The soy sauce and vinegar base makes this a solid marinade already, so feel free to customize the other spices and ratios to fit the flavors you want in your wings. There’s no wrong answer as long as you think it tastes great! Marinating your chicken wings before grilling them allows whatever flavors you choose to get all the way to the bone, making the wings taste incredible.
If you want your wings even hotter, add in more buffalo sauce to this recipe. If you need it hotter still, add 1 tsp (2g) of cayenne pepper to the bowl before mixing.
A ziplock bag will allow you to make sure that each chicken wing is completely covered in marinade, but will be single use. Any large container will work but might make covering the wings a little more difficult. [4] X Research source If you don’t have a container or bag big enough to hold your wings, split them evenly between two. Make sure to divide your marinade between the wings evenly as well.
You might need to reopen your container and use your hands to get the marinade over every wing. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterward if you do so. The marinade for your chicken wings works just as well as a dipping sauce once they’re cooked. Hold back around 1⁄4 cup (59 mL) of your marinade to use as a dipping sauce. If it’s too thin, cook it over a low heat in a saucepan to reduce it slightly. [6] X Research source
Make the wings ahead of time and keep them marinating in the fridge right up until you’re ready to cook them.
If you’re oiling a hot grill, dab a paper towel in cooking oil and use long-handled tongs to cover the surface. Use whatever cooking oil you have on hand. Sunflower, canola and olive oil will all work perfectly.
If you’re unsure if you have the right heat for your grill, place your hand around 6 inches above the surface. If you can hold it there for around 5 seconds, the heat should be about right. [10] X Research source
Take note of which wings you put on the grill first, as these will have the most time to cook. When the wings are done, remove them from the grill in the same order you put them down to give each wing the same amount of time to cook.
You don’t need to worry about cooking the wings all the way through at this point. Focus on getting a good color on one side before flipping them.
Putting the cover on the grill will trap the heat in and help the chicken cook all the way through. If you’re worried about your tongs sticking to the chicken as you’re cooking it, coat the ends of them in a little cooking oil before attempting to handle the chicken with them.
If you have an instant-read thermometer, you can check the internal temperature of a few of the wings. If it reads somewhere above 165 °F (74 °C), the wings should be fully cooked. [15] X Research source
If you’re using leftover marinade as a dipping sauce, make sure NOT to use any that has been in contact with raw chicken. This can be unsafe and lead to illness. Refrigerate chicken wings within 2 hours of serving them. Once refrigerated, they’ll last for around 4 days before needing to be thrown out. [17] X Research source
