Name: Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Wings
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken wings; 1 cup water; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 5 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp minced garlic or 1 tsp ground; 2 Tbsp cornstarch; 1/4 cup water

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Sweet, smoky, and perfectly sticky, these grilled teriyaki chicken wings are bursting with flavor and made with an easy homemade sauce!

With grilling season upon us, we are looking forward to eating many meals in the great outdoors. Though we use our grill setup all year round, it is extra special when we can sit out in the fresh air while we eat our meal.

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Table of Contents

These are the best grilled chicken wings ever and one of the many recipes that we will be enjoying this summer!

Grilled wings have a wonderful smoky flavor and crispy skin that you just can’t replicate with any other cooking method.

Whether you make these tasty wings for game day or for a yummy weeknight dinner, it is a good idea to make extra. They will disappear every single time!

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Supplies

Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Ingredients

Chicken wings – Juicy and meaty, these wings are the perfect vehicle for soaking up all that sweet-and-savory teriyaki goodness.
Water (for the sauce) – Helps thin the sauce just enough so it simmers smoothly and coats every wing evenly.
Soy sauce – The salty, umami backbone of the teriyaki sauce that brings big flavor without much effort.
Brown sugar – Adds rich sweetness and helps create that irresistible sticky glaze.
Ginger – Gives the sauce a warm, slightly spicy kick that keeps it from being just plain sweet.
Honey – Adds natural sweetness and helps the wings caramelize beautifully on the grill.
Garlic – Brings bold, savory flavor that makes everything smell amazing.
Cornstarch – The secret thickener that turns the sauce into a glossy, clingy glaze instead of a watery marinade.
Water (for the slurry) – Mixed with cornstarch to create a smooth slurry that thickens the sauce without lumps.

Note: Any kind of teriyaki sauce will work, but this homemade marinade is worth the effort! Just make it at home and bring the marinating wings with you on your next camping trip.

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine water, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, ginger, and garlic. Whisk together.

2. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Mix well.

3. Pour the first mixture into a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat (about 5 minutes).

4. When the sauce begins to boil, add the cornstarch mixture and whisk continuously.

5. When the teriyaki marinade begins to thicken (about 2 minutes), remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.

6. In a large bowl, toss the chicken wings in 3/4 of the marinade, reserving some for basting.

7. Place the wings in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap, for at least one hour for best results.

Tip: At this point, pack the wings for camping with the rest of your meals.

8. Preheat the grill to medium heat, 350 degrees F. Place chicken wings in a single layer on the grill. Discard the remaining marinade mixture.

9. Flip the wings every 5 minutes, basting with the reserved marinade in between.

10. Grill wings for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer.

Tips and Tricks

Use olive oil to season your grill before cooking. This will help to prevent the chicken from sticking. Lining your grill grates with aluminum foil will also help.
Though we love using our Traeger to make these crispy grilled chicken wings, they can also be made using a gas grill, charcoal grill, in the oven, or in a slow cooker.
The key to really tender meat is cooking it low and slow. The long cook time allows the connective tissue in tough cuts of meat to break down. Marinating your meat also helps this process along.

This recipe can be made with boneless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and chicken drumsticks too. Whatever cut of meat you are using, be sure the chicken’s internal temperature reaches the recommended temperature for food safety.
If you use different chicken pieces, cooking time will vary, particularly if they are bone-in pieces. Always use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken to determine whether the meat is cooked thoroughly.
Test this recipe out with different teriyaki sauces to find the ones your family enjoys most.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.

Substitutions

Try brining the chicken wings in pickle or lemon juice.
Instead of teriyaki sauce, try making a dry rub using seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, minced garlic cloves, and brown sugar.
Season the wings with just sea salt and black pepper.
Buffalo sauce, like Frank’s hot sauce.
Use a sweet wing sauce or barbecue sauce instead.

Serve these deliciously crispy chicken wings with French fries, potato salad, carrot and celery sticks, or Mexican corn salad. As chicken wing fans, we also love these keto teriyaki wings and these sweet buffalo wings too.

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