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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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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I made this recipe for my wife and I on July 4th. Followed your directions to the T. They were the bomb!! My wife loved them. It brought back memories of my fathers grilled wings 30 years ago. Thank you so much for the recipe. This will be a summer treat for us all summer.
Loved it I want to save it for future use
I always cut the wings then deep fry but cutting the wings from the drumstick was always a hassle. I never thought about buffalo wings on the grill. So I tried your recipe. I will never deep fry again. Fall off the bone wings… and I did not mind the char at all. The best part was I took my Tongs and knife and separated the drumstick from the wing after 10 minutes on the grill. they almost came apart on their own. I left the tips on. The wife loved them. She said best wings ever.
The best wings! My family and friends love this wing recipe! I make it exactly according to Jens recipe. Perfectly seasoned and spicy. This is always requested at our summer barbecues. Thank you Jen!
I wish I had taken a picture, as they were amazing!!! Will definitely make again, and take a picture next time. FYI – I cooked them in a cast iron skillet instead of directly on the grill. Much less risk of losing a wing for me! :). Thanks for the recipe.
1 recommended adjustment: substitute a *small* glug of molasses for the sugar. It will help the sauce stick to the wings a little better and add another layer of flavor to the sauce. Two cents….
This is our favorite wing sauce. I like to add Frank’s wing sauce IN ADDITION TO the Franks’s hot sauce (same amount). It takes some of the oiliness from the butter and has a great flavor. Yummm!
These were delicious! We ate every single one of them! Easy, tasty and just spicy enough.
I made these for the superbowl side by side with wings cooked on the grill in a pouch of foil. These wings hands down were the favorite. I used Frank’s buffalo sauce and did use half a cup rather than a quarter. They were a hit!
My apologies, Jenn. Once scrolled down far enough I found the answer to my question!
Just love all your recipes!