Grilled Nashville Hot Chicken Wings take the fiery, cayenne flavor of Music City’s most famous export and skip the deep fryer entirely. The wings go on the grill until the skin is crisp and golden, then get dunked in a hot cayenne sauce that clings to every bite.
I’ve made more trips to Nashville than I can count, and a basket of hot chicken is non-negotiable on every one of them. Growing up in Kentucky, I thought I knew fried chicken, but Nashville does something different. After frying, the chicken gets dunked in a bowl of hot fat loaded with cayenne, and the heat level can run anywhere from mild to “sign a waiver first.” This grilled version leans into that same dunk-it-hot method, minus the fryer.
Table of Contents
- What Is Grilled Nashville Hot Chicken
- Grilled Nashville Hot Chicken Wings Recipe
- What you’ll need
- How to Grill Nashville Hot Chicken Wings
- Step 1: Season the wings
- Step 2: Grill the wings
- Step 3: Make the Nashville Hot Sauce
- Step 4: Dunk the wings
- How to Serve Grilled Nashville Hot Chicken Wings
- Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Chicken Wings Recipes
- Newest Recipes
What Is Grilled Nashville Hot Chicken
Nashville hot chicken got its start in the 1930s from a woman’s spicy revenge on a cheating boyfriend. She doused his fried chicken in cayenne hoping he’d suffer, and he loved it instead.
That fiery dunk is still the defining move: chicken cooked first, then coated in a hot fat-and-spice mixture right before serving. Some use lard, others use oil or butter combinations. And the spice level ranges from mild to XXXHot.
Try my recipe for fried Nashville Hot Chicken. Or, instead of frying the chicken, this recipe mimics the Nashville Hot Chicken approach with grilled chicken wings and a smoky twist.
Grilled Nashville Hot Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 12 chicken wings
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Nashville Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Season: Combine the kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle on all sides of the chicken wings.
- Grill: Heat your grill to 350F degrees with an indirect heat zone. Place the wings skin side down over the indirect heat. Cook for 30-45 minutes, flipping occasionally to an internal temperature measures between 195-205F degrees.
- Make Sauce: Heat the oil in a sauce pot over medium heat. Whisk in the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, smoked paprika and 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and continue cooking for 1 minute to make the Nashville Hot Sauce.
- Dunk: Immediately after you remove the chicken from the grill, dip each wing into the Nashville Hot Sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What you’ll need
- Chicken Wings: 12 whole wings, or a mix of drumettes and flats.
- Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder: A simple dry rub goes on before grilling to season the chicken itself, since the hot sauce dunk comes after.
- Vegetable Oil: The base for the Nashville hot sauce.
- Cayenne Pepper: The heart of the heat.
- Brown Sugar: Balances the cayenne’s heat with a touch of sweetness.
- Smoked Paprika: Adds color and a mild smoky depth.
- Pickle Slices: The classic accompaniment. The acidity of the pickles cuts through the richness of the sauce.
Substitutions: Melted butter or a butter-oil blend works too.
See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to Grill Nashville Hot Chicken Wings
Heat your grill or smoker to 375F with an indirect heat zone.
Step 1: Season the wings
Combine the kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over all sides of the chicken wings.
Step 2: Grill the wings
Place the wings on the grill grates over indirect heat. Grill for 30-45 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skin is golden brown and crisp and the internal temperature reaches 195-205F degrees.
Step 3: Make the Nashville Hot Sauce
While the wings grill, heat the oil in a saucepot over medium heat. Whisk in the cayenne pepper, brown sugar, smoked paprika, and garlic powder, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Step 4: Dunk the wings
As soon as the wings come off the grill, dip each one into the Nashville Hot Sauce, coating all sides.
How to Serve Grilled Nashville Hot Chicken Wings
Pile the wings on a platter lined with white bread or sandwich buns, Nashville-style, and top with pickle slices. They pair well with a cooling side like coleslaw or ranch to balance the heat.
Storage
Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350F oven or air fryler until warmed through. The microwave will make the skin soggy. The sauce is best made fresh, since it can separate when reheated.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- You want the sauce to be really hot so it kind of cooks onto the wings, instead of making them greasy.
- Taste the sauce before dunking. If 3 tablespoons of cayenne is too much heat for your crowd, cut it back and add a little extra smoked paprika for color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional Nashville hot chicken ranges from mild to blistering hot depending on the cayenne ratio. This recipe lands on medium. Reduce the cayenne pepper for a milder wing.
Yes. Cut the cayenne pepper back and replace some of it with smoked paprika to keep the color and flavor without as much heat.
While you can sprinkle cayenne on your wings, it’s the hot oil and cayenne mix that makes these Nashville hot wings.
