Chicken wings have quickly become incredibly popular, and many people have asked me: “What’s the best way to cook them on the grill?” or “When should I add the sauce?”
These instructions work for both wings and drumsticks. Depending on the size of the pieces, you can adjust the cooking time slightly. We also cover oven and deep fryer preparation (at the end of the article). Of course, you can also smoke them!

Marko’s Favorite Methods

There are several ways to prepare wings on the grill – here are my favorites.

Regardless of the method (excluding deep frying), I always follow the same prep steps:

Preparation

• Rinse the wings in cold water
• Lightly coat with oil, mayonnaise (e.g., Mango-Habanero), or melted butter (liquid butter products work great). NOTE: Don’t overdo it – about 1 tablespoon per 500 g of wings is enough, mix by hand
• Season the surface with RUB seasoning, 2 tbsp per 500 g or to taste. Poppamies offers 7 flavors that go perfectly with hot wings:
  • Louisiana Cajun RUB – authentic Cajun spice with a bit of heat, no sugar
  • Garlic RUB Seasoning – very garlicky
  • Burgers & Ribs RUB – American BBQ
  • Sriracha RUB – medium-hot with Mexican flair
  • One For All RUB – mildly spicy, suitable for everyone
  • Slow Food RUB – smoky and herby blend, coarsely ground

Grill or Smoker Cooking

1. Direct heat: Grill over direct medium heat (about 150°C), turning regularly. The wings are ready when the meat comes off the bone easily and the surface is golden and crispy. Don’t overcook and dry them out!

2. Indirect heat: Set up indirect heat in your grill (125–150°C) and cook the wings for about 45–60 minutes. For smoke flavor, add wood chips to a smoker box or foil pouch. Once smoke starts, place wings on the grill. After one hour, move them to direct heat briefly to crisp up. Brush lightly with melted butter if needed. If you cooked at the higher end (150°C), the surface may already be crisp enough.

3. Smoker: Set your smoker to about 125°C. Once smoke production begins, place the wings inside and smoke for about 90 minutes.

Be cautious – chicken absorbs smoke easily, and more than an hour might be too much for some. Oak is my favorite – mild and long-burning. Apple or hickory are strong and flavorful but need careful use.

For more crispiness, finish skin-side down over direct heat.

Saucing During or After Cooking

When making BBQ-style wings, I brush them with sauce at the very end or just before serving. I recommend Poppamies Classic BBQ, Smoky Hickory BBQ, or Hot Bourbon BBQ sauces.

For best results, glaze the wings only at the end – this keeps the surface crisp and flavorful, thanks to proper Maillard reaction development.

Oven Method

Preheat oven to 225°C. Bake wings on a tray for 20–30 minutes, turning once and baking another 10 minutes to prevent drying and ensure even browning. For large wings, check doneness by cutting into one – the meat should be fully cooked and come off the bone easily. Use grill/broil setting if available.

Air Fryer Method

Place wings in the fryer basket. Depending on size, fit about 10–20 pieces. Cook frozen wings at 180°C for about 14 minutes, pre-cooked thawed wings for 10 minutes, and raw wings for about 25 minutes. Flip halfway through.

Deep Fryer Method

Fry at 185°C for about 8 minutes. Coat generously with wing sauce before serving. Pour some extra into a dipping bowl too.

Serving and Dipping

Traditionally, wings are lightly coated with sauce before serving and served with veggie sticks. Pour extra wing sauce into a dip bowl for dipping.

Restaurants usually serve carrot and celery or cucumber sticks – some love them, others don’t, but a fresh bite is a nice break. Or a cold beer works just as well.

Dipping While Eating

The classic dip for wings is a sour cream-based blue cheese dip. Poppamies has a ready-made dip powder we dare say is the best on the market!

In addition to blue cheese, you can dip wings in various wing sauces like those from Poppamies. Mayos and barbeque sauces also work great with hot wings.