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Grilled Hot Buffalo Wings are easy to make at home
I have to confess that deep-fried hot wings are not my favorite thing. They don’t stay crispy for very long, so take-out or leftovers can get pretty soggy. And I don’t love all the extra calories you get with deep-frying. I have a deep fryer, but it’s not an appliance I have out all the time. So, Grilled Buffalo Hot Wings are my answer.
These are not typical hot wings
I know how typical Buffalo Wings are made. We live in Upstate NY after all, and one of New York’s claims to fame is that these wings were created in a bar in Buffalo. Usually, frozen chicken wings are plopped right into a fryer of hot oil, and then covered in wing sauce and you’re done.
These wings are different
It is not advisable to cook these wings in hot oil. The marinade will spatter all over. In the winter I sometimes cook them in an air fryer. But we prefer them grilled. We grill them over medium flame. This ensures they come out well-cooked and tender, with lots of great flavor infused in every bite.
Why These wings are marinated
The marinating adds a lot of flavor to the meat itself, rather than relying completely on the sauce. This does require that you plan ahead, because I usually get them marinating a day ahead of when I plan to serve them. And since most wings are sold frozen, they will be thawed by the time you cook them, which ensures they will stay nice and juicy.
This is an easy marinade
You very likely have these ingredients already – fresh garlic or garlic powder, chili powder and olive oil, plus some salt. The wings don’t even have to be entirely thawed out before coating them with the marinade, though I prefer to thaw them. There is quite a bit of excess liquid in chicken wings, and thawing allows this to be drained away. There have been plenty of times when I forgot to thaw them though, and this method still works very well with frozen wings.
My usual timing is to take the wings out of the freezer in the morning, lay them out in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. It doesn’t take them very long to thaw in a single layer – in an hour they are ready to go into a bowl with the marinade and then into the fridge.
You don’t have to be precise about how long to marinate
I usually marinate wings for about 24 hours, but it doesn’t need to be exactly that long. You can thaw them in the morning, marinate all day, and cook them that night if you prefer. Like all marinades, a longer time ensures more flavor and juiciness. Even 6 or 8 hours adds a lot of flavor though, so no worries if you didn’t get started the day before.
Grill Buffalo Hot Wings low and slow
We usually opt for using our gas grill for wings. The heat is a little more controllable with gas, rather than a charcoal fire. You don’t want to risk burning these wings before you even get them in the sauce!
What is the best hot sauce to use for Grilled Buffalo Hot Wings?
There are many different hot sauce choices, but around here, using anything but Frank’s Red Hot is a sort of heresy. Franks has a balance heat, and vinegary background that makes it perfect for wings. There are other choices, like Crystal Hot Sauce or Cholula, and I am sure people have their favorites. This recipe will give you a medium-hot sauce, but you can certainly amp that up if you like things hotter. I added some lemon juice and smoked paprika for brighter and deeper flavor.
Here’s how to make Grilled Buffalo Hot Wings
Grilled Buffalo Hot Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings - about 20 pieces
Marinade
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed to a paste
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 10 grinds fresh black pepper
- 2 teaspoons spicy chili powder
Wing Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder [optional]
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- few grinds of pepper
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
Instructions
- Remove wings from the freezer, and lay in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Allow to thaw for an hour.
- Trim excess fat or skin from the wings, because they will burn on the grill anyway and pat dry with paper towels.
- In a bowl large enough to hold the wings, whisk together the oil, mashed garlic, salt, pepper and spicy chili powder.
- Add the wings, and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, stirring a few times. If you only have an hour or so, they will be fine on the counter.
- An hour before you are going to start cooking, bring the bowl out and let the wings come to room temperature.
- Prepare the wing sauce by measuring the butter, hot sauce, smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, salt, pepper, and lemon juice into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes. Set aside.
- Prepare your grill or barbeque as you normally would to cook chicken, or according to the directions that came with it.
- Grill the wings until done, basting with the oil marinade in the first 10 minutes, but not after that, to ensure food safety. Check for doneness with an instant read thermometer - you want 165° to 170°
- Put the cooked wings in a clean bowl, large enough to hold them all, and pour over the sauce mixture. Stir to coat all of the wings and serve with some celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing for dipping.
Notes
Deep flavor, less fat, and tender chicken
I think you will find that this is an excellent method for making chicken wings at home. The marinade infuses a lot of flavor into the meat, no extra fat from deep-frying and the slower cook time on the grill makes them come out tender and juicy.
Grilled Buffalo Hot Wings are pretty much wing perfection!
Looking for something to enjoy with your wings? Creamy Feta Cheese Salad Dressing is a pretty good stand-in for Bleu Cheese dressing. This Mediterranean Orzo Salad would be delicious with wings. And for dessert, maybe Easy Rhubarb Cake for a taste of early summer goodness.
