Nashville Hot Grill-Fried Chicken Wings

Crispy, savory, and addictively juicy Nashville Hot Grill-Fried Chicken Wings will have your taste buds hooked at first bite with the slow burn of bold spices. Like a country song racing up the charts, these grilled chicken wings will be an instant hit.

Is there anything better than biting into a succulent piece of chicken, juices dripping down your hands as you almost hum in excitement at the explosion of flavors? These wings combine everything you love about both chicken wings and Nashville hot chicken in perfect harmony.

Why This Recipe Works

• Easy process for fried chicken. Grill-fried chicken gives you the crunchy texture you love of fried chicken without all of the mess and work. The steps can really be broken down into three simple steps, brine, grill, and baste. You don’t even need to get your hands dirty till you’re diving into that gloriously stacked pile of wings. Just toss them in the bag with your seasoned flour and shake away.
• Versatility with grills. This recipe for Nashville hot chicken wings can easily be prepared on either your basic charcoal grill or a gas grill. It’s all about that indirect heat. In addition, upping the heat or toning it down to your own personal tastes makes this grilled chicken wing recipe versatile for every palate. 
• Accessible ingredients. Besides the homemade Nashville Hot Seasoning that uses spices you probably already have in your cabinet, all you need for these Nashville hot wings is tangy pickle juice, a little water to dilute the pickle juice for the brine, all-purpose batter for the light coating of batter, and a neutral oil like canola, grapeseed, or vegetable oil for the baste.

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Close to Authentic Nashville Hot Chicken

The classic Nashville hot chicken recipe is traditionally fried chicken that’s been marinated, battered, fried, and brushed or tossed with spicy hot oil. Each step of the process builds another layer of flavor that permeates through the meat and breading creating an explosion of heat and spice in every bite. It’s an entire experience that will have you craving the next bite even as you’re chewing on the first. 

Have you ever wondered if you can fry chicken on the grill? Grill-fried chicken is a process I’ve been working on for a few years, trying to mimic crispy fried chicken on the grill without the work, mess, and process of deep frying. Naturally, making Nashville hot grill-fried chicken was one of the first flavors.

Using a thin coating of flour and brushing with spicy oil, the high heat of the grill fries the outside, crisping it up into a similar texture and experience. It isn’t a thick breading on the outside, but it has the same flavor and texture as a thinly coated fried chicken wing. The light coating of flour becomes one with the bubbly, rendered, crispy skin giving you texture in every bite.

Important Tips for Grill-Fried Chicken

• One batch of Nashville Hot Seasoning is enough to make up to three pounds of wings. It goes into every layer, the brine, the seasoned flour, and the spicy oil baste. Go ahead and make extra though so you can serve Nashville Hot Pickle Potato Salad alongside. 
• 4 hours is the maximum recommended time to brine your chicken wings. Anything beyond that and the acid will begin cooking the meat, changing the texture. In addition, it could also dye your wings green-ish (yuck).
• You only need a light coating of oil when basting your wings. It should just hug the outside, working with the heat to cause the wings to crisp up. Too much oil and it will have the opposite effect, causing the wings to become soggy. No one wants soggy wings.
• Regardless of what type of grill you are using, always make sure that your grates are thoroughly clean before placing your wings on the grill. In addition, resist the urge to flip too early. This will ensure that they easily release from the grates and your skin doesn’t rip.

Step 1: Brine the Chicken Wings

If you are using whole chicken wings, remove the tips and separate the flats from the drums. Add your wings to a large zip-top bag or storage container along with the pickle juice, water, and Nashville hot seasoning. Remove as much air as possible and shake to combine all of the ingredients.

It doesn’t take long for the pickle brine to work its magic and permeate the meat while tenderizing it. You only need to refrigerate these for 2-4 hours.

Step 2: Batter the Wings

Add your seasoning and flour to either a large paper bag or a container with a lid. Give it a shake to evenly distribute the seasoning. Remove your wings from the brine and pat them dry with a paper towel. Add them to the seasoned flour and close the top.

Give it a vigorous shake to thoroughly combine. Check them to make sure the wings are evenly coated in the seasoned flour.

Place them on a wire rack fitted into a baking sheet and allow them to refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes. This will help the batter dry out and adhere to the wings.

If you’re not able to fit the wings on a baking sheet in the fridge, at least set them out on the counter while you heat up the grill. The worst thing would be to have them piled together, smothering each other. The surface needs a little time to dry out.

Step 4: Light the Grill and Get Ready

Fire up the grill! Go ahead and pop open a cold beer and double-click those tongs. It’s time to light that fire.

• Charcoal Grill – If you are using a charcoal grill such as the classic kettle, position your hot coals into the center of the grill leaving the entire outer circumference coal-free. Using your grill baskets works well for this.
• Gas Grill – If using a gas grill or other type of grill only ignite one side of the burners on medium-high heat. You want your grill heated to about 375 degrees.

Prepare the Spicy Oil Baste

You can either prepare the baste ahead of time or while the wings are chilling.

