These grilled chicken wings is probably the only food over which we fight in our family. I kid you not. They are irresistible. Any leftovers are closely watched by every family member. They are pre-divided and claimed. An uneven number of leftover wings results in passionate disputes over who gets to get an extra wing. I am telling you, these grilled chicken wings are the best, you won't need another grilled wing recipe.
For a long time I've been a fan of smoked wings, but grilled chicken wings make a heck of a competition. Marinated in an excellent marinade and properly grilled, they turn out just as juicy as smoked wings. If you throw in a couple of chunks of cherry wood just before you load chicken wings on the grill you will get some of that smoky flavor too. And the beautiful dark red color. But there is more. Grilled chicken wings come out crispy-skinned, with beautifully caramelized surface. You can't replicate that. This is where grilled wings truly shine.
The marinade for grilled wings is important. If it tastes great, the wings will do too. I recently experimented with Bulgogi-Style Chicken Wings and loved the results. A bad marinade will kill the wing taste. Sugary marinade will make it very hard to grill wings without burning them. Keep sugars to a minimum or don't use at all.
My preference is to grill chicken wings on a charcoal grill. It gives me more flavor and a crispier skin. If I want some smoky flavor I will just throw a couple of wood chunks on each side of the fire pit. When grilling on a charcoal grill, make sure there is no flame, only red-hot glowing coals. That's critical to getting beautiful caramelization and crispiness on chicken wings without charring them. That's my subjective opinion. Objectively speaking though, both charcoal and gas grills are capable of producing a very good product.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken wings (separated into wingettes and drummettes, tips discarded)
For the marinade:
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce (see notes)
- 1/3 cup dark soy sauce (see notes)
- 3 Tbsp vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tsp each of granulated onions and dried oregano
- 1 tsp each of kosher salt, granulated garlic, dried parsley, and black pepper
- 1/4 tsp each of dried thyme and dried basil
- 1/2 tsp or more for a stronger kick cayenne pepper (optional) (see notes)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a large Ziploc bag. Close the bag and shake really well.
- Add the chicken wings, close the bag and massage the wings really well to ensure good coverage. Expel as much air as you can, close bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat an outdoor grill to about 350F-400F.
- Remove the chicken wings from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Brush the preheated grill grate with cooking oil to prevent sticking. I give it a quick wipe with a piece of paper towel soaked in vegetable oil. The grill is hot so be very careful and wear a heat resistant glove.
- Cook the chicken wings on the preheated grill, lid closed, for about 10-15 minutes on each side, until the meat is nicely browned and the juices run clear (see my notes). You may want to use an instant read thermometer if not sure. The wings are ready when the temperature in the thickest parts registers at least 165F.
Notes
2. Grill on one side for 10-15 minutes
3. Open the lid, flips the wings on the other side. If your grill has hot spots, rearrange the wings by moving more browned wings to a less hot area of the grill. Close the lid
4. Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes
5. Remove from the grill and enjoy I like grilling chicken wings this way because it requires less tending and the temperature stays stable. Cooking on a charcoal grill this way also lets me avoid flareups and temperature fluctuations. On my Big Green Egg grill the wings are ready after 20 minutes of grilling, 10 minutes per side. I do, however, like extending the grilling time to about 12-15 minutes per side. This way the wings come out more crispy, and the meat inside becomes more fall-off-the-bone tender. The meat is, perhaps, slightly less juicy, just a bit, but that does not really impact the taste as chicken wings are much more forgiving to overcooking. Hot sauce - Instead of cayenne pepper, you may want to toss fully cooked chicken wings in this Buffalo wing sauce: Classic Buffalo Hot Sauce
1/2 cup melted salted butter
2 cloves minced or pressed garlic
1/2 cup Frank's Original Redhot Sauce
Mitchell Mimier says
I found this recipe over 4 years ago and it is by far the BEST wings recipe. It is now the ONLY recipe I use. I have actually never used the light/dark soy sauce combo because I didn't have it at the time and to be honest I don't think I'm missing anything. I've been using a blend of regular and "less sodium." I have also started adding a little Worcestershire sauce. I grill my wings at around 350 on the Weber Kettle (in a circle around a basket of charcoal in the middle). 20 minutes per side, then move everything to the middle (super hot) for a couple of minutes to crisp everything up. World's best wings!! To the author, thank you for this contribution to the world! 😆
victor says
LOL Quite a compliment. Thank you! I am glad you like my recipe. Please, try my other recipes here and on my Taste of Artisan blog.
Lise says
This recipe is absolutely delicious on the grill!!!
Just one question, can you cook them in the oven by any chance ? If so, what degree and for how long?
Thank You
victor says
Lise, my most favorite way to bake in the oven is with convection, they are the best, like my extra crispy chicken wings. If you want them very simialar to grilled, definitely broil them - like my broiled chicken wings. These are really good too.
Juli says
Delicious! I just made a batch of these with my Butcher Box chicken wings. My son is taking them for lunch during his football practice. We love them, the flavor was great! Thanks for this.
victor says
You are very welcome. Enjoy!
