Our Favorite BBQ Wings Recipe - Workweek Lunch (2024)

I always feel like restaurants charge anarm and a leg for wings, which is why we are sharing an easy BBQ wings recipe that you can make at home. This is my tried-and-true recipe for delicious wings, and bonus–if you chop the wings yourself, you end up with some great parts for chicken stock!

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The easiest swaps in this recipe are the sauce and the sides.

For sauces, you can:

• Buy your favorite BBQ sauce instead of making it from scratch if you’re short on time.
• Use buffalo sauce, garlic butter and parmesan, teriyaki sauce, sweet chili sauce, Cajun spices for a dry rub–the sky’s the limit!
• Go crazy with dips! The classics are ranch or your fave blue cheese dressing, but use what you like.

For sides:

• Go classic with celery and carrot sticks, or mix it up with sliced bell peppers
• Steamed broccoli and cauliflower
• French fries or a baked potato
• Your favorite pasta salad or side salad

Cooking Techniques For This BBQ Wings Recipe

We ballparked 1 pound of wings per serving, which is about 6-8 wings depending on size. If you know you or your partner loves wings, increase this number as needed.

If you are buying whole wings to butcher at home, buy a larger package than you need because you will remove the wing tips and they account for some of the weight.

You can definitely use pre-cut frozen wings too! You should still toss them with the salt and baking powder, but follow the temperature instructions on the bag. They will still need around 80 minutes to get nice and crisp.

These wings have a long cook time but they are totally hands off, so you are free to put your feet up or multitask with another dish on the stove. The key to success with these wings is making sure none of them touch the pan or each other! That will give you the crispiest oven-baked wings.

Also, don’t skip on lining your baking sheet– the chicken juice will get really stuck on the pan throughout the long cook time and this will save you time on clean up.

See Also

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Should I Bake or BBQ Wings?

There are pros and cons to both methods, but when I think about wings I tend to assess:

Flavor:

Seasoning is one thing, but if I’m going for a smoky flavor, the BBQ is the way to go.

Texture

Baked wings tend to have a less crispy skin compared to BBQed wings, which may be a drawback if you’re like me and prefer a crispy texture.

Convenience

Baking wings dan be done indoors, which is a bonus. But cooking wings in the oven usually takes longer compared to grilling. So if you’re just trying to get dinner on the table, go with baked. But, hopefully you’re outside while you’re cooking these wings, so you can spend a little more time enjoying the sun and chirping birds.

Alternative Cooking Methods:

If you don’t have access to a grill, here are a couple of alternative cooking methods:

Air Fryer: Air fryers use hot air circulation to mimic the effect of deep-frying, resulting in crispy wings with less oil. Preheat the air fryer, place the wings in a single layer, and cook at a high temperature, flipping them halfway through for even browning.

Deep-Frying: Deep-frying wings provides a similar crispy texture and quick cooking time as grilling. Heat oil in a deep pot or fryer to the appropriate temperature, carefully add the wings, and fry until golden brown and cooked through.

If you want to make cauliflower BBQ wings:

If you’re vegetarian, vegan, or simply want to eat more veggies, cauliflower wings are absolutely delicious! This recipe for bbq cauliflower wings looks amazing.

We also have a great video on how to make buffalo cauliflower wings on our Youtube channel. Check it out below.

Storage and Reheating Notes

This recipe will last in the fridge for up to 4 days and you can freeze the cooked wings and cauliflower wings (unsauced) for up to 6 months. Reheat in the microwave, oven, or toaster oven. Store your sauced wings separately from any sides. Happy prepping!

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