Buttermilk Brined Grilled Chicken Wings

These crispy Buttermilk Brined Grilled Chicken Wings are spicy, golden brown chicken wings – packed with flavor and grilled to perfection! These wings are so easy to make and perfect for game day!

When it comes to chicken wing recipes, we love everything from sticky and sweet to spicy and hot, deep fried, air fried or crispy smoked chicken wings! It’s really a guilty indulgence that we can come back to over and over!

A recipe rarely sends me over the top. Especially a simple one like chicken wings. But whoa. This Buttermilk Brined Grilled Chicken Wings recipe just did that. They are almost as easy as my delicious smoked chicken thighs.

I decided to make smoked chicken wings for a football party the other day and I set out to jazz up some buttermilk-marinated chicken at a friend’s house while we waited to see who was making it to the next playoff game. Well, no one really cared who was even playing in the game once I pulled these wings off the grill. They were that freaking good.

Ingredients for buttermilk marinated chicken wings.

What you need to make this recipe:

Chicken Wings – you’ll need 3 pounds of chicken wings for this recipe but you can adjust this for the size of the crowd you’re feeding. Just make sure you adjust the buttermilk marinade and spice quantity too!
Seasonings – you’ll use an ultra-flavorful blend of cumin, salt, chili powder, ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Buttermilk, Hot Sauce, Pickle Juice, and Lime Juice – these ingredients make up a flavorful, spicy, and tangy marinade for the chicken.

How to make buttermilk brined grilled chicken wings

Pat the wings dry and set them aside. Whisk together the seasonings. Add ½ the seasonings into the buttermilk, then add in hot sauce, pickle juice, and lime juice.

Place the chicken into a container or Ziplock bag and add the buttermilk mix. Let that sit for 6-8 hours in the fridge.

Chicken wings in a resealable bag with buttermilk spice mix ready to be added in.

When you’re ready to cook, prep the grill, and remove the chicken from the brine. Sprinkle ¼ of the remaining seasoning over the chicken.

Spices sprinkled over buttermilk brined chicken wings.

Place the chicken on the grill, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes. Flip and cook for another 7-10 minutes, moving the wings as needed.

Chicken wings being arranged on a grill grate.

Buttermilk brined chicken wings flipped on a hot grill with grill marks.

Once the wings are cooked, remove them from the grill and place them in a bowl. Add the remaining seasoning and hot sauce, then toss to coat. Serve with ranch or blue cheese.

Recipe FAQs

How long does it take to grill chicken wings?

Because wings are small, they don’t take long at all to cook! I cook them for an initial 10-12 minutes, flip and rotate them around the grill, then cook them for another 7-10 minutes.
This amount of time is perfect for tender chicken, crispy skin, and a subtly smoky flavor.

What does buttermilk brine do to chicken?

Soaking chicken in a buttermilk brine results in more tender and more flavorful chicken!
Why? The acidity in buttermilk breaks down the skin and the meat for a more tender texture and a crispier crust. This breakdown also allows the seasonings to work their way further into the meat so there is flavor all the way throughout!

Can you smoke on a gas grill?

Yep. And it’s super easy! All you have to do is build a smoker packet (or use a smoker box.)
For these wings, I turned a traditional gas grill into the perfect smoker by making a smoke box out of aluminum foil. To build a smoker packet, I laid down a piece of aluminum foil and placed a handful of dry chips in the center. I wrapped it, much like you would a burrito, folded the edges over, and pinched the ends shut, leaving a pocket where the air/smoke could escape.
After that, I tossed that baby on the grill and let it sit for 20 minutes! Now don’t tell me a gas grill can’t smoke. For more information on how to use a gas grill with wood chips, check out my full article with more in-depth info.

Tips, tricks, and notes for this recipe

If you marinate the chicken in a Ziplock bag, set it into another dish so you can easily clean up any leaks that may happen. You don’t want a big mess in your fridge!
Cook on medium-hot fire. This is low enough that there aren’t big flare-ups but high enough that you will get that crispy skin.
Before you flip, give the wings a little nudge. If the skin sticks, they need longer to cook. If they move easily, they are ready to be flipped.
When you flip, move the wings around the grill a bit (front to back/back to front) for even cooking.
Temp the chicken off of the heat of the grill for an accurate reading. I use an instant-read thermometer, like a Thermopen, to temp all of my meat.

Spice rubbed smoked chicken wings are my favorite grilled chicken wing recipe ever!

What to serve with grilled chicken wings

Serve these buttermilk brined wings with ranch or blue cheese for dipping…and with napkins! 😉

I love to serve these grilled wings as part of an appetizer spread for parties! Here are a few of my favorites:

How to store

These chicken wings are definitely best right away…and I would be shocked if you had leftovers. BUT, if you do, they will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat, thaw in the fridge if frozen, then warm in the oven at 325ºF for 15-20 minutes.

spicy smoked chicken wings that bathed in a perfect buttermilk brine before being grilled to perfection

MORE DELICIOUS WING RECIPES

If you’ve tried these buttermilk brined smoked wings or any other recipe on GirlCarnivore.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below.
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Ain’t nothing like a classic wing with an amazing spice rub. And this is just that. Buttermilk brined smoked chicken wings with a spice-rubbed kick.

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Marinate the Chicken in Buttermilk

Pat the chicken wings dry. Set aside.
Whisk the paprika, cumin, salt, chili powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl.
Whisk 1/2 of the spice mix into the buttermilk.
Add the hot sauce, pickle juice, and lime juice.
Place the chicken in a large resealable container, or a large Ziplock bag and add the buttermilk mix.
Let the chicken sit in the buttermilk 6 to 8 hours in the fridge. If you are using a Ziplock bag, be sure to place it in another dish, no need for leaks.

Grill the Chicken

When ready to cook, prepare your grill for smoking, with a temp of arond 350 F.
Remove the chicken from the buttermilk brine and allow excess liquid to drip off.
Sprinkle ¼ of the remaining seasoning blend over the chicken, coating evenly.
When the grill is hot, arrange the chicken wings in an even layer over the grate.
Allow them to cook with the lid closed, 10 – 12 minutes.
When the chicken pulls easily from the grate, flip and rotate the wings as needed to avoid burning or flare-ups.
Cook until the skin is crispy, another 7 – 10 minutes, moving the wings as needed to cook evenly.
The wings are done when they read a temperature of 165 degrees F with an instant-read thermometer.
Remove the wings from the grill and place them in a big bowl. Add the remainder of the seasoning and a little hot sauce if you dare and toss the whole bowl to coat. The seasoning will stick to the hot chicken wings.

It’s important to temp the chicken off the heat of the grill for an accurate reading. I use an instant read thermometer, like a Thermopen to temp all of my meat for an accurate reading.
These keep for 3 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Eat cold, or reheat in the oven on 325 for 15-20 minutes.
This recipe works great with full wings or also with chicken wing flats and drums.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

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