The Best Grilled Chicken Wings (with Air fryer cooking instructions)

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Game Day for us is this Saturday (my family and I are college football folks) and the UW Badger pride is strong in this house! Being a born and bred Madisonian, as well as my Husband being a UW Madison Alum, our house is always ready for Game Day! I’m talking grill outs, game on, fires (if it’s cool enough), and a cup of hot apple cider (or a bloody mary) in hand.

Today I’m talking about one of our family’s favorite go-to’s for game day (and summertime, picnics, BBQs, an appetizer, dinner, I could go on, but I won’t)… grilled chicken wings! This “recipe” is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Every time, and I mean EVERY TIME, we make these they are a hit!

The secret shared…

So what’s my secret? It’s not flouring them first, or tons of sauce. No butter or oil either. My secret to these perfect wings, is my homemade Everything BBQ Rub, well, and cooking them correctly, but mainly the rub.

Cooking Process

Start by cutting the wings into wingettes and drumettes. Don’t throw away the tips! Put them in a freezer-safe bag and use them for stock. You could also cook them as whole wings. I put each piece into the bowl so I could just add the Everything BBQ Rub and start getting all the chicken coated completely.

Once you have them all covered up in the rub (Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge), fire up the grill and get to cooking! Grilling is a bit of a guessing game, but if you have a meat thermometer it makes that less of a game.

Once they’re done, serve them up and enjoy!

Some of our favorite sides to serve with this are:

• Patatas Bravas with Remoulade Sauce
• Recipe: Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
• Recipe: Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella, and Avocado Crostini
• Cowboy Caviar 

Perfect Alone or With Sauce

This recipe is great by itself, but it’s also a perfect base that goes with any type of sauce. Seriously, any kind of Sauce. Buffalo Wings, Siracha, ranch, BBQ. One of our favorites is tossed in buffalo with ranch to dip it in. Yup, ranch.

EQUIPMENT

Absolutely nothing on this list is required, but if you’re not sure what you need, I thought it would be nice to have an easy list for you to find. You can also find most of these on my Amazon Store Front

Cutting/prepping the chicken

• Cutting board
• Knife 
• Mora Ceramic Large Mixing Bowls – Set of 2 Nesting Bowls 

Cooking & Serving

• ThermoPop® 2 Food Thermometer This is my go-to thermometer, customer service alone will convince you that this thermometer is worth the money.
• Mora Ceramic Large Serving Bowls- Set of 2 Oval  
• Long Metal Tongs I personally have a major dislike for “grill” tools because they are usually overpriced and don’t work very well. These tongs are my favorite and are inexpensive.
• Rachael Ray Lil’ Huggers Dishwasher Safe Lazy Locking Cooking Tongs If using an Air Fryer, you should use something with silicone.

FAQ

1. Can’t I just buy them cut into wingettes and drummettes already?
   • Yes, yes you can. It’s cheaper to do it yourself (and you get the benefit of saving the tips for stock), but sure you can buy them already done.
2. What about cooking the chicken wings in the oven?
   • If you don’t want to use the Air Fryer or Grill, these wings can bake in the oven too! 425℉ for about 30-45 minutes. you’ll need to flip them halfway through just like on the grill. Again, just like with the other methods, you want the chicken to reach a temp of 165℉

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The Best Grilled Chicken Wings (with Air fryer cooking instructions)

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• Author: Jenn Giam Smith
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 people 1x

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Description

This is the best and easiest grilled chicken wings recipe that is guaranteed to receive compliments at any get-together you host! It’s perfect for game days, parties, BBQs, or your next planned dinner. Bonus cooking instructions for the air fryer. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup bbq rub (this could be more or less depending on your taste)
• 3 1/2 pounds chicken wings (OR buy them in the wing)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Cut the Chicken Wings into wingettes and drumettes *see notes (1) for details on this. – I recommend saving the wing tips for stock.
2. Using my ½ cup bbq rub cover all of the chicken well (hands are best for this).
3. Once you have them all covered up in the rub (Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge), fire up the grill (or pre-heat the air fryer) and get to cooking!

Grill Instructions

1. Heat your grill up to 400℉. You’ll want to prep the grates by taking a folded bunch of paper towel with vegetable oil on and rubbing the oil on the grates (USE YOUR TONGS NOT YOUR HANDS TO DO THIS).
2. Lay the chicken on the grill in one layer (don’t pile them on). Cook on one side until golden with dark grill marks. The turnover and continue cooking.
3. Once they reach 165°F take them off the grill and enjoy as you like.

Air Fryer Instruction:

1. Lay chicken in a flat layer on the air fryer pan (this may require a couple of batches)
2. Cook at 360°F for 20 min or chicken setting if you have that (and it’s set for 360℉)
3. Once they reach 165°F serve and enjoy!

Equipment

Kitchen Stainless Steel Locking Metal Food Tongs (Set of 2 – 9″ and 12″)

Buy Now →

Mora Ceramics Large Mixing Bowls Set of 2 – 5.5 & 3.6 Qt (Earl Grey)

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Stainless Steel Baking Sheet Set with Silicone Mats and Cooling Racks (Set of 9)

Buy Now →

Notes

1. You can cook them as whole wings as well or just buy them already cut and separated.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Appetizer, Bar Food, BBQ, Dinner, lunch, Picnic
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Calories: 567
• Sugar: 1
• Sodium: 164
• Fat: 36
• Saturated Fat: 11
• Carbohydrates: 19
• Fiber: 3
• Protein: 42
• Cholesterol: 165

Nutritional Facts:

These numbers are based on the serving size stated. All are estimates and you should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.

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©Photo, Prop Styling, and Food Styling by Jenn Smith

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