Grilled Wings With Poussin Sauce

By Kiano Moju

Updated November 9, 2025

Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Chris Lanier.
Ready In
2 hr
(About 1 hr, plus 1 hr marinating)
Rating
4(11)
Comments
Read comments

Poussin chicken is a Kenyan fast food of rotisserie chicken that’s chopped up and flash-fried to order before being generously doused in poussin sauce — a lemony garlic-chile butter. This recipe uses a similar technique where marinated chicken wings are slowly baked in the oven, then finished on the grill to achieve a crisp skin without deep frying. I add yogurt to the marinade to keep the chicken juicy while baking and develop a nice char when grilled. Slow-baking the wings before grilling gives you fully cooked, juicy chicken with no grill stress — and lets you prep ahead without sacrificing flavor or texture.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

For the chicken

  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not Greek)

  • 1 tablespoon finely grated garlic (see Tip)

  • 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

  • 1 tablespoon paprika

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne

  • 3 pounds chicken wings, preferably “party” or split wings

For the poussin sauce

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, divided (see Tip)

  • 1 tablespoon finely grated garlic

  • 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

  • 4 teaspoons paprika

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • ½ teaspoon ground cayenne 

  • ¼ cup lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

6 grams carbs; 298 milligrams cholesterol; 613 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 46 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 712 milligrams sodium; 42 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Cook the chicken:

    1. Step 1

      In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, grated garlic, grated ginger, paprika, salt and cayenne. Add the chicken wings, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight. 

    2. Step 2

      When ready to pre-cook the wings, heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the wings in a single layer. Brush the tops with any remaining marinade. Bake until the wings are cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on their size. (If desired, refrigerate the cooked wings for up to 5 days before grilling them.)

  2. Make the poussin sauce:

    1. Step 3

      In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the grated garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes to cook off that raw garlic taste. Quickly stir in the paprika, salt, sugar and cayenne, and cook for just 1 minute, then add the lemon juice and vinegar to keep the spices from burning. 

    2. Step 4

      Once the mixture begins to simmer, whisk in the remaining butter a tablespoon at a time, adding a new piece once the last one has nearly melted. Once all the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat and set aside until ready to use. 

    3. Step 5

      Heat your grill on high. When ready to grill, lightly oil the grill grates. Grill the wings, turning occasionally, until nicely charred on all sides and warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a clean mixing bowl and toss with half the poussin sauce. Serve immediately, either drizzled with the remaining poussin sauce or with the sauce on the side for dipping.

Tips

  • Garlic-ginger paste is an excellent time-saver for this recipe: a blend of equal parts of garlic and ginger. It’s commonly sold at Indian grocery stores, but you can easily make it at home using a food processor. Supermarkets usually carry garlic paste and ginger paste in tubes in the produce section or in frozen cubes. Just use equal amounts of each. 

  • Salted butter can be used in this recipe; just reduce the amount of salt by ½ to 1 teaspoon.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
11 user ratings
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Comments

Maggie

I never have grill stress because I have no grill. Because like the vast majority of people in New York, I don't have a back yard or a terrace or anywhere else to put a grill. I understand that there are plenty of Times readers who do have grills, but it would be kind of basic courtesy, it seems to me, to offer alternative recommendations for readers who are in the Times' own home town.

Jim R

@Maggie there also A LOT of people who read NYT Cooking who aren't in NY.

Jojojojojojojojojo

@Maggie I think the point is the sauce? I mean...buffalo wings are delicious because of the sauce. I say, cook the wings how you can or prefer and then smother it in the sauce. I plan on making tofu nuggies for this sauce!

Marc

So, I followed the recipe exactly for the marinade and the sauce. The only thing is, I cooked a whole chicken in an air fryer. The meat was both tasty and juicy. The sauce was a huge hit with my family.

MPP

The yogurt in the marinade and the slow baking certainly helped keep the chicken moist. My disappointment was with the poussin sauce...I'm confident that I got the ratios correct, but it was far too lemony and vinegary. If I try again (though, to be honest, I doubt I will), I'd cut back on lemon and vinegar by one half.

Liz

I agree with Maggie. Like most NYers, I live in an apartment without a backyard or terrace and no place to put a grill--legally. Can you guys please add an alt version of this for those of us who either attempt to use a grill pan or simply bake it in the oven?

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