BBQ Chicken Wings
Smoky, sticky grilled wings with a crisp skin and a quick homemade barbecue sauce. Cooked over two-zone heat, so the meat turns tender without burning the glaze.
Published 29 Sep 2026
Ingredients
Equipment: Charcoal or gas grill with a lid (or oven grill and baking tray), small saucepan, tongs, basting brush, instant-read thermometer
Method
Pat the wings very dry with kitchen paper. In a large bowl, mix the oil, baking powder, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and the 1 tbsp brown sugar. Add the wings and toss until every piece is evenly coated.
Leave the seasoned wings uncovered on a plate or tray at room temperature (no longer than 30 minutes) while you prepare the grill. This lets the rub cling and the skin dry out for better crisping.
Set up a two-zone fire. For charcoal, pile the hot coals on one side only. For gas, turn on half the burners. Aim for about 200°C on the lid thermometer, and oil the grate lightly.
Put the wings on the cooler side of the grill in a single layer, skin side up, and close the lid. Grill for 10 minutes, then turn each wing over.
While the wings cook, combine the ketchup, vinegar, the 2 tbsp sugar or jaggery, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic and chilli flakes in a small pan. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, until glossy and slightly thickened. Stir in the butter and take off the heat.
Close the lid again and grill the wings for another 10 minutes on the cooler side, until the skin is golden and the meat is starting to pull away from the bone ends.
Move the wings over the hot side. Grill uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes, turning often, until the skin is crisp with light charred spots. Check the thickest wing with a thermometer: it should read at least 74°C, and the juices should run clear.
Brush the wings generously with the barbecue sauce and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until the sauce turns sticky and bubbly. Watch closely because the sugar burns quickly.
Move the wings to a clean platter, toss with any remaining warm sauce and scatter with coriander or spring onion. Serve hot.
Cooking tips
- Baking powder helps the skin dry and crisp on the grill. Make sure it is baking powder, not baking soda, or the wings will taste bitter.
- Only add the sauce at the very end. The sugar in it burns fast over direct heat, and burnt sauce tastes acrid.
- Cooking the wings on the cooler side first renders the fat slowly and avoids flare-ups. If flames flare, move the wings away until they die down.
- Save a little sauce in a separate bowl for dipping so you never reuse the brush that touched raw chicken.
Substitutions
- No grill: arrange the wings on a rack over a tray and bake at 220°C for 40 to 45 minutes, turning once. Brush with sauce and grill under the oven grill for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Swap the brown sugar for honey or grated jaggery. Swap the Worcestershire sauce for 1 tsp soy sauce plus 1 tsp extra vinegar.
- Use Kashmiri chilli powder in place of smoked paprika, and add a few drops of liquid smoke if you like a smokier flavour.
- Chicken drumsticks or boneless thigh pieces work too. Drumsticks need about 10 to 15 minutes more on the cooler side.
Serve with
"Serve with celery or cucumber sticks, a cooling ranch or yogurt-mint dip, coleslaw and plenty of napkins. They also go well with corn on the cob or fries."
Storage
Cool leftovers within 2 hours. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating
Reheat on a tray in a 200°C oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or in an air fryer at 180°C for 6 to 8 minutes, until hot all the way through (at least 74°C) and the skin crisps up again.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
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