3-Ingredient Buffalo Grilled Chicken Wings

From the kitchen of Carly

Crispy grilled wings coated in a buttery hot sauce that clings to every edge. The two-zone grill method renders fat while keeping meat juicy. Frank's buffalo sauce does the heavy lifting here with minimal fuss and maximum flavor.

3-Ingredient Buffalo Grilled Chicken Wings

Two-zone grilling is the secret to wings that crisp up without burning. Start low to render the fat and build color, then crank the heat and brush with a buttery hot sauce in the final minutes for a caramelized, saucy finish. The three ingredients (wings, butter, hot sauce) are all the seasoning you need, but salt and pepper on the grill side matter.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 lbchicken wings
  • 1 tbspvegetable oil
  • 1 tspkosher salt, plus more
  • 1/2 tspfreshly ground black pepper, plus more
  • 1/4 cupunsalted butter
  • 1/3 cuphot sauce
  • 1such as Frank’s

Instructions

  1. Press paper towels firmly against the wings and pat them very dry, then tumble them into a large bowl with the oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Toss until every piece is evenly coated.

  2. In a small pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter completely, then pull it off the heat and stir in the hot sauce. Park the pot somewhere warm while you grill.

  3. Set up your grill for two zones, one medium and one medium-high, or place a grill pan over medium heat. Lay the wings over the medium zone, working in batches if needed, and grill them with occasional turns until the skin starts to brown and the fat renders out, about 12 minutes. Shift the wings to the medium-high zone, or crank the grill pan up to medium-high, and keep cooking. If any spots threaten to burn, nudge those wings to a cooler section or dial the heat back slightly. In the final minute, brush the wings with about 1/4 cup of the hot sauce mixture. Pull them when the skin is crisp and lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the flesh without touching bone reads 165°F, roughly 5 to 10 minutes more.

  4. Pour the remaining sauce into a large bowl, add the hot wings straight from the grill, and toss to coat everything thoroughly. Taste, season with salt and pepper as needed, and serve right away.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Pat wings completely dry before oiling, or the skin won't crisp. Moisture is the enemy of crunch.
  • Two-zone heat is not optional: low and slow first to render fat without charring, then high to finish and caramelize. If using a single-temperature grill, move wings to the edge as they cook.
  • Brush the sauce in the last minute only. Sauce burns easily and tastes bitter if it hits the heat too long. The wings will get a final toss in the bowl anyway.

Variations

  • Swap hot sauce for another bottled condiment, like soy sauce and honey or barbecue sauce, for a different flavor profile. The butter-and-heat method works with any liquid worth coating wings in.
  • Skip the grill entirely and roast wings at 450°F for 35 to 40 minutes on a wire rack over a sheet pan, then toss with the hot sauce mixture straight from the oven.
  • Make a wing shop-style version by doubling the butter and adding a splash of vinegar and Worcestershire to the sauce for tang and depth.

Make ahead and storage

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes to restore crispness, not in the microwave.