Daniel says
I tried the recipe yesterday. Warning- I used regular soy sauce and this turned out insanely salty.. really regret as they grilled perfectly - albeit turned a little bit charred. If I try again, I’ll be very careful with sodium level from the soy sauce.
victor says
It's best to use the combination of the specified soy sauces. They aren't the same as the regular soy sauce. Happy grilling.
Lauren says
What a great recipe, thank you! Just tried it for the first time, and I will make it again. But, whenever a recipe calls for soy sauce, additional salt is NEVER needed.
victor says
Thank you for your feedback. Enjoy!
Jennifer says
Holy crap, we've made these many times and I won't make anything else!!!! Thanks so much for this AMAZING recipe!!!!!
victor says
LOL Happy to hear it, Jennifer. Enjoy!
P.S. Try my other chicken wing recipes on my Taste of Artisan blog.
Jesse says
These are the best! Our kids love them!
victor says
Thank you for the feedback, glad that you like them. Enjoy!
Aymi says
This recipe is perfect! I made them for the 3rd time last night and they are consistently excellent. Do NOT leave out the dark soy sauce- if you use just regular soy sauce it will be way too salty. The dark soy sauce or even a thick soy sauce is a must! I take paper towels and squeeze out a bunch of the marinade right before grilling-don’t worry-all the flavor is in the chicken I promise! I marinate for about 8 hours. For the vinegar I used organic white wine vinegar since that’s what I like in a lot of salad dressings! If you haven’t tried this recipe yet, you are really missing out! We gave some to my neighbor and her adult son, and also my husband’s coworker. Both said these were the best wings ever!
victor says
Glad to hear it, Aymi. Thank for the feedback. Enjoy!
Johnny says
Best hot wing marinade that I’ve ever use. Everyone raves about the flavor of these wings. I use 2 different sauces to coat the wings.
BBQ and Melinda’s Habanero wing sauce.
Sharon M. Winters says
Delish don't add the salt. not needed with the soy sauce. sufficient salt
David Thomas says
A tad salty, the one tsp of salt is not necessary due to the two soy sauces used. Otherwise very tasty. I'd do these again, less the extra tsp. of salt.
victor says
Thanks for the feedback, David. Enjoy!
Carlos says
THESE TASTED FANTASTIC!. I substituted the light soy with more dark soy as per instructions. I used Apple Cider Vinegar (didnt have anything else). Only marinated for 2hrs. Didnt pat them dry after taking out of marinade and put straight on charcoal grill. Great colour and taste.
Carlos says
THESE TASTED FANTASTIC!. I substituted the light soy with more dark soy as per instructions. I used Apple Cider Vinegar (didnt have anything else). Only marinated for 2hrs. Didnt pat them dry after taking out of marinade and put straight on charcoal grill. Great colour and taste.
Christine says
Tried these wings tonight. Couldn’t pick up the light soy sauce. Will get some at T &T because they were a bit salty. Also beautiful colour but not crispy. They were very good though. So will try again.
Kim says
Wonderful, easy recipe; I have made these many times. I use whatever soy sauce I have on hand, it works. I have cooked these in the oven, too. Place on a wire rack, 400 degrees for 50 minutes, turning at 20 & 35 minutes. If I need a deeper color I will broil for a couple of minutes at the end.
These are a hit at any type of get together; I cook as normal then place in a bag lined crockpot on the warm setting; kids and adults love them.
Marco says
Spot on flavors, I truly feel this is the best grilled chicken wing recipe I've ever tried, thanks
for the recipe!
Eric Pfirman says
Excellent! I used tamari (gluten free) and rice vinegar. Absolutely delicious!
Susan says
I made the wings and loved them! Tonight I am using chicken thighs. Would you change the temp. and how long would you grill them?
Datdamwuf says
Appreciate this post, I have a Filipino marinade from an old family friend that I love, there is no oil in the marinade. Like you I 'over cook' them a bit to get the falling apart crispy. Lately I am having issues with the skin sticking to the grill even when I oil the grill. I only have a propane grill now. Am I setting my heat to high? What temp do you grill yours at, they look perfect!!??
In case you'd like to try Uncle's marinade, very simple, these amounts are guesses based on watching him do the marinade for 50 wings at a family reunion and reducing it down. Uncle could taste the raw marinade to adjust to the right taste, I can't do that, trial and error, hah!
Ingredients
12 chicken wings
Marinade
1 cup soy sauce (never Kikkomans!), Uncle uses half Le Choy Light Soy Sauce and Filipino Swan
¾ to 1.5 cups water
2 tablespoons sugar (Uncle dissolved in hot water as part of the 1.5 cups, I use brown sugar)
2 tablespoons sherry – must use this, wine doesn’t work
¾ cups lemon juice and quartered lemons
5-6 bay leaves broken
1 medium onion, chopped
Dashes garlic powder
Dash Salt if you like
A good bit of ground pepper, to your taste
1 dash Maggi seasoning, either from Philippines or China. All Maggi is different by country!!