Add your spice mix to a small saucepan over medium heat. Use a basting brush to continuously gently stir the spices, waking up the flavors and allowing them to toast. It should just take a couple of minutes for them to become aromatic. Carefully stream in the oil while stirring the spices. Once combined turn off the heat (or remove the pot from the coals) and allow the seasoned spicy oil to come to room temperature.

Step 4: Cook the Wings Indirectly

Cook the wings undisturbed for 20 minutes. Position your wings around the outer perimeter of the coals, or on the cool side of the gas grill. Close the lid and go ahead and finish your beer.

Leave them alone for 20 minutes, which allows the seasoned flour to set into the skin (see above). After 20 minutes go ahead and touch the skin. The flour should be fairly dry and even a little crisp.

That’s a sign we need to start basting.

Step 5: Baste and Flip

Once the wings are dry on the outside use the spicy oil baste and brush the outside of the wings. Flip them over and baste the top.

You don’t need to use a copious amount of oil. It should just be a light coating to hug the skin and help them crisp up even more. You will use more of the oil at the end.

Close the lid and allow your wings to grill for 15 more minutes.

After 15 minutes you can baste and flip as needed. They should be so crispy on the outside that you’re already craving that first fiery bite.

Aim for an internal temperature should around 185°F. Wings not only can take a higher heat but are better for it. The outside will be crispy, and the inside very juicy.

Step 6: Serve and Baste

Once they’ve reached the target temp, go ahead and remove the Nashville hot grill-fried chicken. Hopefully, you didn’t use all of the spicy oil baste, because now is the time to finish brushing those wings right as you serve.

Serve these Nashville hot chicken wings with slices of white bread and homemade pickles, which are a MUST.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipes to Pair

Try any of these to add some zing to your plate of Nashville hot chicken wings:

• Quick pickled red onions
• Smoked pickled jalapenos
• Tangy Blue Cheese Coleslaw
• Homemade blue cheese dressing
• Spicy Curtido cabbage slaw
• Sweet and spicy pickles

Nashville Hot Grill-Fried Chicken Wings

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Crispy, savory, and addictively juicy Nashville Hot Grill-Fried Chicken Wings will have your taste buds hooked at first bite with the slow burn of bold spices. Like a country song racing up the charts, these grilled chicken wings will be an instant hit.

• Total Time: About 3 hours
• Yield: Serves 3-4 1x

Ingredients

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Chicken Wing Brine

• 2–3 pounds of chicken wings
• 1 cup dill pickle juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup Nashville Hot Seasoning

Seasoning Dredge

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Nashville Hot Seasoning

Spicy Oil Baste

• 1/2 cup Nashville Hot Seasoning
• 1 cups neutral oil (vegetable, grapeseed, etc.)

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Instructions

1. Brine the chicken wings. Place the wings in a large plastic bag, or resealable container. Add in the dill pickle juice, water, and seasoning. Seal the bag while removing as much air as possible, and shake carefully to mix everything. Allow the chicken wings to marinade for 2-4 hours.
2. Batter the wings. Add the flour and seasoning to a large paper bag or resealable container. Remove the wings from the brine and pat them dry with a paper towel. Add them into the bag and close the top. Shake aggressively to toss the wings in the spices and flour. Check them, they should all have an even coating. Place them on a wire rack on a baking sheet and set them in the fridge, uncovered for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare the spicy oil baste. You can do this step ahead of time, or while the wings are chilling. Add the seasoning mix into a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Use a basting brush to stir the spices, toasting them for just a couple of minutes until they become aromatic. Carefully stream in the oil and stir the spices. Turn off the heat and allow the spicy oil to come to room temperature.
4. Fire up the grill. Preheat a grill for indirect grilling. If you’re using a kettle grill, build the hot coals in the center so the wings can sit in a circle around the heat. If you’re using a gas grill or other grill, light one side of the grill to a medium-high heat. Aim for about 375°F internal temperature.
5. Cook the wings for 20 minutes, undisturbed. Set the wings around the coals, or on the cool side of the grill. Allow them to cook for about 20 minutes to set the flour into the skin. Check them and feel, the flour should be fairly dry and almost crisp.
6. Baste and flip the wings. Once the wings are dry on the outside, use the spicy oil baste and brush the outside of the wings. Flip each of them, and lightly baste the top. You don’t need to use copious amounts of oil, a light brushing will do. Leftover spicy oil baste will be used at the end. Allow them to continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
7. Check on the wings and baste once more. Baste and flip as needed. The target temperature for the inside should be about 185°F, and the outside should be crispy.
8. Remove the wings and brush with the rest of the spicy oil baste. Serve with white bread and a side of homemade pickles.

Notes

• Make sure you do not marinate the wings for more than 4 hours max.
• The flour will not burn, unless you grill the wings directly over the heat. Don’t do that.

• Author: Brad Prose
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Marinate Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Chicken & Poultry
• Method: Grilling
• Cuisine: Appetizer

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