Name: BBQ Grilled Chicken Wings
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 lb chicken wings, ((appetizer size or regular wings)); 4 Tablespoons fresh garlic, (minced); 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ((increase if you want a spicer version)); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup ranch dressing; 2 cups ketchup; 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar; 1/2 cup honey; 1/2 cup light brown sugar; 1/2 Tablespoon smoked paprika; 1/2 Tablespoon chili powder; 1/2 Tablespoon garlic, (minced); 1/2 Tablespoon granulated onion; 1/2 Tablespoon parsley, (dried); 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee, ((I used Starbuck's Pike's Peak but any Dark or French Roast will work))

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BBQ grilled chicken wings are the perfect summertime food. Grilled to perfection in a sweet and smoky homemade BBQ sauce, these wings can be eaten with one hand while holding a cold beverage in the other! Perfect for any get together and a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

This post is brought to you by M&R Specialty Trailers and Trucks, a supporter of really great BBQ this summer! All opinions are entirely my own.

Summer is here and that means it's time to fire up the grill and start barbequing these BBQ Chicken Wings! These yummy little wings are perfect for any poolside appetizer and also are perfect as a main dish.

Living in a warm climate has its advantages. I grill and smoke all kinds of food year round, but there is just something special about grilling and smoking meat during the summer months. Firing up the grill and/or smoker just "fits".

There are so many amazing recipes I've created that are perfect for grilling and smoking, like my 10 Garlic Clove Marinated Grilled Filet and my Applewood Smoked Chicken and now, I have a brand new grilled wings recipe that you are going to fall in love with!

Ingredients You'll Need

There's 2 steps to making these wings. The first thing we want to do is make the rub. You'll need the following:

To start the process, mince the garlic cloves and add to a medium size bowl. Combine the fresh minced garlic, cayenne pepper, and salt with a spoon. Gently rub the mixture onto each chicken wing.

This is a wet rub and it's not going to spread well. That's ok. The goal here is to get the fresh garlic and cayenne pepper directly on the chicken wings for flavor purposes. This step enhances the flavor of the wings. Now it's time to baste these wings in BBQ sauce and ranch dressing.

BBQ Sauce for Wings

Before we go any further, let's talk about different types of BBQ sauce. You have the option to use store bought BBQ sauce or make your own. With this recipe, I've done both. But I'm pretty partial to making my own homemade BBQ sauce because well...it's just AMAZING.

Can't decide if you like your BBQ sauce smoky or sweet? Well, I'm going to give you the best of both worlds. This BBQ sauce recipe is easy to make and both sweet and smoky. It's a bit on sweeter side, but my secret to cutting some of the sweetness is to add just enough strong brewed coffee to the BBQ sauce while it's simmering on the stove. The coffee also adds a bit of smoky flavoring.

Ok...back to these wings.

We're going to start by making a pouch out of aluminum foil. To make a foil pouch, tear off a piece of 18x18 heavy-duty aluminum foil. Lay it on a flat surface and place 3-4 chicken wings in the center of the foil. Using a basting brush, evenly coat the ranch dressing on each side of the chicken wings. Then, baste on the homemade barbecue sauce on top of the ranch covered wings. The goal here is to ensure each chicken wing is covered with fall the ingredients, the fresh garlic, cayenne pepper, ranch dressing, and BBQ sauce. This step is what gives the chicken wings the flavor.

Now it's time to seal the foil pouch. Pull each side of the aluminum foil up and fold the top. Make sure you fold each end to ensure the foil packet is sealed.

Cooking Chicken Wings on the Grill

Preheat the grill and place each foil packet directly on the wire racks. Grill for 30 minutes. There is no need to "flip" the packets or move them around. Just let them cook on the grill.

I took a little sneak peak about 25 minutes into grilling these packets. As you can see, the chicken is starting to reflect that golden, grilled appearance and the meat is starting to fall off the bones.

That's what you want.

Once the chicken wings are done, remove them from the foil pouch and place them on a plate. Again, the meat should be slightly falling off the bone at this point and have that golden brown appearance.

The next thing you're going to do is place the chicken wings back on the grill. Gently brush on the BBQ sauce and let the wings finish grilling, about 5 minutes on each side. When it comes to chicken wings grill time, you'll know they're done based on the the total time they cooked (30 minutes), the golden color, and those coveted grill marks.

Should I Use Bite Size or Normal Size Chicken Wings?

You can make this recipe with appetizer size chicken wings or you can make them with regular sized chicken wings. I've done both and the recipe turns out so amazing regardless of the size of the chicken wing.

I prefer the bigger chicken wings because they are big, juicy, and so flavorful. That's more of a meal for me. When I'm entertaining, I tend to buy a bag of the frozen bite size wings. Just let them completely thaw and you're ready to start grilling.

One thing is for sure...regardless of the size of wing you use, these won't last long so grab them while they are hot!

Expert Tips & FAQs

Frozen chicken wings - I don't recommend grilling frozen chicken wings. Thawed is always best. I find that when I've grilled frozen or partially frozen chicken meat, I never get a balanced doneness and the texture is off.
Making a foil pouch - To make a foil pouch, tear off a piece of 18x18 heavy-duty aluminum foil. Lay it on a flat surface and place 3-4 chicken wings in the center of the foil. Using a basting brush, evenly coat the ranch dressing on each side of the chicken wings. Then, baste on the barbecue sauce. To seal the foil pouch, pull each side of the aluminum foil up and fold the top. Make sure you fold each end to ensure the foil packet is sealed.
When are chicken wings done? - A lot of people think that dark meat needs to cook until it reaches 175°F. But that's not necessary. According to the USDA, all Poultry (breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, and giblets) are considered fully cooked at 165°F.
Digital thermometer - it's always a good idea to use a digital thermometer when cooking. I always insert the thermometer at a slight angle to avoid touching the bone. When inserting a digital thermometer into the meat, it's really important that the probe does not touch any part of the bone. Bone conducts heat faster than the meat, which will result in a higher temperature reading.
Discard the marinade - you'll want to discard the ranch and barbecue liquid from the foil pouch. Don't pour the leftover sauce the meat cooked in. It's a bit too greasy and using fresh barbecue will always taste better.

Side Dishes for Chicken Wings

So many wonderful side dishes pair well with this grilled chicken wings recipe, like my Potato Salad and my Grilled Corn with Fresh Lime and Cotija Cheese. If you're smoking these chicken wings, they pair amazingly well with my Smoked Macaroni and Cheese and my Smoker Baked Beans with Bacon.

Summertime is a great season to enjoy the simple things in life. Take the time to hang out with your friends and family. Relax and enjoy the pool. Take the time to grill and/or smoke your favorite BBQ this summer!

If you made this recipe, leave me a comment and give this recipe a star review! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #recipesworthrepeating and tagging me @recipesworthrepeating.

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BBQ sauce recipe inspired by my dear friend Tyler Bain, the best engineer of software and food!
Update Notes: This post was originally published in May 2017, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips in June 2019.

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