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This Honey Chipotle BBQ Wings recipe delivers bold, irresistible flavors with easy prep. Unlike other wing recipes that require deep frying or complicated steps, these wings are grilled to perfection, giving you that smoky, crispy finish without the fuss. The homemade honey chipotle BBQ sauce strikes the perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and spicy, making it a go-to for any gathering.
Whether you’re hosting a game day feast or a backyard cookout, these wings will be the star of the show, bringing everyone together around the table, TV, or tailgate!
These Honey Chipotle BBQ Wings have become my family’s most requested cookout meal. When we fire up the grill, these wings are the first thing on the menu. The best part? The marinade and sauce come together with just a few staple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
With a perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and spicy, these wings are easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. Whether it’s a casual weekend cookout or a special family gathering, these wings never disappoint.
Ingredient Notes
How to Make Grilled Honey Chipotle BBQ Wings
Prepare the Sauce: In a blender, combine 3 chipotles from adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce, honey, lime juice, soy sauce, ketchup, and BBQ sauce. Blend until smooth. Set aside for grilling.
Season the Wings: Sprinkle garlic salt on both sides of the chicken wings, ensuring they are evenly coated.
Preheat the Grill: Heat your BBQ grill on high for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low.
Grill the Wings: Place the wings on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes, turning them occasionally until they’re nearly done.
Add the Sauce: Brush the wings with the prepared sauce and continue cooking for about 2 minutes on each side. After flipping, recoat the top side and grill for another 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning.
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Finish and Serve: Remove the wings from the grill, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve hot. Enjoy!
TIPS for Grilling Chicken Wings
- Pat the Wings Dry: Before seasoning, make sure to pat the wings dry with paper towels. This helps achieve a crispier skin during grilling.
- Preheat the Grill Properly: Start with a high heat preheat for about 5 minutes to ensure the grill grates are hot enough. Then, reduce the heat to low to prevent the wings from cooking too quickly on the outside while remaining raw inside.
- Use Indirect Heat: If your grill has multiple burners, turn one side off and place the wings on the cooler side. This indirect heat method prevents flare-ups and allows the wings to cook evenly.
- Don’t Skip the Initial Seasoning: Sprinkling garlic salt before grilling not only adds flavor but also draws out some moisture, helping the wings crisp up better on the grill.
- Mop the Sauce in Layers: Start mopping the sauce when the wings are almost done to avoid burning the sugars in the sauce. Apply in layers, flipping the wings and adding more sauce to build up that sticky, flavorful glaze.
- Keep an Eye on the Grill: The honey in the sauce can cause the wings to caramelize quickly, so keep a close watch to prevent burning. Adjust the heat as needed and move the wings to a cooler part of the grill if necessary.
- Rest Before Serving: After removing the wings from the grill, let them rest for a couple of minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute, keeping the wings juicy and flavorful.
- Serve Freshly Garnished: Garnish with fresh cilantro right before serving to add a pop of color and a fresh burst of flavor that complements the smoky, spicy wings.
For more tips, see our Variations and Substitutions and Recipe FAQs.
Recipe Faqs
Yes, you can use frozen wings, but make sure to thaw them completely before grilling. This ensures they cook evenly and achieve a nice, crispy texture.
The wings have a moderate level of spice from the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. If you prefer a milder flavor, reduce the amount of chipotle peppers or use just the adobo sauce without the peppers. Also, check the BBQ for spices used. That can also contribute to the heat level.
Absolutely! If you prefer baking, preheat your oven to 400°F and bake the wings on a wire rack over a baking sheet for 35-40 minutes, turning halfway through. Apply the sauce in the last 10 minutes of baking to avoid burning. Check for an internal temperature of 165°F
If you don’t have a blender, you can finely chop the chipotle peppers and whisk them together with the other sauce ingredients. It won’t be as smooth, but it will still be delicious. You can also use a food processor.
