The Easiest Grilled Chicken Wings with No Charring!
Add Preferred SourceThese Grilled Chicken Wings are smoky, crispy, and packed with big backyard flavor. They come off the grill with charred edges, juicy meat, and that kind of bite that makes you reach for another before you’ve even finished the first.
This post may contain affiliate link(s). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See Disclosure.
A good wing recipe should feel easy, and this one does. The grill does most of the work, giving you wings that are crisp in all the right places, full of flavor, and perfect for piling high on a platter. They’re right at home on game day, at summer cookouts, or on any night when a big batch of wings sounds like the right move.
The Backyard Table
Get it NOW and level up your outdoor dining! The Backyard Table - Recipes for Summer Cookouts features 34 of Chef Jenn's BEST recipes for outdoor eating and entertaining.
You'll get ad-free recipes like:
- Grilled Corn Guacamole
- Grilled French Onion Burgers
- Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
- Blueberry Grunt
- and so many more!
Every recipe is created, tested and loved by Chef Jenn and her family - there's no AI here!
Get it now, at a special introductory price of $7.99. That's over 50 pages of foodie love at your fingertips!
Buy Now!They’re also easy to make. Serve them dry right off the grill, or toss them in buffalo sauce, BBQ sauce, or something sweet and sticky if you want to change things up. However you finish them, these wings disappear fast.
This Grilled Chicken Wings recipe is also easy to double or triple. So grab a bunch of wings – flats, drummies or both, and get grilling!
Ingredients
- Chicken wings – Pat them very dry with paper towel. Wet wings won’t crisp up on the grill.
- Olive oil – Use regular olive oil, not extra virgin. Extra virgin can smoke and taste bitter at high grill heat. You can also use any cooking oil.
- Smoked paprika – Smoked paprika adds smoky depth. Regular paprika works but won’t give the same flavor. Want to add some spice? Use 1 ½ teaspoons regular smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon of smoked hot paprika. Yum!
- Garlic powder – Not garlic salt, or the wings will be too salty.
- Onion powder – Not onion salt, or the wings will be too salty.
- Salt – I use kosher salt.
- Black pepper – Freshly cracked black pepper tastes best, but pre-ground works.
How To Make Grilled Chicken Wings
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Prepare your grill with two heat zones: a hot side for direct heat and a cooler side for indirect heat. This setup matters because wings burn quickly over direct heat before they fully cook through.
Pat the wings very dry with paper towels; this helps the skin crisp better on the grill instead of steaming. Add the wings to a large mixing bowl.
Drizzle the wings with the olive oil and toss until lightly coated.
In a small bowl, mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the wings and toss again until every piece is coated well.
Place the wings on the cool side of the grill in a single layer. Close the lid and cook for 20 minutes.
Flip the wings using long-handled tongs and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes with the lid closed. The wings should be nearly cooked through at this point.
Move the wings to the hot side of the grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, turning often, until the skin is lightly charred and crisp in spots.
Transfer the wings to a platter and serve immediately.
Chef Jenn’s Recipe Notes
- A digital meat thermometer makes wings easy. You want them cooked through, and wings are happiest around 165°F, where the meat gets tender and juicy.
- Patting the wings dry is worth the extra minute. Wet wings won’t char as nicely.
- Use indirect heat first, or the outside will burn before the inside is done.
- If you want sauced wings, grill them first, then toss them in the sauce right before serving so the sugar in the sauce doesn’t burn on the grill.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these grilled wings with ranch or blue cheese dressing, plus celery and carrot sticks for a classic wing platter. They’re also great tossed in buffalo sauce, BBQ sauce, or honey garlic if you want to switch up the flavor.
Storage
Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven, air fryer, or on the grill until hot and crisp again.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but it’s not ideal. Frozen wings release a lot of moisture as they thaw, which makes it harder to get that crisp, charred skin. If you’re in a pinch, start them over indirect heat longer to fully thaw and cook through before finishing over direct heat.
Clean, well-oiled grates make the biggest difference. Use an oil mister to lightly grease the grates before grilling, and ensure your grill is hot enough before adding the wings. Let the wings cook undisturbed for a few minutes before flipping. If they stick, they’re not ready to move yet and will release naturally once the skin sets.
Air-drying the wings uncovered in the fridge for a few hours before grilling helps a lot. You can also toss the wings lightly with baking powder before seasoning, which helps draw out moisture and improve crisping.
You can, but you’ll need to manage flare-ups carefully. Keep the heat at medium and move the wings around frequently so they don’t burn before cooking through. A two-zone setup just gives you more control and fewer headaches.
That usually comes down to moisture and heat. If the skin isn’t dry enough or the grill isn’t hot enough during the final stage, the skin won’t tighten and crisp properly.
Grilled Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the grill with two heat zones: a hot side for direct heat and a cooler side for indirect heat to prevent burning before the wings cook through.
- Pat the wings very dry with paper towels and place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil and toss until lightly coated.
- Mix smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, then sprinkle it over the wings and toss until evenly coated.
- Arrange the wings in a single layer on the cool side of the grill, close the lid, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Flip with long-handled tongs and cook another 10–15 minutes with the lid closed until nearly cooked through.
- Move the wings to the hot side and cook for 3–5 minutes, turning often, until lightly charred and crisp in spots.
- Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Recipe Notes
- Temper your wings before adding to the grill. This means to set them on the counter for an hour (no longer!) to take the chill off. They’ll grill more evenly that way.
- I love serving these wings with BBQ sauce for dipping, and they’re great at just about every kind of cookout.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
