Grilled to perfection, these BBQ chicken wings can be eaten with one hand while holding a cold beverage in the other! Tender and juicy, these are perfect for any get-together and are a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
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I've never met anyone who didn't love chicken wings. When I make smoked chicken wings, they never last more than 30 minutes and these grilled chicken wings are no different. Every bite is infused with big flavor! We've been grilling everything from these Italian kebabs to Grilled Corn with Cotija Cheese. And this grilled chicken wings recipe is perfect as an appetizer, a snack, or paired with your favorite pizza!
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
There are 2 separate steps you'll need to take when making these barbecue wings. Mixing the rub is the first part which consists of combining fresh minced garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper. From there, you'll baste ranch dressing and barbecue sauce onto each wing.
For the wings, you can use party wings or larger wings. If you use party wings, you'll get drumettes and flats. This is what the restaurants serve and the type everyone loves. Drumettes are the single bone part of the wing and flats are the double bone part.
You have the option to use store bought BBQ sauce or make your own homemade version. When making this recipe, I've done both. But I'm pretty partial to making my own because the flavor is out-of-this-world delicious. My homemade BBQ sauce recipe is easy to make and both sweet and smoky. It's a bit on sweeter side, but the secret to cutting some of that is to add just enough strong brewed coffee to the BBQ sauce while it's simmering on the stove. The coffee also enhances the smoky flavor.
📋 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
To start the process, mince the garlic cloves and add to a small bowl. Mix the fresh minced garlic, cayenne pepper, and salt with a spoon. Gently rub the mixture onto each chicken wing and set them aside.
Next, make a pouch out of aluminum foil so you can grill the chicken wings in the ranch and BBQ sauce. Or, you can use a grilling bag. Using a basting brush, evenly coat the ranch dressing on each side of the wings. Then, baste on barbecue sauce.
Seal the foil pouch and pull each side of the aluminum foil up and fold the top. Make sure to fold each end to ensure the foil pouch is sealed.
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 425°F) and place each foil pouch directly on the grill grates. Grill for 30 minutes. There is no need to "flip" the packets or move them around. Just let them slowly cook on the grill.
I took a little sneak peak about 25 minutes into grilling. 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 they are done, remove them from the foil pouch and place them directly on the grill grates. You can oil the grill grates if you want, but since they are coated in sauce already they shouldn't stick.
Gently brush on additional BBQ sauce and let them finish grilling, about 5 minutes on each side. If grilling party wings, allow them to grill for 5 minutes ensuring you turn them frequently. They are done when an internal meat thermometer registers to 165°F. The total time it takes to cook should be around 30 minutes and each wing should be golden in color.
These grilled chicken wings are perfectly tender and juicy on the inside. Whether you eat these as a snack or enjoy them as the ultimate game day food, the flavors are so good you won't be able to stop eating them!
🙋🏼 Frequently Asked Questions
You can make these grilled chicken wings with party size or you can make them with regular size wings. I've used both and this recipe turns out amazing regardless of the size I use. When I'm entertaining or eating pizza, I like to buy bite-size party wings.
Most of the buffalo chicken wings you get at restaurants are deep-fried. That's why they are so deliciously crispy. When you grill wings, they don't get that crisp skin. Even though these lack that fried crispiness, the flavor, convenience, and grill marks make up for it.
In general, it takes about 20 minutes to grill wings over medium-high heat on a grill; however, it will vary depending on the size of the wings and what type of grill you use. Before you remove them from the grill, use a digital thermometer to ensure the meat has reached 165°F. According to the USDA, all Poultry is considered fully cooked at 165°F.
💭 Expert Tips
- These wings are mild but if you want to add a bit more heat, add additional cayenne pepper.
- I don't recommend grilling frozen 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.
- 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 wings in the center of the foil. Using a basting brush, evenly coat the ranch dressing on each side . 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 pouch is sealed.
- It's always a good idea to use a digital thermometer when cooking or grilling. I always insert the thermometer at a slight angle into the wing to avoid touching the bone. Bone conducts heat faster than the meat, which will result in a higher temperature reading.
- To ensure no bacteria is introduced, discard the ranch and barbecue liquid from the foil pouch.
🥘 Side Dishes for Chicken Wings
A good Idaho potato salad recipe pairs amazingly well with these grilled chicken wings. If you're smoking these on a smoker, they taste so good with my easy-to-prep smoked green beans. I also enjoy eating these wings alongside a big batch of my air fryer french fries!
