3-Ingredient Korean Grilled Chicken Wings with Scallion

From the kitchen of Carly

Gochujang-glazed wings with crispy, rendered skin and a spicy-savory coating. The scallion garnish adds brightness to what's otherwise pure umami comfort. Grilled until charred at the edges and juicy within, these wings demand zero fuss but deliver maximum flavor.

3-Ingredient Korean Grilled Chicken Wings with Scallion

Two-zone grilling is the move here, low heat first to render the fat and build flavor, then high heat for that critical crisp skin. Gochujang's funky, salty heat cuts through the richness, and the scallions scattered on top brighten every bite. Three ingredients plus salt and pepper, but the technique is what makes wings restaurant-good.

Prep
n/a
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
  • 1/2 cupgochujang
  • 1scallion
  • 1thinly sliced on the bias

Instructions

  1. Press paper towels firmly against the wings to get them as dry as possible, then drop them into a large bowl with the oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss until every piece is evenly coated.

  2. Set up the grill for two zones, medium and medium-high, or place a grill pan over medium heat. Grill the wings over the medium zone, turning occasionally, until the skin starts to brown and the fat renders out, about 12 minutes. Shift them to the medium-high zone, or crank the grill pan 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 threaten to burn, nudge them to a cooler spot or dial the heat back briefly.

  3. While the wings finish cooking, whisk the gochujang with 1/4 cup hot water in a large bowl until smooth.

  4. Straight from the grill, tumble the wings into the gochujang bowl and toss to coat every piece. Arrange them on a platter, scatter the sliced scallions over the top, season with a little more salt and pepper, and serve right away.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Pat wings completely dry before seasoning, not just damp. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin on a grill. Use paper towels aggressively.
  • Don't skip the two-zone setup. Low heat renders fat and develops flavor without burning the outside. You're building layers, not just cooking fast.
  • Watch the temperature carefully in the final stage. Wings go from perfect to charred quickly once the skin is crispy, especially if your grill runs hot.

Variations

  • Swap gochujang for a mix of soy sauce and sesame oil for a less spicy, nutty version. Cut the soy with a teaspoon of rice vinegar for brightness.
  • Add minced garlic and ginger to the gochujang sauce for deeper savory notes and warmth.
  • Finish with toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of chili oil instead of just scallions for texture and color.
  • Use mayo mixed with gochujang for a creamy glaze, more like Korean fried chicken wings, and skip the water.

Make ahead and storage

Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently in a 375°F oven for about 8 minutes to restore skin crispness, and skip the scallions until they're warm. Don't freeze, the texture won't recover.