 12-16 minutes for drumsticks). Make sure you flip the wings halfway through the cooking time. This is the best way to get that perfectly crispy skin on the outside!
How Long To Grill Chicken Wings
Chicken wings stay on the grill approximately 10-15 minutes of cook time on medium heat (400/450 degrees F.) or until they reach approximately 163 degrees F at the thickest part. Then remove them from the grill and let them rest 5 minutes to come all the way up to an internal temp of 165 degrees F.
The final step is to let the wings rest for 5 minutes before eating! The rest time is very important because it allows the internal temp of the chicken to reach a safe level and it allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in the most juicy and tender chicken wings.
Should I Put Sauce on Wings Before or After Grilling
If you plan to sauce your grilled chicken wings, you actually need to remove them when they are about 5 degrees away from being fully cooked (so 160 degrees F.). Place them in a large mixing bowl and toss them in your desired sauce for that extra flavor and then put them back on the grill. Exposing the sauce to high heat makes them tacky or sticky and thus it sticks to the chicken wings so much better than just tossing them is sauce after cooking. You can add buffalo sauce to make buffalo wings, barbecue sauce, or even your favorite hot sauce if you like a bit of a kick!
Best Ways To Serve Grilled Chicken Wings
In our opinion, crispy grilled chicken wings should always be served with dipping sauces. We love a good ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing! And then, a few carrot and celery sticks on the side. It’s a classic combination that always hits the spot.
Recipe FAQ
- Chicken Wing Dry Rub: the recipe card below includes an easy wing dry rub, but we also have an herby chicken dry rub you could try! Or grab a store-bought dry rub to keep it super simple. There are so many different flavor combinations.
- Grilled Chicken Wing Marinade: another great way to add so much flavor and tenderness to your grilled wings – we love this homemade chicken marinade!
- Gas grill vs. charcoal grill: we typically use a gas grill because it is so much easier, but you can easily grill chicken wings on a charcoal grill too. Just make sure you get it to a nice, high heat and try to keep it there.
- Can I grill frozen chicken wings: you certainly can put frozen wings right on the grill but they will definitely take longer to cook. Also, you will probably need to add the dry rub and/or sauce later in the cooking process (once they are more thawed) because neither will stick to frozen wings.
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Delicious Recipes You Might Like
Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
How to Grill Chicken Breasts
Grilled Chicken Legs
Grilled Chicken Thighs
Grilled Chicken Wings (+ Dry Rub)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 15–20 chicken wings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Appetizer
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
Grilled Chicken Wings (+ dry rub) – learn how to grill chicken wings with this easy grilled wings recipe (dry rub recipe included!). So delicious!
Ingredients
Dry Rub (optional):
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt, more as desired
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
Chicken Wings:
- 15–20 chicken wings and drummies
- kosher salt and ground black pepper (if not using dry rub)
Instructions
- Ensure grill grates are clean and set grill temperature to medium-high heat (400/450 degrees F).
- Pat chicken wings dry with clean paper towels. Season all over with Dry Rub (if using) or season generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Place chicken wings over direct heat: 8-12 minutes total for flat wings and 12-16 minutes total for drummies, or until they reach an internal temperature of 163 degrees F at the thickest part (use a meat thermometer), flipping halfway.
- Remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes – the internal temp will continue to raise 5 degrees during resting time. The wings will be safe to eat when they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Serve and enjoy! (See notes if you want to add a sauce).
Notes
- What to serve with: we love this homemade ranch dressing (dairy-free) or this homemade blue cheese dressing!
- Sauces: if you want to add a sauce like your favorite bbq sauce or homemade buffalo sauce, then simply remove wings when they reach about 160 degrees F. internal temp, toss them in the sauce (or brush it on) then place them back on the grill for 2 minutes per side or until the sauce becomes tacky (a.k.a. sticky to the touch) and the internal temp hits about 165 degrees F. Remove them and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy! Alternatively, you can toss fully cooked grilled chicken wings in your sauce of choice, but the sauce may not stick as well – totally up to you!
- Internal Meat Thermometer: you will definitely want to be sure to use an instant-read thermometer so you can accurately track the internal temp.
- Storage: any leftover wings can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 wings
- Calories: 131
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 900.1 mg
- Fat: 3.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.1 g
- Protein: 19.7 g
- Cholesterol: 48.5 mg
Kathy says
Outstanding! Did the sauce too. Passing this recipe along
Bridget Montag says
Awesome – glad you liked it! Thanks for your review, Kathy!
David B. says
We made these wings for the first time a month ago. Delicious. Honestly the best wings I have ever made. I am going to make one modification to the recipe. They were a bit oversalted, so I am going to cut the salt in half. The cooking time and temp was perfect as well.
Erin says
Thanks, David! Glad you enjoyed them! Will make a note on the salt amounts so there is more of a range for people to choose from – thanks for the feedback!
Jamie says
Delicious! Made these for 4th of July and they were great. I used whole wings (drummettes and flats still connected to each other) and they were beautiful and so juicy! I loved the rub. So flavorful and made a nice crispy crust. Served with Whole Sisters Dump Ranch – they would’ve been fine plain but everything is better with dump ranch. I’ll make again!
Julie says
The dry rub has become our go to seasoning for chicken. My husband printed it off and posted it on the fridge! We’ve used it for everything! Even roasted a whole chicken after covering it with the rub. Yum!
Erin says
That’s awesome to hear, Julie!!
Jennifer Vasichko says
Incredible! I love the array of spices and the turmeric elevated the flavor. No one, including my husband, used a sauce when eating them. The wings were so flavorful and moist, they didn’t need any help. I paired it with a tangy slaw, and sweet potato mash. Will definitely make these again and again! Thanks for sharing.
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Jennifer! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating + review!
EH says
These turned out perfectly! Thanks!
Laura says
Thank you so much for creating a rub without brown sugar. I rubbed the chicken wings and let them sit overnight. They were incredible, cooked at a low heat on the BBQ. I made a big batch for the future but omitted 1/2 or more of the salt. Thanks again for an awesome rub.
Erin says
So glad you enjoyed it, Laura!
Don H says
I didn’t try the recipe yet, but I like all the relevant details that you add about process. Thanks!