Grilled Chicken Wings with Seasoned Buffalo Sauce
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I love the flavor and ease of cooking chicken wings on the grill. They are truly no fuss, no muss and finger lickin’ good!
Classic Buffalo chicken wings are fried but I love the flavor and ease of cooking them on the grill. They are truly no fuss, no muss and finger-lickin’ good! The key is to cook them over a moderate flame so that the fat renders out and the skin gets nice and crispy. You can serve them plain — they are perfectly delicious as is — but the seasoned Buffalo sauce takes them over the top. The sauce is mild enough for most kids. As you can see, my son and his friends polished off an entire 3-pound test batch in about ten minutes!
What you’ll need to make Grilled Chicken Wings with Buffalo Sauce
You can buy chicken wings already cut up or whole. If you buy them whole, the wings will consist of three parts: the drum, the flat/double-boned “wing” part, and the tip. To cut up a whole wing, start by cutting off the tip (which you can either discard or save for stock), then cut between the drum and the wing part. Try to cut the sections apart at the joints, where the cartilage is softer than solid bone. It’s easy once you get the hang of it.
Step-by-step instructions
Begin by seasoning the wings with salt and pepper.
Grill the wings over moderate heat, turning frequently, until golden. You don’t want the wings to char at all, so keep a close eye on the flame.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by melting the butter with the garlic in the microwave. Stir in the hot sauce and spices and set aside.
When the wings are done, dip them in the sauce. (Alternatively, you can serve the wings plain with the sauce on the side).
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Note: I like Frank’s Hot Sauce for this recipe because it’s pretty mild. For spicier wings, use a hotter sauce.
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- Crispy Tandoori Chicken Drumsticks with Mango Chutney
- Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Green Sauce
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Grilled BBQ Chicken
- Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Grilled Chicken Wings with Seasoned Buffalo Sauce
I love the flavor and ease of cooking chicken wings on the grill. They are truly no fuss, no muss and finger lickin’ good!
Ingredients
For the Wings
- 3 pounds chicken wings (if whole, cut into sections; discard the wing tips or save for stock)
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for grill
For the Seasoned Buffalo Sauce
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce (or similar brand)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Heat the grill to medium-high. Season the wings with salt and pepper.
- Using grill tongs, dip a wad of paper towels in oil, then carefully rub the grill grate until glossy and coated. Grill the wings, covered, flipping occasionally, until they are golden brown, crispy and completely cooked through, about 20 minutes. Keep a close eye on the grill: if there are flare-ups or the wings begin to burn, move the wings to a cooler part of the grill or reduce the heat. You don't want grill marks on the wings; just a nice and even golden-brown color.
- While the wings are cooking, make the sauce. Combine the butter and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook for about one minute in the microwave until the butter is melted. Stir in the hot sauce, salt, onion powder, chili powder and sugar. Set aside.
- Dip the cooked wings in the sauce and serve immediately. Alternatively, serve the wings plain with the sauce on the side.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 627
- Fat: 49g
- Saturated fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Sugar: 1g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 42g
- Sodium: 851mg
- Cholesterol: 205mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Hello, Jen! I would love to try these, but I don’t have a grill. Could these be done on a grill pan? If so, could you give me some guidance? Thank you!
Hi Valerie, I’d suggest swapping the grill for the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Arrange the wings in a single layer on a greased wire rack set over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, then bake for 45-50 minutes or until the skin is nice and crispy. Enjoy!
Out of all the recipes I have tried on this site, this chicken wing recipe is the ultimate favorite among everyone. Delicious, top-notch flavor!! Instead of Frank’s hot sauce, I use a small bottle of Nando’s Hot sauce; I like my wings a bit spicier and I find that the flavor goes *REALLY* well with the chicken, and it is thicker as well, so it sticks better to the chicken. Stellar!
thank you for this and many other recipes. All of your recipes are consistently good. My family loves it when I use your recipes. This chicken wing recipes has been a big hit with my teens and co-workers.
Wayyy too much butter and salt. I’m surprised.
I never do reviews, but I had to. Delicious. So easy and my new favorite way to eat wings. Since we moved, my family hasn’t found wings we love. These fit the bill. Super crispy skin and not even fried! I tried a crispy baked recipe. Disaster! Smoked the house up and they were far from crispy. I will make these again for sure.
Glad you enjoyed them, Tara! I’ve never been able to get crispy wings in the oven either.
This type of recipe is simple and anyone an do it.
A little basting of the sauce during the last two minutes of grilling works also, but don’t let it burn.
Thanks for this recipe, it’s time to wet the napkins.
These wings were delicious. The only modification I made was to sub sugar for agave nectar. They turned out amazing and looked exactly like your pictures! This is my new go-to wing recipe. They’re better than any I’ve had in a restaurant.
Just have to say, I was skeptical of this recipe because every other wing recipe I’ve tried are just….well, soggy and gross. But these were AMAZING!!! So much better than our best wing restaurant! I’ve made them once a week for the past month because they are that good!!! I’ve taken to baking them in the oven instead of the grill as I find the grilled flavor overwhelms that stellar, finger-licking good sauce!!! Even my 2 year old can’t get enough!!!
My family loves these, especially on the grill! Brought them to a pot-luck as a double recipe and they were the hit of the night! Note, best to grill right before serving. Served them with lots of celery sticks 🙂
Delicious – like the additional flavors in the sauce especially