Grilled Chicken Wings: a weeknight method

A plate of grilled chicken wings coated in herbs.

These grilled chicken wings are coated in a flavorful garlic, lemon and herb marinade, then grilled to golden brown perfection. A unfussy yet satisfying appetizer or main course that’s straightforward to make and always a crowd pleaser!

One thing I love about chicken wings is that they are so versatile. This grilled chicken wings recipe is one of my favorites with plenty of garlic and herb flavor. If you’re a wing lover, be sure to also check out my baked chicken wings, smoked chicken wings and lemon pepper chicken wings.

Whenever I’m entertaining, I love to put out a big platter of grilled chicken wings. These wings are tender and flavorful; people always go crazy for them! I also like to serve these wings as a dinner entree.

They go great with a wide variety of side dishes like grilled corn on the cob, watermelon salad and bacon wrapped potatoes. They are always a hit with family and friends.

Grilled Chicken Wings Ingredients

For this grilled chicken wings recipe, make sure you have chicken wings, olive oil, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley leaves, thyme leaves, garlic, salt and black pepper. Check out the recipe card below for amounts and more details.

How Do You Make Grilled Chicken Wings?

The secret to grilling chicken wings is to have the right marinade. So the first step in this recipe is to make an memorable marinade. Get a large bowl and add olive oil, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Whisk everything together. Place your chicken wings in a resealable bag and pour in the zesty marinade. Marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour. If you have the time, you can marinate the wings for up to 8 hours.

When you are ready to eat, heat up an outdoor grill or a grill pan, then cook the wings for about 10 minutes per side. Turn the wings occasionally to make sure they don’t burn. Serve the wings with a garnish of fresh parsley, and enjoy!

How To Cut Chicken Wings

Chicken wings can be bought pre-cut, and are typically labeled “party wings” or “wingettes and drummettes.” I typically purchase pre-cut party wings whenever possible. If you buy whole wings, you will want to separate them into wingettes and drummettes for ease in grilling and eating.

The “drummette” is the part of the wing that looks like a little drumstick. The “wingette” is the flat part of the wing that contains two bones.

You can separate wings into wingettes and drumettes by bending the wing back at the joint where the less meaty part of the drummette connects to the wingette. Then use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut through the joint. Repeat the same process to cut through the joint between the wingette and the tip of the wing. Bend the wingette and the tip back at the joint and cut through the joint with a sharp knife or kitchen shears.

Grilled chicken wings on a sheet pan, garnished with parsley.

Tips For The Reliable Grilled Chicken Wings

You can marinate your chicken in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap or a gallon size resealable bag.
Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
If you find that your wings are browning before they cook through, try moving them to a part of the grill that receives indirect heat.
You can make the marinade up to 3 days in advance. Store the marinade in the refrigerator in an airtight container until you’re ready to use it.
I love these grilled chicken wings as-is, but if you want to serve them with a dip you can use kitchen-made bbq sauce. or a kitchen-made ranch dip.

Quick Tip

This marinade contains sugar which adds great flavor, but can burn on the grill. Make sure your grill is not too hot before you add your meat!

How Do You Make Chicken Wings Crunchy?

The finest wings have tender meat and a crunchy skin. The easiest way to achieve this result is to make sure the grill is properly pre-heated so that the chicken sizzles when it’s placed on the grill grates. This will allow the skin to get crisp without drying out the meat inside.

How Do You Reheat Chicken Wings?

Grilled chicken wings can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To reheat your chicken wings, place them in a toaster oven or a regular oven and heat them at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes.

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A hand picking up a grilled chicken wing.

Flavor Variations

These grilled chicken wings are fantastic; however, you can customize them to suit your own taste:

Spicy: Try adding a little hot sauce or cayenne pepper to your marinade to bring the heat.
Honey: For sweeter chicken wings, add a tablespoon of honey to your marinade.
Seasoning: Feel free to add your go-to seasonings to the marinade like paprika, garlic powder, or cumin.
Buffalo: For buffalo wings try my straightforward and tasty baked buffalo wings recipe.

These wings are bursting with herb and garlic flavor and are tender, juicy and totally tasty. I make these chicken wings for all of my summer gatherings, and everyone always requests the recipe!

More Great Chicken Recipes

Baked Chicken Parmesan

45 mins

Buffalo Chicken Nuggets

30 mins

A slow cooker full of barbecue chicken wings.

Slow Cooker Chicken Wings

5 hrs 15 mins

Korean Fried Chicken

35 mins

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

34 mins

Love This Recipe?

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Add as Google preferred source Authorthe Makdob kitchen A plate of grilled chicken wings coated in herbs.

These grilled chicken wings are coated in a flavorful garlic, lemon and herb marinade, then grilled to golden brown perfection. A unfussy yet satisfying appetizer or main course that's straightforward to make and always a crowd pleaser! Time Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Marinating Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Course Appetizer, Main
Cuisine American
Serves 6

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken wings party style
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon parsley leaves chopped, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon thyme leaves chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

Instructions

Place the chicken wings in a bowl or resealable gallon sized bag.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the olive oil, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, lemon zest, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and garlic.
Pour the marinade over the meat. Marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.
Preheat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium heat.
Place the chicken wings on the grill. Cook for 10 minutes per side, turning occasionally so that the wings don't burn.
Remove the wings from the grill. Garnish with additional chopped parsley, then serve.

Notes

This marinade contains sugar which adds great flavor, but can burn on the grill. Make sure your grill is not too hot before you add your meat!
Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken reaches an internal temperature 165 degrees F.
You can make the marinade up to 3 days in advance. Store the marinade in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.