BBQ Chicken Wings
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Fire up the flavor with these finger-lickin’ BBQ Chicken Wings! This recipe is easy to make in the oven, air fryer, or on the grill. Seasoned with a bold, flavorful bbq dry rub, cooked to crispy perfection, then coated in a sticky sweet BBQ sauce, these wings are a crowd-pleasing appetizer that delivers smoky sweet goodness in every bite.
Why you’ll love these bbq chicken wings
I wish I kept a tracker in my kitchen over the years counting how many chicken wings I’ve cooked, because it has to be a thousand by now.
I’ve cooked chicken wings just about every way possible, seasoned them at least a dozen different ways, and sauced them a dozen different ways.
What’s my favorite? There’s no way to pick, but these BBQ chicken wings are definitely in the top 3! So what’s the secret ingredient that makes them so good? My homemade bbq seasoning. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and so flavorful! Giving the wings a generous coating of this seasoning makes them so incredibly delicious!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this bbq chicken wings recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken wings – I recommend purchasing “party wings” which contain both the drumettes and the wingettes or “flats”, already separated. Otherwise, if you purchase whole chicken wings, you’ll have to separate the drummette, wingette, and tips yourself. The wing tips are mostly cartilage, bone and skin, so you can either discard them, or toss them in the freezer to use for chicken stock at a later date.
- BBQ seasoning – I love this homemade dry rub. It’s a delicious combination of spices including sea salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder, mixed with brown sugar. It’s easy to mix up in 5 minutes and keep in the pantry for up to 6 months. You can also use another bbq spice rub or seasoning, if you already have a favorite in your kitchen.
- Baking powder – while the seasoning is my secret ingredient for making the most flavorful wings, baking powder is the secret ingredient for making the most crispy wings! Just don’t swap it out for baking soda, chemically they don’t do the same thing, and it won’t work. If you don’t have baking powder, just skip it and season the wings without it.
- BBQ sauce – you can use your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce or make homemade bbq sauce. These recipes for Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce or Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce are delicious tossed with these chicken wings.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season the wings. Combine bbq seasoning and baking powder in a large bowl. Add chicken wings to the bowl and toss until they’re completely coated in the seasoning.
- Cook the wings. In the photo above, I’m air frying the chicken wings. You can also bake them in the oven or cook them on a grill. I give detailed instructions in the recipe card for each cooking method.
- Sauce the wings. Once the wings are fully cooked, add them to another large bowl. Pour bbq sauce over the wings and use kitchen tongs, or grab some food-safe gloves and toss the wings in the sauce with your hands. Once sauced, serve the wings immediately while the skin is crispy, the sauce is warm, and the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender!
My recommended cooking method for wings
I’ve made wings in the oven, on the grill, in a smoker, in a sous vide, in an air fryer, the list goes on and on. So which cooking method do I use at home and recommend? Well, it depends!
- Cooking for a crowd? Use the oven or grill. It’s the easiest way to cook a lot of wings at one time!
- Want to add a smoky flavor to the wings? Use the grill or a smoker.
- Want to set it and forget it? Use the sous vide.
- Cooking a small batch and want them extra crispy? Use the air fryer.
I have detailed posts for each cooking method, so check them out and pick your favorite! Learn more about sous vide chicken wings, smoked chicken wings, or grilled chicken wings. Check out these posts for air fryer chicken wings or baked chicken wings (coming soon!).
More bbq recipes
If you want more sticky sweet bbq recipes with bold flavors, you have to check out these recipes!
BBQ Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings, party wings, with flats and drums separated
- 3 tablespoons bbq seasoning, click the link for my homemade recipe
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ cup bbq sauce
Instructions
Prepare the wings.
- Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels. Combine the bbq seasoning and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the wings and toss them in the seasoning. Pick a cooking method, either oven, air fryer, or grill.
Cook the wings in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (preferably on convection). Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Place the wings on a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Place on the middle rack in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss with the bbq sauce. Serve immediately after the wings are sauced.
Cook the wings in an air fryer.
- Preheat an air fryer to 400°F. Place the wings in a single layer (not touching) in the air fryer for 10 minutes. Flip the wings and cook for another 8 minutes. Remove the wings and toss with the bbq sauce.
Grill the wings.
- Preheat a grill over medium heat, around 350°F. Once the grill is hot, place the wings on the grill in an even layer (not touching) for 6-7 minutes. Flip the wings and continue cooking for an additional 6-7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove the wings from the grill and immediately toss with the bbq sauce and serve.
Notes
- Always make sure to pat the wings completely dry before seasoning them. No matter the cooking method, this will help the skin on the chicken wings get super crispy.
- Never use cold bbq sauce to sauce the wings. If the sauce you’re using has been stored in the refrigerator, take it out and microwave it for 30 seconds before tossing the wings in the sauce. Otherwise the sauce will immediately cool down the wings.
- These wings are perfectly saucy for me, but if you want to serve ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, or Roasted Garlic Dip on the side, feel free!
- My recommended cooking method depends on how many wings you’re making. A standard 5.8 Quart Air Fryer will only fit about 1 pound of wings, so if you’re making 2 pounds, as this recipe calls for, you’ll have to do it in two batches. If you’re doubling this recipe for a party and want to make 4 pounds of wings, I recommend using the oven or grill, as you can cook all of them at the same time.
Nutrition Facts
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