The Easy Way To Make Grilled Chicken Wings Taste Fried

If fried chicken is your favorite food, you're not alone. The blend of savory and tangy seasonings brings a burst of flavor to each bite that's simply irresistible. But what truly makes fried chicken so special is the texture. Hearing that crunch as you bite the crispy skin only to be greeted by flavorful, juicy meat inside feels out of this world. So, it makes sense that fried chicken is among America's favorite foods.

Yet, as much as we love fried chicken, we may want to switch things up sometimes. Grilling your chicken wings instead offers an excellent alternative and a way to help you cut back on fried foods. Knowing how to grill chicken wings is one thing, but doing it so that it tastes as good as fried chicken is an entirely different challenge. Even if you consider yourself a grill master, all it takes is one tiny mistake, and you'll have a bowl of charred wings that taste nothing like fried chicken for lunch. 

If you want perfectly grilled wings, you need to know how to get that crispy skin first. Then, you can top it off with the perfect mix of seasoning, spices, or sauces to achieve that fried wings taste. While it might look overwhelming, you don't have to worry. You're about to learn all the tips and tricks you need to master the art of making your grilled chicken wings taste fried.

Dabbing the chicken's skin dry is the first and most crucial step to getting crispy grilled wings, so you don't want to skip it. Keeping the skin dry doesn't mean flavorless, but you won't use your usual meat marinade this time. After separating the chicken wings into drums and flats, get an empty Ziploc bag and make a dry rub consisting of salt, pepper, and any other dry herbs or spices you typically use for fried chicken, like garlic and onion powder, paprika and mixed herbs. Throw the chicken pieces into the bag of spices and mix till every piece is covered. 

Now, if you're a fried chicken lover, you've probably used cornstarch for fry batter at least once, so you won't find this odd. Sometimes, grilling with a simple blend of spices might not cut it if you want a real crunch. In that case, you can elevate your dry rub by adding cornstarch, which helps to dry the chicken skin further. Alternatively, you can coat your wings with a flour and cornmeal mix to make it taste more like fried chicken before popping it in the refrigerator to set. 

While adding plain cornstarch to your dry spice mix is best for this recipe, you could use baking powder instead. After all, cornstarch is its primary ingredient. However, the downside is that baking powder typically contains other ingredients, so you might end up with an unusual aftertaste.  

Once your fully spiced chicken wings are out of the fridge, it's time to get busy. Placing them straight onto the fire from the refrigerator can make the meat tough instead of tender and moist inside. Worse still, heat might not even reach the center of the meat to cook it properly. So, it's best to allow your chicken wings to sit out for a little while before transferring them to the grill. 

For the perfect grilled chicken, you can't be in a hurry. Using high heat is a common mistake when grilling chicken, and it may result in charred skin and raw meat. It's much better to start slow with moderate heat for an evenly cooked final product. Once your grill is hot — around 425 degrees Fahrenheit – arrange the chicken wings in a circle so that the heat reaches them evenly. Chicken wings take around 20-30 minutes to cook, but you can't take your eyes off them for too long. Remember to flip them every few minutes so that the heat reaches all the sides equally without getting burned. When they're fully cooked (with an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit), remove them from the heat for one final step: Leave the wings to rest and let off steam so they stay as crisp as if they were fried.