TL/DR – Lemon Herb Grilled Wings! Marinate overnight in a buttermilk marinade, grill, and serve with an easy buttermilk dressing with lemon zest and fresh herbs. –
If you have not grilled chicken wings yet this summer, then now is the time to do it. Fresh herbs are popping off in the garden and this recipe makes great use of them. These babies are on the top of my easy summertime weeknight meals list.
Start by marinating the wings in buttermilk, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Buttermilk makes a great, tangy marinade that you can leave chicken in for 24 hours and not sacrifice the texture of the meat.
Coat the grill well with nonstick spray. Do this before ignition. Grill the wings for about 8 to 10 minutes on each side, depending the size of the wings. This recipe calls for party wings, which are already separated and easier to handle.
Lemon zest and buttermilk blend with fresh chives, fresh oregano, salt and pepper to make a light, tangy and flavorful dressing to EITHER toss the hot wings in immediately after removing them from the heat OR serve alongside the hot wings. This recipe is so easy and flavorful and spares your guests some of the greasiness of regular wings.
For more tangy marinades, try Greek Yogurt Roasted Red Pepper Grilled Chicken.
Lemon Herb Grilled Wings
Allow chicken wings to marinate in a simple Greek yogurt marinade for 24 hours. Grill, then toss in an easy buttermilk, lemon zest and fresh herb dressing for a light, tangy, flavorful take on chicken wings.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 c buttermilk, divided
- 1/4 c mayonnaise
- 3 T red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 t kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 t ground black pepper, divided
- 1 t garlic powder
- 2 lbs chicken wings, party style
- 2 T fresh chives, finely minced
- 2 T fresh oregano, finely minced
- Zest of one lemon
Directions
- Step 1 For the marinade, whisk together 1 c of the buttermilk, vinegar, 1 t kosher salt, 1/2 t pepper and garlic powder.
- Step 2 Place the wings in a marinating bag or dish and spoon the marinade over them. Seal the bag, eliminating air, and toss well or toss them well in the dish and cover tightly. Refrigerate them for at least 2 hours, ideally 24 hours.
- Step 3 Pre-heat the grill on medium heat. Spray a disposable napkin or paper towel well with nonstick spray and use long tongs to wipe the spray onto the grill.
- Step 4 Shake the excess marinade gently off of each wing piece and into the bag as you place them on the grill.
- Step 5 Lower the heat a bit and close the grill lid. Keep an eye on the wings as they grill for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. It should be easy to attain good grill marks without too much burning if the flame is kept low and the grill is closed the majority of the time.
- Step 6 As the wings grill, whisk together the remaining 3/4 c buttermilk, chives, oregano, lemon zest, 1/2 t kosher salt and 1/4 t pepper in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Step 7 Once the wings are finished grilling, toss them immediately in the buttermilk dressing and coat them well OR serve the dressing on the side.
