Lemon Garlic Wings

These grilled Lemon Garlic Wings are perfect for any cookout or game day get-together. The best part is that they go so well with creamy ranch dressing or a blue cheese dip. Chicken wings work well with any flavor combination but really stand out when coated in lemon and garlic. Super delicious!

I recommend using a wing brine before grilling these lemon garlic wings. Use my simple brine recipe below or my Brine for Chicken Wings for best results. 

Wood recommendations: cherry, apple, alder wood works well with this recipe.

Ingredients for Lemon Garlic Wings:

• 3 pounds chicken wings, flats and drummettes
• Fresh lemon juice
• Melted butter
• Garlic
• Dried marjoram
• Black pepper
• Onion powder

For brine:

• 1-quart cold water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup kosher salt

Making Lemon Wings:

• In a large container, combine brine ingredients. Let stand for 5 minutes and stir. The salt and sugar must be dissolved before use. 
• Submerge chicken wings in the brine. Cover the container, and place it into the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
• Set up a two-zone cooking space on your charcoal or gas grill. These lemon-garlic wings will be cooked indirectly. If using a pellet grill, aim for a 325 degrees F.
• Remove chicken from brine and blot them dry with paper towels. 
• Season wings with black pepper, onion powder, and marjoram.

Grilling the Wings:

• Place onto grill and cook for 30 minutes, or until wings reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• While the wings are cooking, combine lemon juice with minced garlic and melted butter in a large glass or plastic bowl.
• Remove wings from the grill and place them into lemon mixture. Toss to coat.
• Return the wings to the grill and cook over direct heat for another 5-7 minutes, turning them as needed. If using a pellet grill, increase the heat to 450 degrees F.
• Once the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F, remove the lemon garlic wings from the grill and serve. 

Tip:

Check multiple wings for doneness before taking them off the grill. Flats tend to cook quicker than the drummettes.  

Lemon-Garlic Wings

Who doesn't love chicken wings? We put these wings in a lemony marinade before they hit the grill. You get a tangy, garlic flavor that jumps off the plate. You can grill these wings on any grill. Cook them on a pellet grill or in a smoker for a dash of smoky goodness.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American BBQ, American Food

Keyword: chicken wings, grilled chicken wings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 42 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 491kcal

Author: Derrick Riches and Sabrina Baksh

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken wings flats and drummettes
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Simple brine:

• 1 quart cold water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup kosher salt

Instructions

• In a large container, combine brine ingredients. Let stand for 5 minutes and stir. The salt and sugar must be dissolved before use. 

  Submerge chicken wings in the brine. Cover the container, and place it into the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
• Set up a two-zone cooking space on your charcoal or gas grill. These lemon-garlic wings will be cooked indirectly. If using a pellet grill, aim for a 325 degrees F.
• Remove chicken from brine and blot them dry with paper towels. Season wings with black pepper, onion powder, and marjoram.
• Place onto grill and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until wings reach 165 degrees F.
• While the wings are cooking, combine lemon juice with minced garlic and melted butter in a large glass or plastic bowl.

  Remove wings from the grill and place them into lemon mixture. Toss to coat.
• Return the wings to the grill and cook over direct heat for 5-7 minutes, turning them as needed.

  If using a pellet grill, increase the heat to 450 degrees F. before placing the wings back on.
• Once the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F, remove the lemon-garlic wings from the grill and serve. 
• Check multiple wings for doneness before taking them off the grill. Flats tend to cook quicker than the drummettes.

Notes

All photos by: Sabrina Baksh/derrickriches.com

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 11507mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 504IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg