Grilled Chili Garlic Chicken Wings

Grilled Chili Garlic Chicken Wings are some great appetizers to serve up for game day!

Crispy, juicy grilled chicken coated in homemade chili garlic oil for the perfect touch of heat.

Be sure to give this recipe a try the next time you’re looking to upgrade some classic chicken wings. 

Ingredients you will need

Meat: Chicken Wings

Chili Garlic Oil: Garlic, fresh ginger, shallot, Korean chili flakes, crushed red pepper, kosher salt and avocado oil

Seasoning: SPG (salt, black pepper and garlic powder) and corn starch

How to make Grilled Chili Garlic Chicken Wings

Setting up the smoker

Begin by getting your smoker set up to a medium heat of 350° F.

I cooked these wings on a charcoal grill to add some great depths of flavor to the wings. Another great way to cook them is on a pellet grill. They have great air circulation in the grill and it will get you some delicious crispy skin.

I tossed in a couple of apple wood chunks from Bear Mountain BBQ to give the wings a sweet smoky flavor profile. 

Preparing the chicken wings

If you purchased whole wings, prepare them by cutting the wings at the knuckles separating the drums and the flats. I like to buy the wings whole  from grocery stores because it will typically save you a decent amount of money. It only takes an extra 2-3 minutes to do and you get fresh wings instead of small frozen ones. 

Place all of the cut up wings in a large bowl. I added in some avocado oil as a binder to help the seasoning stick to the skin. Avocado oil has a high smoke point of 500° F, so it works great for cooking over direct heat. Another great option for this flavor profile is to use some soy sauce as a binder.

Season the wings with salt, pepper, garlic powder then add in some corn starch or baking powder to help get crispy chicken wings.

Cooking the wings and making the chili oil

Place wings on the grill, indirectly off the heat for 60 minutes.  Flip the wings half way through to help cook the wings evenly. 

Put together the chili oil in a ceramic bowl by combining the garlic, ginger, shallot, Korean chili flakes, crushed red pepper and salt. In a small saucepan, warm up the avocado oil to a temperature of 350 degrees f.

Carefully pour the hot oil into the ceramic bowl and mix the ingredients. Do not do this is a regular glass bowl – the bowl can break due to the heat from the oil.

The chili oil can be stored in an airtight contain like a mason jar for up to a week. It’s the perfect addition to things like eggs, avocado toast or ramen.

Increase the heat to a high heat on the grill. Place chicken wings over direct heat to add some char and get the outside skin nice and crispy.

Remove them from the grill once the thickest part of the wings reach an internal temperature of 185°-190°F. Put them in a large bowl, add some some of the chili oil and toss them in the bowl to evenly coat the wings.

Garnish with some green onions and sesame seeds. Be sure to enjoy them with a cold beverage and a few extra paper towels.

Helpful tips

• Looking to cut down on the cooking time? Another great option is to smoke the wings at 275°F for 15-20 minutes then throw them in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes for some extra crispy wings.
• Don’t have a smoker? Consider deep frying the wings in a dutch oven with hot oil until they’re golden brown. You can cook the wings in an oven, simply place them on an oiled wire rack with a large baking sheet below them to catch any excess oil.
• If you happen to have leftover wings, simply toss them in the air fryer for 3-4 minutes and add a little more of the chili crisp for more flavor on the wings. 
• Another great addition to these wings are to drizzle some honey over the top for some sweet, spicy honey chili oil chicken wings.
• You can find the full recipe video here to help walk you through the steps. 

Looking for other great recipes with different wing flavors? Be sure to check out my Teriyaki Wings and Grilled Chimichurri Chicken Wings.

Print