How to Make Chicken Wings on the Grill With Just 3 Ingredients
By Rhoda Boone. Photo by: Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone.
Most people are planning on burgers or ribs when they fire up their grill. Me? I start thinking about chicken wings. Grilled chicken wings are less messy to make than the classic fried version—not to mention delicious—so what's not to love? They cook up quickly and are a great way to feed a crowd, both big and small. And since grilled wings are so delicious on their own, they only need a couple additional ingredients (plus pantry staples like oil, salt, and pepper) to make them so addictive that no one can eat just one. Convinced? Here's how to make chicken wings on the grill:
Buy Your Wings
You can buy wings either whole or with the "flats" and drumettes separated. I prefer to grill whole wings because they are easier to move around on the grill and keep intact. If you want to go all out and ensure a wing that's crispy in all its nooks and crannies, try this skewer tip. And if you can only find flats and drumettes separated, that's ok, too.
Choose Your Flavor
Don't get me wrong—plain salt and pepper grilled chicken wings are great, but they have the potential to be so much MORE. Chicken marries well with so many flavor combinations, sowhy not try out few on a batch of wings? There are two methods for adding tons of flavor to grilled wings:
1. Marinate Before Grilling
Just 30 minutes of marinating is enough time for a marinade to impart great flavor to your wings, but you could also let them sit overnight in the refrigerator for an even deeper flavor. Here are two to try:
Curry + Yogurt
Inspired by these Garlic-Curry Chicken Thighs (one of my favorite easy weeknight recipes), I simplified this marinade down to just the essentials. The yogurt adds tang and helps to tenderize the chicken, while just a few shakes of curry powder add a pretty golden color and warm, complex, aromatic seasoning.
Get this recipe: 3-Ingredient Curry Grilled Chicken Wings
Garlic + Herb
Hardy herbs like thyme, rosemary, or oregano, plus pungent garlic, are a match made in heaven on the grill. The flames soften and sweeten the raw garlic and lightly char the herbs for a crowd-pleasing combo that's hard to resist. The longer the wings sit with these flavorings, the better they'll taste when they come off the grill.
Get this recipe: 3-Ingredient Garlic-Herb Grilled Chicken Wings
2. Toss in Sauce After Grilling
Here's another wings strategy: Instead of marinating the wings before grilling, you can just toss them in sauce when they come off the grills. Here are two options:
Hot Sauce + Butter
A few generous glugs of Frank's Hot Sauce and melted butter deliver big Buffalo hot wing flavor. Brush a little sauce on the wings at the end of grilling for caramelized flavor, then toss them in more sauce before serving to maximize the messy fun.
Get this recipe: 3-Ingredient Buffalo Grilled Chicken Wings
Gochujang + Scallion
Gochujang is a Korean red pepper sauce that's a bit little sweet and a little bit spicy. Thin it out with some water and toss the wings in the mixture straight off the grill for an addictive coating. Finish things off with bright, fresh sliced scallion.
Get this recipe: 3-Ingredient Korean Grilled Chicken Wings with Scallion
Nail the Cooking Method
Once you've got your flavor profile sorted, it's time to start cooking. First things first: pat your wings very dry with paper towels. This will help the wings crisp rather than steam on the grill. Then, depending on which wing flavor you choose, toss the wings into their marinade or just season them with just oil, salt, and pepper.
I like to build a two-zone fire with one side at medium heat and the other at medium-high. I grill the wings over medium heat for about 12 minutes, turning occasionally, to help slowly render the fat and gently cook the flesh without burning the exterior. Then, I move them to the medium-high zone for 5-10 more minutes, until they are cooked through (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the flesh but not touching the bone should register 165°F) and the skin is crisp and lightly charred.
Last step: Toss those wings in sauce (if using), transfer them to a platter, season with salt and pepper, and watch them disappear!
This story originally appeared on Epicurious.
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