This post may contain affiliate links which help support Girls Can Grill.
Adding this one ingredient to your dry rub will give you perfectly crispy grilled chicken wings without adding any oil or fat.
Save this BBQ Tip
Enter your email, and I’ll send this link directly to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get new BBQ recipes and tips weekly.
Table of Contents
What makes chicken wings crispy?
When we enjoy extra-crispy wings at restaurants, they’re almost always deep-fried. Some BBQ restaurants even fry wings after smoking them just to get that irresistible crunch.
Most of my grilled wings recipes are crispy by nature because they’re grilled at a higher temperature. That high heat helps render the chicken skin fat.
Another way to avoid chicken with soggy skin is to use a starch to dry out the moisture before it hits the grill. This cooking method is an overnight process, but it creates the best crispy grilled chicken wings.
Ingredients
- Chicken Wings: This recipe calls for 2 pounds of wings. That’s either 8-10 whole chicken wings or about 24 party wings.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is a combination of baking soda and a drying agent like starch.
- Chicken Rub: You can use my homemade dry rub for chicken wings or create a combination of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
See the full recipe card below for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to grill crispy chicken wings
- STEP ONE: Remove the wings from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel.
- STEP TWO: Combine the baking powder with your chicken rub.
- STEP THREE: Place wings on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the chicken rub on both sides of the wings. Let them rest uncovered in the refrigerator skin side up for about 8 hours or overnight.
PRO TIP: As the wings rest in the refrigerator, the baking powder will absorb the excess moisture in the chicken skins. This process will help the skins render and get crispy as they grill.
Chicken wings cook differently depending on the type of grill you’re using. For the best results, heat your grill to 350F degrees with an indirect heat zone.
On a gas grill, the wings will take about 30 minutes to cook. You can either cook them on the warming rack, which is my preference. Or, you can turn one burner on and cook them on the side of the grill where the burner is off.
On a pellet grill or charcoal grill, they will take 1 hour to cook. For a pellet grill, I recommend using an upper rack if you have one. For a charcoal grill, use an upper rack, a deflector plate or push the coals to one side.
- STEP FOUR: Place wings on the grill grates over indirect heat with the skin side down. By placing the skin down, the chicken fat will render and bake help bake the skins.
- STEP FIVE: Halfway through the cooking process, flip the wings over so the skin is up. Continue grilling until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 195-205F degrees.
PRO TIP: Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. Be sure you don't hit the bone.
How to serve crispy chicken wings
I don’t recommend saucing these wings. Just look at that closeup. You’re going to want to enjoy every crispy bite of that skin. Adding sauce will soften it.
However, you can serve a dipping sauce, like buffalo sauce or BBQ sauce, on the side. One of my favorite sauce combos is a drizzle of honey and splash of hot sauce.
Pile the tasty wings on a platter with celery sticks and carrots and a side of ranch dressing and blue cheese dip.
Storage
Store leftover chicken wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Unfortunately, once you refrigerate them, the moisture from the juicy chicken meat will soften the skins. To try to regain crispiness, reheat them in an air fryer.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Mix baking powder with your chicken rub
- Let the rub rest on the chicken in the fridge overnight
- Start by grilling the wings skin side down; then flip
- Cooking wings varies by grill type; read the post to learn more about this
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several ways to make chicken wings crispy on the grill. You can cook them over high, indirect heat. You can add oil before adding your rub. Or you can try this method, which uses baking powder to dry out the skins.
You can oil your wings before you grill them, but not with this recipe. To get the crispiest wing, you want the skins to be very dry before they hit the grill.
Use baking powder mixed with your chicken rub. Baking powder includes baking soda, but it is also made with a drying agent like starch. One easy way to remember this is that powder starts with a P and so does poultry.
Newest Recipes
Want even more great grilling recipes and tips? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for my latest grilling adventures. If you make a recipe, please leave a comment and rating below.
Save this BBQ Tip
Enter your email, and I’ll send this link directly to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get new BBQ recipes and tips weekly.
Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 8-10 full chicken wings
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Dry: Lay some paper towels on a sheet pan. Place the wings on the paper towels and pat dry.
- Season: Combine the baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Remove the paper towels. Spread the wings in a single layer and sprinkle on all sides with the seasoning.
- Refrigerate: Place in the refrigerator uncovered for about 8 hours.
- Heat Grill: Heat your grill to 350F degrees with an indirect heat zone.
- Gas Grill: To cook on a gas grill, turn half of your grill burners to medium-high heat*. Leave the other half of the burners off. Place the wings skin side down onto the side of the grill that is turned off (the indirect heat). Cook for 15 minutes. Flip and cook for 15 more minutes.
- Pellet Grill: Set your grill to 350F degrees. Place the wings skin side down on the upper rack of the grill. Grill for 30 minutes. Flip. Grill for 30 more minutes.
- Charcoal Grill: Light your coals. Once they're ashed over, push them to one side of the grill. If you're cooking on a ceramic cooker like a Big Green Egg, add the diffuser plate. Place the wings over indirect heat. Grill for 30 minutes. Flip. Grill for 30 more minutes.
- Final Temp: The wings are ready when the internal temperature measures between 195-205F degrees.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Please address the typo in the recipe:
8-10 full chicken wings
2 baking powder
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
We need units for the baking powder, Cheers!
Sorry about that. I have fixed the error. You’ll need 2 teaspoons of baking powder for this recipe.
I have entered a wing-fest in Mid August and am thinking of doing this (or a variation of) for the comp. I will not have refrigerator access at the site that I know of. If I do, I don’t think I’ll have 8 hours worth. Any suggestions on how to adapt?
Also, I’ll be competing with a pellet smoker, not a gas grill as the recipe indicates. Any tips in that direction would be appreciated.
Place the wings in the cooler uncovered for as long as you can. Since you’ll be using a pellet, crank the heat up to 450 or so. If time allows, I would smoke them at 225 for an hour or so first, and then crank up the heat. Good luck.
Christine – thanks for the pellet tips. I recently tried this recipe and am certain this is what I will use in the comp. I think once I get it dialed in it will be very competitive.
I may cut back a touch on the baking powder since it did not all cook off on the finished product on the first run. Other than that, the skin was close to spot-on!
Thanks again!
Steve @ PoppyTeeBBQ
Awesome. I’m so glad it worked well for you. Best of luck!
made these tonight for the first time and they are perfect! Do you have recipes for dipping sauces for these?
thanks,
Lorena
Can I get a video
How would you cook these in the oven? Thanks!
Made a pound of these tonight!!
They were awesome and such easy ingredients!!
Definite Winner!!
Thank you!!
Hi Christie;
Would the amount of Kosher salt be considered to be enough to constitute a dry brine? Gonna try these tomorrow…
Thanks;
Chris
Be sure and use baking powder with no aluminum
I would I cook on a charcoal grill since I’m not able to adjust temp with the turn of a knob like a gas grill? Thanks!