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Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings

4.84 from 42 votes

These crispy grilled chicken wings are simple, easy, and delicious! The wings are seasoned beautifully with the homemade spice rub, made of basic pantry ingredients. This is the ultimate chicken wings recipe for home grillers to make all summer long. It's also a great chicken recipe for any weeknight dinner throughout the year.

Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings

In this post, you will learn how to get crispy skin on grilled chicken wings that taste just like or even better than deep-fried wings! These wings are made with very little oil, meaning fewer calories.

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Why You'll Love This Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings Recipe

  • Crispy Skin and Tender Meat. The meat is so tender and moist on the inside while crispy on the outside. It’s the perfect crispy chicken wings recipe without all of the oil and deep-frying!
  • Flavorful. Buffalo chicken wings taste great and are quite popular but I think it's time to try something new with this recipe. These chicken wings are seasoned with a unique spice blend that you can easily find in your pantry or at local grocers.
Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings

What Makes These Grilled Chicken Wings Taste Great?

These chicken wings taste great because of the seasoning and the good quality of the meat. The homemade seasoning or rub spice is made of black peppercorn, five-spice powder, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, brown sugar, salt, and oil.

This combination of spices adds complex flavors to the wings, yet does not overpower them. It just has a nice balance of saltiness, and sweetness, with both peppery and smoky flavors.

Crispy Grilled Chicken WIngs

Crisp the Chicken With Baking Powder

I added baking powder as a secret ingredient to achieve truly crispy and restaurant-style chicken wings without deep frying. It's the same baking powder that people use as a leavening agent in baked goods.

Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings

Combining baking powder and salt helps break down the protein and draws out the moisture in the wings' skin. As a result, the skin will be crispy while the meat remains moist.

Crispy Wings

Please note, do not substitute baking powder with baking soda as it will make the chicken taste bad when used in excessive amounts or cooked too long at high temperatures.

Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings

Recipe Tips

  • Drying. Make sure to pat dry the chicken wings before mixing them with seasoning and baking powder.
party wings
  • Marinating. Arrange the chicken wings on a prepared baking sheet and chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours or up to overnight. You want to chill them uncovered, so be sure to put them in the safest place in the fridge, away from fresh produce to avoid cross-contamination. If you don't have enough space in the fridge, feel free to marinate in an airtight container or a large zip-lock bag.
Marinated wings
  • Let it sit out. Make sure to bring the wings close to room temperature for about 15 minutes before cooking.

Can You Bake These Chicken Wings?

Of course! You can bake these chicken wings in the oven at 425°F or even use any kitchen gadgets, such as an air fryer or an electric pressure cooker.

Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings

Whatever cooking method you choose, this chicken wing recipe will never fail you!


Check Out More Delicious Chicken Recipes

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don’t mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. Be sure to subscribe to receive weekly recipes and follow me on Pinterest.

📖 Recipe

Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings

Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings

Rika
These crispy grilled chicken wings are simple, easy, and delicious! The wings are seasoned beautifully with basic pantry ingredients. The meat is so tender and moist on the inside while crispy on the outside. It’s the perfect crispy chicken wings recipe without all of the oil and deep-frying!
4.84 from 42 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 350 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds chicken wings, (pat the wings dry with paper towels)

Dry Rub:

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon five-spice powder
  • ¾ tablespoon ground cumin
  • ¾ tablespoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, (and more to oil your grill)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh whole black peppercorns, (crushed)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, (or use ¼ teaspoon less salt per 2 pounds of chicken if you are salt-sensitive)

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, add dry rub ingredients (including the oil) and mix well. Place the party wings into a ziplock bag or large mixing bowl. Add dry rub and massage it all over the party wings.
  • Put the wings in a single-layer prepared baking sheet in your fridge, uncovered for at least 8 hours and up to overnight (preferably). *see notes*
  • Remove the wings from the fridge. Bring the wings close to the room temperature for about 15 minutes before cooking.
  • Preheat the grill over medium heat. Oil your grill, add wings, and cook. Flip the wings every 5 minutes for a total of 20-25 minutes of cooking time or until fully cooked and no longer pink.

Video

Notes

Prepared baking sheet. You can use a baking sheet with a wire rack (preferred method) or line a baking sheet with parchment paper
When you marinate the wings in the fridge, be sure to put them away from fresh produce to avoid cross-contamination. If you don't have enough space in the fridge, feel free to marinate in an airtight container or a large zip-lock bag.
Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest area of the wing being careful to avoid the bone. If the wings are below the minimum safe internal temperature of 165 °F, return to the grill.
Please note, do not substitute baking powder with baking soda as it will make the chicken taste bad when used in excessive amounts or cooked too long at high temperatures.
You can find the five-spice powder at Target for $2.69
 
You can check out more reviews on Pinterest. 

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 23gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 1499mgPotassium: 267mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 208IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 183mgIron: 3mg
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Comments

    4.84 from 42 votes (35 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Dannii says

    5 stars
    oooh these look super crispy and delicious. Great game day food.

  2. Beth says

    5 stars
    Yum! These are making my mouth water! I can't wait to make these!

    • Rika Livingston says

      They are so tasty! Enjoy!

  3. Anjali says

    5 stars
    I love that these chicken wings are grilled and not fried!! They taste delicious but are so much better for you!

    • Rika Livingston says

      Agreed! Thanks for sharing your feedback!

  4. Ashley says

    5 stars
    I cannot believe I grilled these, and they were as crispy as frying/baking with baking powder!! YUM!

    • Rika Livingston says

      I am glad that this grilled chicken wings recipe turned out well for you!

  5. Tawnie Kroll says

    5 stars
    These were so crispy and delicious. Thank you for a yummy recipe!!

    • Rika Livingston says

      I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Tawnie!

  6. Susan F says

    5 stars
    Delicious and easy! I quadrupled the recipe for a Labor Day BBQ and seasoned the wings with the spice rub for 24 hours before grilling time. After cooking, we tossed some with a sauce made from melted butter, dehydrated onions & garlic and Franks Red Hot sauce for those that liked their wings spicier. They were a big hit. The few that were leftover reheated nicely in the toaster oven the next day. Thanks, Rika.

    • Rika Livingston says

      Hi Susan,

      I appreciate you sharing your feedback! I am glad that this worked out for you and especially for a holiday barbeque. The sauce sounds really good, I have a huge bottle of Franks in my kitchen and will have to try your combination. Thanks again, Susan!

  7. Kim S says

    Do you only use the oil on the grill or are you supposed to add it to the rub?

    • Rika says

      Hi Kim,

      That's a great question. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the dry rub and use more oil (as needed) to grease the grill.

      I'm here if you have any further questions.

      Best,

      Rika

  8. Kelly says

    5 stars
    Made these wings for Super Bowl party today. Needed no sauces to dip wings in. The spice rub was a great combination. Oven temp and length of baking was spot on. I took this wings to our daughters house (25 minute drive) and put paper towel down in a box and wings on top to absorb any moisture and they stayed crisp and warm. Thank you for recipe.

    • Rika says

      Hi Kelly, that's so awesome to hear thank you! Glad the temp and timing worked well; it good idea on the paper towels.
      I am actually watching the big game right now and I too made wings... I hope everyone is enjoying them!

      Best,

      Rika