3-Ingredient Curry Grilled Chicken Wings

From the kitchen of Carly

Yogurt and curry powder do the heavy lifting here, creating a tangy, spiced marinade that clings to wings and caramelizes on the grill. The result is crispy skin with warm spice underneath. Three ingredients, maximum flavor, minimal fuss.

3-Ingredient Curry Grilled Chicken Wings

Yogurt does the heavy lifting here, tenderizing wings while curry powder builds a crisp, spiced crust on the grill. The two-zone cooking method means you start low to render fat and build flavor, then finish hot for char and crackle. No complicated marinade, no fussy techniques, just sticky skin and meat that falls off the bone.

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
  • 1/2 cupplain yogurt
  • 1 tbspplus 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 tbspvegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tspkosher salt, plus more
  • 1/2 tspfreshly ground black pepper
  • 1plus more

Instructions

  1. Blot the wings thoroughly dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, curry powder, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the wings and toss until every piece is well coated, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer everything to a resealable bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

  2. Set up your grill for two zones, medium and medium-high, or place a grill pan over medium heat. Working in batches if needed, lay the wings over the medium zone and grill, turning occasionally, until the skin starts to color 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 until the skin is crisp and lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the flesh without touching bone reads 165°F, another 5 to 10 minutes. If any wings start to burn before they're done, nudge them to a cooler spot or dial back the heat.

  3. Arrange the wings on a platter, season with salt and pepper, and serve right away.

  4. The wings can be marinated up to 1 day ahead; just keep them chilled until you're ready to grill.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Pat your wings bone dry before marinating, non-negotiable. Moisture on the surface steams instead of crisps, and you lose that golden skin you're after.
  • Two-zone grilling saves you from burning the outside before the inside cooks. Medium heat first renders the fat and builds flavor; medium-high gives you char without charcoal.
  • Yogurt marinades work fast. Thirty minutes is the minimum, but overnight deepens the curry flavor and keeps the meat incredibly tender. Either way wins.
  • An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the wing (not touching bone) at 165°F tells you exactly when to stop. Overcook wings even a little and they dry out.

Variations

  • Coconut Curry Wings: Swap half the yogurt for canned coconut milk and add a squeeze of lime juice to the marinade for a richer, tropical angle.
  • Tandoori Wings: Use tandoori powder instead of curry, add a pinch of garam masala, and finish with a drizzle of yogurt sauce and fresh cilantro.
  • Cold Curry Wings: Grill ahead and serve at room temperature with a yogurt ranch dipping sauce mixed with the leftover curry marinade for a picnic-friendly angle.
  • Skewer and Satay: Thread marinated wings (or just the flats) onto skewers and finish with a peanut sauce instead of salt and pepper for a Southeast Asian lean.

Make ahead and storage

Wings keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat well in a 350°F oven for about 8 minutes. Freezing cooked wings is fine for up to 3 months, though the skin won't recrisp as dramatically when thawed and reheated.