How to Grill Crispy Hot Wings

Even when armed with the right knowledge, some things in the BBQ grilling world can be tricky. Let’s talk about chicken wings. Nothing is more disappointing than biting into a soggy chicken wing with flimsy skin when you are expecting that heavenly crispy crunch of the outer layer. Thanks to our good friends at BBQ Guys and Rasheed Philips, let’s go through the basics for grilling crispy hot wings.

Prep Chicken Wings

Prepping chicken wings for the grill is the same as oven or fryer prep. While many people opt to fry or bake chicken wings, not everyone considers grilling and smoking them.  Since there is not a lot of extra fat in wings, it’s a delicate balance with the fat that’s there.  Smoking chicken wings brings out a unique flavor that takes everything over the top. So, let’s dive into setting the stage for the crispiest grilled wings imaginable.

Whole or Sectioned?

You can purchase chicken wings whole or already sectioned. Whole wings are slightly cheaper but take a bit of time to properly cut. Sectioned wings cost slightly more but are much more convenient since this eliminates the time to cut the wings. It’s recommended to grill chicken wings that have been cut up. A whole chicken wing will not cook evenly since it does not sit perfectly flat on the grill grates. Plus, wings are meant to be served in individual pieces – your guests will appreciate this!

Cutting Basics

All you need is a cutting board, a kitchen knife or a pair of kitchen shears. The wings are divided into three pieces: the meaty drum (or drumette), the thinner flat (or wingette), and the wing tip (or flapper). The tip has little to no meat and should be discarded or used to make a stock. Here’s a quick breakdown on how to section a chicken wing:

1. Trim excess fat from the top of the drum.
2. Flip the chicken wing so the skin side faces down on the cutting board and the bones and joints are visible.
3. Stretch out the wing so you can make a clean cut between both the wing tip and flat, then the flat and the drum. Use your fingers to find the joints between each piece, which contain cartilage and are much easier to slice than bone. You may find it helpful to cut through the skin to see the bones, then pop the joints to help you know exactly where to cut between them.
4. Locate the bone ridge in the joint between the wing tip and the flat. Cut straight through, then discard the tip or use to make a stock.
5. Locate the ridge of the drum bone that ends in the joint between the drum and flat. Place knife or blades of kitchen shears next to the ridge and cut straight through to separate. If the blade doesn’t slide right through, feel again for the ridge and reposition the cut as necessary. The trickiest part is cutting in the right spot between the drum and the flat on the first try.

Brining Chicken Wings

Brining guarantees tender and juicy meat. Especially since chicken tends to dry out. Use a wet brine by mixing 1 gallon of water and ½ cup of salt. A classic poultry wet brine would also include about ½ cup of sugar. If using a particular sauce that includes sweetness such as honey, there is no need to include sugar in the brine. Add the wing pieces to the brine and rest in the fridge for 4 hours. The wings will then need a quick rinse and patted dry with paper towels. This is crucial for forming crispy skin. Then season with herbs and spices. Now we are ready to start grilling the perfect crispy chicken wings!

The Key to Grilled Crispy Wings

Getting the perfect cook while nailing the crispy skin starts with the magic of dual zone grilling. A simple division of the grill into 2 zones with different types of heat. On one side is the direct heat zone, where food is placed directly above the flames for searing or grilling at high temperatures. The other side is the indirect-heat zone, which is a low-temperature area for smoking or roasting. Dual grilling zones will result in the smoky flavors from a full cook over indirect heat, plus the crispy, golden-brown skin that can only be achieved with direct heat.

Smoking & Grilling the Hot Wings

Let’s look at the step-by-step process to achieve the perfectly grilled chicken wings. Basically, all you need to do is keep an eye on the clock and the grill’s temperature:

1. Set up dual grilling zones and preheat your grill to about 275–300°F.
2. Place brined, rinsed, and seasoned wings on the indirect portion of the grill, be sure not to overcrowd them. Shut the lid cook for about 30–40 minutes.
3. Transfer wings to the direct-heat zone, which will be hotter than the indirect side. Grill for about 5–7 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F as measured by a food thermometer.
4. Remove wings from the grill, toss in a sauce of your choosing, and serve.

What Type of Smoking Wood is Best for Chicken Wings?

You can use whatever type of smoking wood you’d like. Rasheed picked pecan for his Scotch bonnet wings. “If you want that really, really good smokiness, add in some pecan blocks, chunks, or chips,” Rasheed says. “It’s really going to make a difference. It gives the wings a different color, and that’s something you may want to consider as well when you’re doing your cook.” He used 2 chunks for the Scotch bonnet recipe because you won’t need much more than that for this short of a smoke session.

Using Peppers to Make Your Own Wing Sauce

How about making your own wing sauce for those perfectly cooked wings? Using the sauce from Rasheed’s lemon Scotch bonnet pepper wings recipe as an example. If you’ve never made your own sauce from scratch, we recommend following this recipe (provided below) and experimenting to better fit your tastes. He uses fresh hot peppers resulting in the best crispy hot wings!

Time to Fire Up the Grill

Now it’s time to fire up the grill and impress your friends and family with your newfound chicken wing knowledge. If you are ready to spread those wings and soar, start out with the Crispy Lemon Scotch Bonnet Pepper Wings recipe below. Experiment with different peppers and fine tune your homemade hot wing sauce!