Definitely! This honey chipotle BBQ sauce works great on other meats like chicken breasts or thighs, pork chops, or even ribs. Just adjust the cooking time based on the meat you’re using.
Storage, Make-Ahead, and Reheating
Refrigeration: Store any leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will keep them fresh and ready to enjoy later.
Freezing: If you’d like to store the wings for a longer period, you can freeze them. Lay the wings out on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze them until solid, usually a couple of hours. Once frozen, transfer the wings to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheating:
- In the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the refrigerated or frozen wings on a baking sheet and heat until warmed through, about 10-15 minutes for refrigerated wings and 20-25 minutes for frozen wings.
- On the Grill: For a crispier finish, you can reheat the wings on the grill. Just place them over medium heat for a few minutes on each side until they are heated through.
- Microwave: You can reheat in the microwave at 1-minute intervals until warmed through. T results won’t be crispy.
Tip: When reheating, brush on a little extra sauce before and after to refresh the flavor and keep the wings moist.
Sides that are Perfect for BBQ
- Shelly’s Pasta Salad
- Chopped Greek Salad
- Hot Dog and Hamburger Cowboy Beans
- Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
- Blue Cheese Slaw
- Banana Pudding Cheesecake Parfait
- Red, White and Blue Poke Cake
Honey Chipotle BBQ Wings
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Chicken Wings
- 3 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
- 1 to 2 tbsp Adobo Sauce
- ½ cup honey
- 1 each Juice of Lime
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- 2 tbsp BBQ Sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp Garlic Salt
- Cilantro to Garnish
Instructions
Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- In a blender mix 3 Chipotles from Adobo Sauce, 1 tbsp Adobo Sauce, Honey, Lime Juice, Soy Sauce, Ketchup, and BBQ Sauce until combined. Reserve for grilling chicken.
- Sprinkle Garlic Salt on both sides of wings.
- Preheat BBQ Grill on high for 5 minutes. Then turn down to low.
- Place chicken on grill and cook until just about done, about 10 minutes. Mop on sauce, cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Once cooked on both sides. Recoat top again and cook another minute or 2 until cooked in! Be care to watch the grill so the chicken does not burn.
- Remove from grill and garnish with cilantro
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Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
©️Soulfully Made
This recipe was originally posted on May 28, 2017, and was updated on August 26, 2024, with new images and step-by-step instructions.
Those are perfectly charred wings and I’m just drooling looking at them! John and I grill the same way. I’m the inside girl and he mans the grill. I’m a lucky girl too!
My husband does the grilling at our house too! No complaints when I do the prepping. These wings are super flavorful with that sauce. Super easy to put together. Hardest part was waiting for them to cool down before we could dig in!
Mine usually does too! We love the kick with the sweet in this sauce! I am glad you all enjoyed them!
So good! These two flavors are a match made in deliciousness!
Thank you Michelle. We love a little sweet and heat!
I really love the combo of sweet and smokey! These sound like a perfect wing for sure! Thanks for sharing another fab recipe
Gimme all the wings! YUM!
Why of course! They are so hard to resist! Easy and delicious!
These wings look amazing – the perfect summertime meal!
Thank you! We love to grill them for summer poolside parties!
These wings look truly incredible! I have to make them this weekend!
Thank you Anna! They are so easy too! Please let me know what you think! Have a great week!
We are obsessed with grilled wings. Love the honey chipotle addition!
We are too Melissa! Like a little sweet and spicy! 😉
I don’t have wings often but these look and sound delicious!
Thank you! They are so tasty! I usually use chicken breasts, but these really are delicious!
Sweet and spicy, I love it!
Thank you! A little of both makes them so delish!
Mmmmmmmmm these look so good! I love the combination of sweet and spicy.
Great pictures! And those wings look crazy good!
Thank you Denise! We love these at my house! One of our favs on the grill!
I love how thick the sauce turned out! Double delicious!
Thank you Cindy! We love this sauce! Perfect spice and sweet combination for the grill!