Mix all marinade ingredients, make adjustments to taste. Fold wings into triangles put in large ziploc, add the well mixed marinade. Allow to marinate for 1 to 3 days, flip over the bag when you think of it. Grill until nicely browned.
victor says
Thanks for the marinade recipe, I am always on the lookout for good recipes. Will give it a try.
Sticking can be caused by several factors but high heat is not one of them. Usually the hotter the grill grate, the faster the skin will brown and the easier it will get released from the grate. Another thing, try to let the wings grill for a little longer before flipping. Another thing to try is to clean the grate really well and season with oil.
By the way, my grill is at about 325F at the grate level.
John Taber says
Using it on chicken parts today. I think this would be great for steak also.going to try that also.
John Taber says
I just made them Saturday. I must say this is a problem. You can’t get enough of them. Really good. Thank you for sharing.👍
victor says
I know, I feel the same way. There is never enough of these wings. You are very welcome;-)
JoAnn says
Has anyone tried making these wings on a pellet smoker? If so, at what temp and for how long? They sound amazing!!
Lauren Greenway says
I am super excited to try this recipe. However, I am having a hard time finding dark and light soy sauces. When asking for help at the grocery store the only thing they know about it is that there is regular and reduced sodium. Can you please tell me brands/names of the light and the dark?
victor says
I buy mine at T&T, a large local Asian grocery store chain. They have own brand which is what I buy, see the picture below. But I recall them having a variety of different brands of dark and light soy sauce. Most Asian grocery stores will have them, regular stores probably won't. If you can't find them, try Amazon, like these Dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. Otherwise use regular, non-low sodium soy sauce.
Ross says
Outstanding chicken wings! My only problem is that we didn't make enough. I will fix that problem next time I am making these.
Sandy says
The best grilled chicken wings period!!!
Angie says
Best grilled wings I've EVER made! This is my go to recipe!
victor says
Thank you for the kind words. Happy to hear that you liked my recipe.
Mark says
For the green egg did you use the plate setter ( indirect cooking)?
victor says
Mark, I did not use a plate setter. Direct heat gives better browning and flavor.
Curt P says
Damn these wings are good. I marinade chicken all the time with several different recipes in my head. This time I tried something new (your recipe) it's amazing how a few different ingredients here and there can make all the difference in the world. Great marinade my family loved it! Thanks I'll be using it again & highly recommend it to everyone!
victor says
Glad to hear that you and your family loved these grilled chicken wings. Thanks for the feedback!
Jay M. says
I love your wings. I made them last weekend and my family is asking for more. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Eleanor says
I've made these several times, they are great... so flavorful, juicy
victor says
Thank you for the feedback. Glad you liked this wing recipe.
Monica says
Look delicious, great recipe and images.
I'll have to try them :))
Dr Martin Huang says
Oh yea, Classic Buffalo Hot Sauce for the win.
Indeed, a bad marinade will kill the wing taste. There was once I the marinade didn't turned out to be as flavorful as what I expected to be, in the end, people who eat the wings just had to dip in chili sauce just to give it some taste. that is how bad it is.
Nevertheless, thanks for sharing!
victor says
Thank you for taking the time and sharing your feedback.
Yadi says
Question it says to pat dry... but wouldnt that take away some of the seasoning that are on the chicken or are we pat drying ti for excessive seasoning planning on making these sunday at a bbq!
victor says
Good question. Since the wings will be marinated for a while, they will become well-seasoned, no need to worry about it to much. Now, I find that pat drying is important for proper caramelization. Wet wings will have a hard time crisping up and caramelizing. When I pat dry I try to make them as dry as I can, but without rubbing off a lot of the seasonings.
Maria says
Wings are delicious. Flavourful & moist but mine turned out too salty. Is it because I marinated them for 24 hours? I used lite soya & Yamasa premium soya sauce. Couldn't find dark soya at my store.
victor says
Thank you for the feedback, Maria. I am not familiar with the soy sauces you use, but if the wings turned out too salty you need to reduce the amount of salt. Yeah, I know, Captain Obvious here. Start by removing the 1 tsp of kosher salt from the recipe the next time. If that is still too salty, substitute half the soy sauce with low sodium soy sauce, it's widely available.
Better yet, try to find the dark soy sauce. It's available at virtually any Asian grocery store. Amazon sells it too. Lee Kum Kee Dark Soy Sauce available on Amazon is very good. Dark soy sauce is different from regular soy in that it's less salty. It's a LOT less salty compared to light soy sauce. Light soy sauce is amber in color, is clearer and thinner… but it is also saltier…. Dark soy sauce has a deeper color and more body. It’s less salty and used in relatively greater quantities. Seems like a little thing, but it makes the dish or breaks it.
If you get the right amount of salt no matter how long you marinade the wings won't be too salty. As a matter of fact, I marinated some wings a couple of weeks ago and could not get to grilling them for 4 days. They were no saltier than usually. And super tender. I may start marinating them for longer on purpose.
victor says
Glad you liked them!
Chris Tamberelli says
Omg, these were the best wings ever! Came out just like pictured. I made half plain and half buffalo . What a winner! Thank you.