Grilled Spicy Chicken Wings with a bold, sweet-spicy Jack Daniels sauce that adds another layer of flavor beyond Buffalo.
Wing eaters fall into one of two categories: drummy or flapper. In our house, it works out perfectly because I fall squarely in Camp Drummy. My husband is a flapper guy, though if there’s an extra drummy or two, he won’t let them escape.
We eat wings pretty much any way you can think from baked to deep fried but with warmer temps here, we’re firing up the grill for these Grilled Spicy Chicken Wings. If you give this recipe a try, don’t skip the Jack Daniels sauce. It’s a keeper.
Adding alcohol to a recipe – beer, wine or liquor deepens the flavor in ways herbs or other spices can’t. We even ramped up Salted Caramel Brownies with Jack Daniels!
What’s in spicy grilled chicken wings?
Dry rub:
- chicken wings
- cumin
- garlic powder
- pepper
- salt and pepper
- paprika
- ground cayenne pepper
Jack Daniels sauce:
- butter
- Jack Daniels
- Frank’s buffalo sauce
- honey
- soy sauce
How to make grilled spicy chicken wings:
Blend the dry rub ingredients in a large zip top bag then add the wings and give them a good shake so they’re all coated then refrigerate for 10-15 minutes while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce, add the Jack Daniels to the saucepan over medium heat and let it reduce slightly then add the remaining ingredients.
Simmer over low heat 8-10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
Grilling the wings:
Preheat the grill to medium high heat (375-400°). Place the wings over direct heat and grill about 20 minutes or until the wings are cooked through (internal temp of 165° degrees). If the wings are getting too dark, turn one burner off and move the wings to indirect heat.
Near the end of cooking, brush on the Jack Daniels sauce, coating on both sides and cook one more minute per side. Remove from the grill and eat right away.
What goes with these wings?
Our favorite side dish with wings is french fries – here are a few more:
If you tried this Spicy Grilled Chicken Wings recipe or any other on the blog then I’d love to hear from you with a comment or star rating!
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Spicy Grilled Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Dry Rub:
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 12-16 chicken wings
Jack Daniels Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Jack Daniels whiskey
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup Franks Buffalo sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Blend the dry rub ingredients in a large zip top bag then add the wings and give them a good shake so they’re all coated then refrigerate for 10-15 minutes while you make the sauce.
- To make the sauce, add the Jack Daniels to a saucepan over medium heat and let it reduce slightly then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat 8-10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat (375-400°). Place the wings over direct heat and grill about 20 minutes or until the wings are cooked through (internal temp of 165° degrees). If the wings are getting too dark, turn one burner off and move the wings to indirect heat.
- Near the end of cooking, brush on the Jack Daniels sauce, coating on both sides and cook one more minute per side.
Mary says
These wings look so good! Maybe this will be the recipe to change our mind about wings. LOL! The sauce sounds and looks so good. It can definitely be used for grilling chicken legs and thighs! Pinned. Thanks for sharing.
Bernie says
Hi Mary – yes – if there’s a recipe out there to convert you, this just may be it. If not, you can definitely use on legs and thighs. Actually, it’s really good on salmon too 🙂 Enjoy the day!
Ray says
Over the years I’ve had wings from the east coast to the west coast and from Key West to Alberta Canada. I love spicy wings with a kick and a cold beer. These spicy grilled wings are amongst the best. Crisp outside, juicy inside and a great flavor with a light kick. Hats off to the chef.
Bernie says
Thank you Ray! It was a team effort – hats off to the griller too 🙂 Glad you enjoyed them.