Grilled Chicken Wings with Chili Garlic Sauce
Published April 3, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These Grilled Chicken Wings with chili garlic sauce, honey, and fresh orange juice are always a crowd-pleaser at my gatherings. They come together in about 30 minutes and make a great appetizer for any party. I love how the sweet and tangy sauce coats every crispy wing perfectly.
I’ll be honest, appetizers are always the part of the meal I look forward to most. And when I’m hosting, I love putting out a big spread with lots of choices. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to check out my spinach and artichoke dip or this amazing bacon wrapped shrimp.
Grilled Chicken Wings with Chili Garlic Sauce
Grilled chicken wings with chili garlic sauce are one of my homemade specialty recipes of Asian-inspired marinated wings grilled and tossed in a sweet honey chili-garlic sauce. These are different from a traditional grilled wing in that the flavors of the marinade and sauce greatly influence the overall taste of the wing.
You can totally make this recipe your own. Some days I skip the marinade and go straight for the sauce, other times I stick with just the marinade and skip the toss at the end. Either way, you still get that sweet, spicy balance that makes these wings such a crowd-pleaser.
I love making these when I’ve got friends over, whether it’s for a chill weekend hang or one of those last-minute catch-ups. If you’re curious, check out my serving suggestions to see how I like to put the whole spread together.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Hoison Sauce – This is fermented soybean paste and can be purchased at most grocery stores in the international aisle. You can also substitute with BBQ sauce or oyster sauce.
- Vinegar – I used rice wine vinegar. However, you can swap it with cider or white distilled vinegar.
- Soy Sauce – Any good shoyu or tamari soy sauce will work. If you are soy-free, you can substitute coconut aminos.
- Fish Sauce – This is an optional ingredient, and it will add some incredible umami flavors.
- Oil – I used sesame oil to create more Asian-inspired flavors, but you can use any neutral-flavored oil.
- Wings – You will need fresh or frozen and thawed chicken wings. You can also use flats, drumettes, or a combination of both.
- Chili Garlic Paste – This spicy garlic sauce, also known as sambal, can be purchased at most grocery stores in the international aisle.
- Honey – Any grade of honey will work.
- Oranges – You can use freshly squeezed or orange juice from a carton.
- Herbs – I finish the wings with fresh cilantro and green onions to add flavor, but this is optional.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Wings with Chili Garlic Sauce
Preheat and marinate: First thing I do is preheat the grill to around 400 to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, I whisk together hoisin sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil until everything is well combined. Then, I add the chicken wings, toss them in the marinade, and let them chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight if I plan ahead.
Grill: When the wings are done marinating, I take them out of the bowl and place them on the hot grill. I cook them for about 10 to 12 minutes per side until they have those nice dark grill marks and the chicken is cooked through.
Sauce the wings: After the wings are cooked, I take them off the grill and let them rest for a few minutes. While they rest, I whisk together the chili garlic sauce, honey, and orange juice in a clean bowl. Then, I toss the wings in the sauce until they’re fully coated and glossy.
Serve: I arrange the wings on a big platter and I sprinkle them with sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, and sesame seeds.
chef tip + notes
I recommend for making my grilled chicken wings with chili garlic sauce is to let them marinate overnight if you can. I’ve rushed it before with just a quick marinade, and while they still turn out tasty, giving them that extra time really lets the flavors soak in.
- Grilling: When using soy, food items and caramelize quicker than normal which means it can tend to burn. The lower temperature of the grill will give you dark grill marks without charring anything.
- Sauce Tip: If the sauce’s flavor is too intense, add a little soy sauce and water to help break it up.
- Temperature Check: Wings are cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 165°.
- Visual Doneness Check: Another simple way to tell if they are cooked is by simply slicing into the middle and ensuring all the meat is white without any pink.
Serving Suggestions
When I serve these wings, I like to keep it simple with a side of jasmine rice or a crunchy vinegar based coleslaw. Sometimes I add orange slices and rice crackers on the platter to play up the flavors in the sauce.
These wings are also pretty awesome with my fresh bread and butter pickles with garlic and spices, or my homemade dill pickles. I mean, that combo is next level. If you haven’t tried wings with pickles before, trust me, you’re gonna want to give it a go.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 1 hour ahead of time. Keep them warm, covered with foil on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper in the oven at 200°.
How to Store: Cover them and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze cover with all of the sauce and keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: To reheat them, place them on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper, cover them in foil, and bake in the oven at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until warm.
More Appetizer Recipes
Grilled Chicken Wings with Chili Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/4 cup sesame seed oil
- 4 pounds chicken wings
- 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- juice of 2 oranges, about, 1/3 to 1/2 cup
- sliced green onions for garnish, , optional
- fresh cilantro leaves for garnish, , optional
- sesame seeds for garnish, , optional
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to 400° to 450°.
- In a large bowl whisk together hoisin sauce, vinegar, soy, fish sauce, and sesame oil until combined. Once mixed combine with chicken wings, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours.
- Once marinated, remove the chicken from the marinade and cook on a preheated grill until dark grill marks have formed and the chicken is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes per side.
- Once the wings are cooked, remove them from the grill and set aside to rest.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together chili sauce, honey, and orange juice. Next, toss the cooked wings in this mixture until the wings are completely coated.
- Serve the wings on a large platter and garnish with optional sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, and sesame seeds. Additional optional garnish: orange slices and rice crackers.
So enjoyed this recipe! A new twist on wings.
Many thanks!
If you want a chicken wing that’s not your everyday wing, then this recipe is for you! They were amazing! Full of flavor! I cooked mine in the oven instead of BBQing since right now our weather is not BBQ friendly. They turned out perfect!
Excellent!
Anyway these can be roasted in the oven, Billy?
For sure they can
Winner winner chicken dinner this is a very flavorful chicken meal to make everybody loved it —- loved the sauce!!!
Amazing!
We actually made this with chicken legs, for a larger meal. I started marinating them the night before and my husband grilled them the next day. Really flavorful! Everyone loved them.
thanks for giving it a shot!!
The sauce makes this recipe amazing. Thanks.
This quickly became a favorite at my house! Yummy!
That sauce on these was epic. So good.
These are a favorite with my husband. So flavorful!
This is the best recipe I have ever made. I always keep the ingredients on hand. Thank you for such an awesome dish!!