This post was originally made in June 2013, updated in June 2017, and updated again in June 2024
Orzo Stuffed Zucchini
Turkey and Pesto Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Chicken Stroganoff
Kale & Spicy Sausage Soup
Buttermilk Sriracha Chicken Burgers
Cheesy Quinoa Veggie Bake
Veggie Frittata
Mediterranean Chicken & Kale
Smoky Turkey Chili
Chuck Steak Chili
Oh, yeah, these sound amazing! And I love that they’re not deep fried 🙂
Thanks Liz – that’s my favorite part too – ’cause then Larry cooks them!
Best wings I have ever made! We loved them and so did our guests. Thanks for another great recipe 😘
Definitely a good “starter” thing with bones Abbe!
This’s a really good idea, and one I’d have never though of. Now that I see yours, I know what we’re having for a cookout this coming weekend. Can’t wait to give these a try!!!
Hope you love them Dave – come back and let me know how they turn out for you!
I just started making wings 2 years ago. I usually have an annual cook-off, sometimes chili, soup, then one year it was wings. I baked mine also and they won although I do not win while I’m hosting 🙂 Now I love to cook them and this recipe is getting bookmarked, they sound terrific!
Thanks Suzie – they are good baked or broiled too, but I hope you give these a try!
Holy moly Donalyn! These look wonderful and I love that they are grilled. Yum yum yummy!
You have got that right Carla – they are very yummy!
we had these last weekend and they were everything we expected! I think I will try this method with thighs!
bellini, I am curious about it now – I’ll have to do a little research on this to see if my theory was right. And thanks!
Very nice! I prefer chicken wings grilled or broiled. These rock. Thanks for sharing.
Velva
Grilled instead of fried is a great healthy option. I love how you mentioned that because your wings are frozen you have to think ahead. I know what you mean as there is nothing worse than leaving for work and then forgetting to leave something unthaw in the refrigerator. Your wings look finger licking good!
Thank you Bam – and I hate that as well! Nothing worse than getting half way through the day and remembering that there is nothing out for dinner – ugh! 🙂
I love chicken wings, and these are delicious! 🙂
Look at the colour! I loved your grilled buffalo hot wings recipe. Of course, I will try your way of cutting down on oil. I can’t wait to try them!
Thanks Purabi – I hope you enjoy them!
I love grilled chicken! We make a lot of grilled chicken in the summer, it is so much better for you than fried! The color on your chicken is beautiful.
Hi Foodie – we eat lots of grilled chicken as well – it’s one of things we most look forward to when the weather warms up!
Mighty scrumptious! Those flavors are mouthwatering.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thanks Rosa!
Your wings look fantastic! If I only had a real grill, I would make them next weekend. The sauce sounds amazing too.
I hope you’ll be able to try them sometime Sissi!
I can eat spicy food no mtater the weather. Your grilled hot wings look mouthwatering. I prefer your grilling method to the traditional deep fried. Thanks for sharing Donalyn, they’re gorgeous!
Thanks Nancy & ditto on the spicy food – anytime!
Great choice grilling over frying- grilled ALWAYS tastes better! These look delicious, looks like they’ll be on my grill this weekend!
thanks!
Grilled wings have great flavor. Besides, it’s all about the sauce! And yours sure have great flavor. Great idea- thanks.
We don’t have AC, John, so i guess we are stuck with the wings 🙂
Perfectly cooked, deliciously tasting, I’m sure.
Thank you, Karen!
Yummy!! I can’t wait to crank up the grill to make these delectable wings!! Oh, that sauce 😀
I could almost drink that sauce, Kiran!
I believe it 🙂 And even if it isn’t true…good wings make everything better! These look just scrumptious. Now I only need to get a grill! Thank you for sharing, my friend!
You’re welcome Monet – I hope you get to try them soon!
Our “old” friend Marilyn R. Does this with chicken thighs…..really good.
Thighs are really my favorite part of the chicken – any old way you cook them!
I adore wings – these look delicous. I’ll have to check out your theory the next time Seattle sees hot weather!
Thanks Kristi – hope you don’t have to wait too long!
You really make this recipe seem so easy. I’m going to give it a try this weekend to see if we will use it for our big family picinic over the 4th.
I hope it works well for you David – thanks for stopping by!
Hey there! Giving you a big thumbs up for this excellent idea! I’m signing up for your newsletter and will be back for sure.
thanks Chantal – I hope you enjoy the newsletter 🙂
Wow,
These are super delicious!
Some serious flavor with these wings and less fat – a win-win!
Thanks to you both!
I love anything with buffalo and these chicken wings were amazing. perfectly cooked.
Thanks so much Dannii – I’m happy that you liked them!
What a great way to make wings a bit healthier! And I was craving something spicy, this hit the spot.
I’m glad to hear that Nathanaelle!
These look so good!! I’m planning to serve them when we have friends over for dinner tomorrow night, I’m sure everyone will love them!
Thanks Anjali – I hope everyone enjoys them!
You had me at buffalo wings! These turned out amazing and were packed full of flavour. A huge hit for our hockey night wings!
Thank you for letting me know, Angela!
These wings were so flavorful!
Thank you! ♥