If you love grilling chicken, be sure to check out my
Greek marinated chicken recipe that is not only mouthwatering delicious, but also easy to prep and grill!
BBQ Grilled Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken wings, (party wings or regular size)
For The Rub
- 4 Tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, (increase if you want a spicer version)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup ranch dressing
For the BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ Tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ Tablespoon chili powder
- ½ Tablespoon garlic, minced
- ½ Tablespoon granulated onion
- ½ Tablespoon parsley, dried
- ¼ cup strong brewed coffee, (any dark roast works)
Instructions
To Make the BBQ Sauce
- Combine all BBQ sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Using a whisk, stir until well combined.
- Allow the sauce to cook until it starts to slightly boil. Once the sauce starts to get thick, remove from the stovetop and set aside.
To Make the Wings
- In a mixing bowl, combine the fresh minced garlic, cayenne pepper, and salt. Gently rub the mixture onto each wing.
- Take a large piece of aluminum foil and make a foil pouch. To make a foil pouch, tear off a piece of 18x18 heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- Place 3-4 chicken wings onto the foil (or 4-5 smaller ones). Gently baste on the ranch dressing and the BBQ sauce until each piece is coated on both sides. Pull each side of the aluminum foil up and fold the top. Make sure you fold each end to ensure the foil pouch is sealed.
- Light the grill to medium-high heat and when heated, place the foil pouches directly onto the grill grates.
- Grill the wings in the aluminum pouch for 30 minutes, or until the meat is just starting to fall off the bone.
- Once done, remove the aluminum pouch from the grill and using tongs, take the wings out and then gently place them back onto the grill grates.
- Baste on additional BBQ sauce until fully coated. Grill for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, turn each wing over and brush on the BBQ sauce until fully coated. Grill for 5 more minutes.
- When done, remove them from the grill and then place them on a plate. Serve immediately with extra BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, and garnish with carrots and celery!
Notes
- This recipe is mild but if you want to add a bit more heat, add additional cayenne pepper.
- 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 wings in the center of the foil. Using a basting brush, evenly coat the ranch dressing on each side. 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 pouch is sealed.
- 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.
- It's always a good idea to use a digital thermometer when cooking or grilling. I always insert the thermometer at a slight angle into the wing to avoid touching the bone. Bone conducts heat faster than the meat, which will result in a higher temperature reading.
- To ensure no bacteria is introduced, discard the ranch and barbecue liquid from the foil pouch.
Nutrition
- BBQ sauce recipe provided 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 March 2022.
- 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.
Mrsb
Terrible. Wings burned and stuck to the foil after 30 minutes. Maybe the foil should have been greased? I had to throw the entire batch out.
Amanda Mason
Hi there! I'm sorry you had a bad experience BUT it does not look like you followed the directions. This recipe does not call for you to smoke wings on foil. My instructions are to place them directly on the smoker racks. That was the first issue. When smoking, one should never rely on time alone. In the article I wrote, I advised to insert a digital thermometer and when the meat has reached 165°F, they can be removed from the smoker. This ensures they will never burn. Also, did you baste the chicken wings once through the smoking process? This helps maintain the moisture which should always counteract burning. Wings won't burn at 225°F unless they are in there for hours and hours...are you sure the internal smoker temperature was maintained at 225°F?
This recipe has gotten a lot of 5 star reviews. I think the biggest cause for your burning was you putting the wings on aluminum foil. Air needs to circulate when smoking wings, especially party size wings.
Lorie
My hubby is gonna be one happy man when I show him this recipe. Looks like I know what dinner tonight will be!!
Amanda Mason
These are SO delish! My hubby loves them!! Your hubby will too!! Cheers!
Ben
Wings are one of my weaknesses. I generally don't make my own, but do use Alton Brown's oven recipe on occasion. I might have to give this a whirl.. it looks awesome.
Amanda Mason
These are SO yummy...oh my goodness! Totally work making them yourself!! Let me know how you like them!!
Melissa Griffiths
These look delicious! And I love the idea of grilling them in the foil pockets first so they don't dry out! No one likes dry grilled chicken!
Amanda Mason
Thank you!! Yes - these are so moist and I think it's because I wrap them in the foil pockets. It traps all that moisture in!!
G. Mason
Sooooooooo good! Loved the homemade sauce.
Amanda Mason
Thanks! So yummy!!