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Grilled Citrus Spiced Chicken Wings

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Delicious grilled wings loaded with citrus and spice flavors and touched with the perfect amount of char to great a finger licking appetizer you’re sure to love.

Confession time! I have an absurd addiction to chicken wings! They are my guilty pleasure. Any flavor…any style. I’m not overly picky when it comes to my choice of wing flavors. I just L.O.V.E. them!

Grilled wings on plate

So the other day when I found a small package of wings on sale at my local market… I snatched them up before another wing loving shopper could! (I’d hate to take down another shopper over wings…but I would!)

Grilled Chicken Wings

I decided to come up with a new easy marinade for grilled wing recipe.

One with LOTS of flavor was in order! After all… There are wingless birds out there, strutting around, who gave their all so that we could enjoy this taste treat!

I had to come up with something great… Worthy of their sacrifice! (Your now envisioning wingless chickens walking around, aren’t you? Lol They live next door to their cousins…the “boneless” bunch…they just lie around all day! It’s a sad lot!)

How To Make Grilled Citrus Spiced Chicken Wings

You’ll need 6-8 whole wings.

Rinse the wings. (We don’t know where they’ve been! I mean…if chicken had “hands”…) Cut tips off of the wings. Next, cut between the drum and flats to create two portions per wings. Flats and “Drummies” as we call them at this nest. (One of us is a “flats” hog…but I still love him!) 

Place in a bowl. Drizzle with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil.

Washed wings

Add 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder, 1/4 teaspoons chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and of coarse black pepper.

That’s a lot of flavor going on in that bowl. Is it enough? I think not. We need a little more!

spices added to wings

Add the juice of one lime and 4 Tablespoons Orange Juice. Add 1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro.

Addition of orange juice and lime juice to wings

Stir that all together. You can use a wooden spoon or go in there after it with your hands. That is entirely up to you my wing loving friends.

Isn’t that a beautiful marinade? We can just sit here and admire it for a minute if you want… Okay…that’s enough!

Time to cover these babies up and let them marinate for at least 4 hours.

TIP: The longer they marinate, the better chance those flavors have to soak in. (Let them soak at the “day spa” for at least 4 hours…it’s the least we can do for their sacrifice.) 

marinade wings

Heat grill to 350 degrees. Set  the outside burners to medium-high, and leave the center burners on LOW! You’ll want to cook these at least 20 minutes a side. We want them crispy on the outside, and cooked on the inside. No raw chicken please!

TIP: Have a spray water bottle handy for flare-ups! (This is for the chicken…not YOU! Lol) We want a little char…not a total cremation.

Aren’t they purty! You can baste with any leftover marinade, if you’d like while they are cooking. Do NOT baste after cooking with left over marinade because it had raw chicken in it. Only while cooking.

Chicken Wings on the Grill

When done remove from the grill and allow to rest 10 minutes.

The “Grill Master” cooked these to perfection! Just the right amount of “char”, juicy on the inside, and great depth of color. Yep, he nailed it! They even look juicy and crispy! What more could a gal ask for?

Grilled Wings

Serve with a side of lime wedges so that your guest can give a little squeeze over their wings! Don’t worry about napkins…they’ll be licking their fingers and reaching for their next wing before they’d even think to use it!

Only thing I’d change? Next time…bigger batch of wings! Wouldn’t a jalapeño cilantro dip just be the bee’s knees to finish these off? A little kick of creamy heat! I’ve gotta get to work on that!

For now just enjoy these amazing wings before winter is here, and we have to say “so long” to our grills for the season!

If you love this recipe you may also enjoy these Favorite Grilling Recipes

I also have a fun Facebook Group Page “Best Of Your Nest” where my blogging friends, some of the best on the planet, share their recipes and tips and where we love to have you share your recipes with us!

Happy Nesting!

Norines Photo and signature
Yield: 4 servings

Grilled Citrus Spiced Chicken Wings

Grilled Citrus Spicy Cilantro Wings

Delicious grilled wings loaded with citrus and spice flavors and touched with the perfect amount of char to great a finger licking appetizer you're sure to love.

Prep Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6-8 whole chicken wings, rinsed and dried
  • 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
  • Juice of one lime
  • 4 Tablespoon Orange Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cut tips off of chicken wings. Cut wings into two sections. The flats and the drums.
  2. Place chicken pieces in a bowl.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil. Add garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, chipotle powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
  4. Add Juice of one lime and 4 Tablespoons of Orange juice.
  5. Add 1 Tablespoon finely chopped Cilantro
  6. Mix well with wooden spoon.
  7. Cover and Chill for 4 hours to allow flavors to marinate into meat.
  8. Heat grill to 350 degrees. Set outer burns at medium high heat and center burners, where you'll be cooking, to low.
  9. Cook wings for 20 minutes PER side turning often. Close lid between turns to "bake" the wings.
  10. Remove from heat and allow to "rest" for 10 minutes. Serve with lime wedges. Squeeze lime over wings before eating.

Notes

Please not "prep" time includes 4 hour marinating time.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4 servings

Serving Size:

2 wings

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 176mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 9g

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Mary

Tuesday 8th of February 2022

Hi Norine! Just wondering if you’ve made these in the oven ? It’s -16 in Eastern Canada and the BBQ is put away until summer. Thanks for sharing the recipe; it sounds like a great mix of flavours!

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Wednesday 9th of February 2022

Hi Mary! That's a little chilly for grilling! Yes you can certainly bake these in the oven. I would do them around 375° for 35-40 minutes, turning during baking. Enjoy! (Hope this helps...stay warm!) Norine

Cynthia Pyle

Tuesday 29th of January 2019

Do you think this could be done in an air fryer and if so how would you cook them?

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Wednesday 30th of January 2019

Hi Cynthia! Yes! These can be made in an air fryer. Because the recipe contains olive oil you shouldn't have do anything else to cook these in an air fryer. I would recommend that half way through the cook time you brush them with some of the left over marinade and finish cooking. They should turn out perfect! Thanks so much for stopping by and visiting with me. Enjoy the wings! Happy Nesting! ~Norine

Easy Philly Cheesesteak Sliders | Norine's Nest

Friday 18th of January 2019

[…] Grilled Citrus Spiced Chicken Wings […]

LoraA

Sunday 9th of December 2018

Great recipe thank you very much!!!!!!

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Tuesday 11th of December 2018

Hi Lora! Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting with me to let me know you enjoyed these wings. I love this recipe. It's packed with flavor and so easy to make. Thanks again for sharing with me. Hope you have a wonderful week. Happy Nesting! ~Norine

Julie @ Back To My Southern Roots

Sunday 29th of July 2018

Hi Norine! So much flavor in this recipe!! It looks delish! Thanks for sharing this recipe on Foodie Friday!

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Monday 30th of July 2018

Hi Julie! Thanks so much for stopping by! I'm so excited to share my recipes on your link party! I love your site! Darling logo...so cheerful. Have a GREAT week! ~Norine

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