8 Great Chicken Wing Recipes
Food and Drink

8 Great Chicken Wing Recipes

Deep-fried chicken wings have long been a staple of Southern cooking.  But the concept of cooking wings in peppery hot sauce was born in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, when co-owner Teressa Bellissimo cooked leftover wings in hot sauce as a late-night snack for her son and his friends.  The guys liked them so much that the Bellissimos put them on the menu the next day.  Served with celery slices and bleu cheese dipping sauce, “Buffalo Wings” were an instant hit.

In the eighties U.S. consumers started preferring boneless-skinless breast meat, and wings became an inexpensive byproduct for chicken producers.  Restaurants and bars realized they could charge low prices for the relatively inexpensive protein, and due to the spicy/salty nature of the sauce, they discovered that beer sales would go through the roof when customers ate wings.

At the same time, sports bars with multiple TV’s and satellite dishes were becoming more and more common in America thanks to rapidly developing technology; and the most popular sporting event to watch with friends in bars is football.  Wings were easily shareable and affordable, a great “group food” to eat with other people and are the perfect pairing with a pitcher of beer. So, the pigskin-chicken wing bond was born!

Check out our collection of chicken wing recipes – the perfect crowd pleaser as you host the next tailgate or backyard BBQ party with friends and family.

Curried Lemongrass Cilantro Wings

Courtesy of Green Mountain Grills, greenmountaingrills.com

"The fragrant spice paste makes an exotic, layered taste sensation on these smoky chicken wings. Though the prep is quick, allow 30 minutes for the wings to marinate."

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 15–18 minutes Serves: 4–5

 

1–2 tablespoons olive oil

3 stalks lemongrass OR 3 tablespoons lemon or lime zest

1 cup cilantro sprigs

8 garlic cloves, peeled

½ tablespoon turmeric

½ tablespoon sea salt

½ tablespoon pepper, or to taste

10–12 chicken wings, approximately 1.5 pounds (for 2 pounds, double the marinade ingredients)

Combine the olive oil, lemongrass or zest (remove the outer layers of the lemongrass and chop before putting into the food processor), cilantro, garlic, turmeric, sea salt, and pepper in the food processor and pulse until uniformly mixed—you are looking to make a seasoning “paste.”

Reserve about 2 tablespoons to drizzle before serving. In the remainder, marinate the chicken wings for 30 minutes before putting on the grill.

Prepare your grill at 400°F. (We suggest Gold Blend pellets of Red Oak, American Hickory, and Mountain Maple.)

Grill your wings, turning halfway during the process, for approximately 15–18 minutes OR until the internal temperature has reached 170°. Pull the wings off the grill.

Drizzle with the remaining marinade. Add a few sprigs of cilantro for extra color, and serve.

Smoke-Fried Wings

Reprinted with permission from Weeknight Smoking on Your Traeger and Other Pellet Grills by Adam McKenzie, Page Street Publishing Co. 2021. Photo: Ken Goodman

"Oh the enticement of crisp chicken skin. This time, that fried outer succulence veils the ultimate juicy, smoked meat. And it only takes a little over an hour. Or cook the wings quicker at 275°F with only a slight sacrifice of the smoked flavor."

Time: 75 minutes Serves: 2–3

 

2 pounds chicken wings, both drums and flats

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup poultry rub, such as The Blazin’ Bird by Whiskey Bent BBQ

3 cups vegetable oil (or enough to fill a Dutch oven about 1-inch deep)

1 cup buffalo wing sauce (or an easy homemade version is 2 parts Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and 1 part melted butter) or sauce of your choice

Preheat your pellet grill to 225°F and turn on the Super Smoke feature if your grill has it.

In a large bowl, toss the chicken wings with olive oil until evenly coated. Sprinkle generously with the rub, being sure to cover all the sides thoroughly.

While the grill heats up, let the chicken wings sit with the seasoning for about 15 minutes. This allows the flavors to start to work their way into the meat. Then cook them in the hot grill for about 45 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 140°F.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil on the stove over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F.

Remove the chicken from the grill, tent with foil, and increase the grill temperature to 450°F. Very carefully transfer the Dutch oven with the hot oil to the grill.

Pour the buffalo wing sauce into a grill-proof saucepan or bowl and place on the grill to allow it to heat up while you fry the wings.

Fry the wings in the Dutch oven in small batches for 3–5 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175°F, which makes for a crispy skin and excellent bite. Remove them from the oil, drain briefly on paper towels, and transfer to a large bowl.

Toss the wings with the warmed sauce. Serve with blue cheese dressing, ranch, and your favorite veggies.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Wings

Reprinted with permission from Hardcore Carnivore by Jess Pryles, Agate Surrey, 2018

"It sounds a little strange but, trust me, these flavors will make sense to your taste buds. The peanut butter creates a rich, thick coating while the jelly helps the wings caramelize on the grill. They are an easy way to feed a large crowd, too."

Jess Pryles
Serves: 4–6

 

2 pounds chicken wings

kosher salt

4 tablespoons strawberry jelly

2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

1 teaspoon sriracha

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons paprika

2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

Put the chicken wings in a large, resealable plastic bag and season well with salt.

In a bowl, mix together the jelly and peanut butter. Add the sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and paprika, and mix thoroughly. Pour the marinade into the bag, and massage the bag gently to distribute the marinade over all the chicken wings. Place the bag in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.

Heat a grill to medium. Place the wings on the grill and cook, turning them every 2–3 minutes. This should allow the color to develop without burning before the chicken is cooked all the way through. Continue to turn the wings until they are nicely browned with charred areas.

Place on a tray to cool slightly. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts for a textural garnish.

Know your cuts: It’s better to use wings that have been jointed into wingettes and drumettes. A whole, three-joint wing will take longer to cook, and the delicate wing tips burn very easily.

Sticky Whiskey Maple Wings

Recipe and photo courtesy of Rufus Teague BBQ

"Crispy, fried, sweet and hot at the same time, these non-conventional nibblers can keep the gloaters chewing and the losers feeling satisfied."

Serves: 4, as appetizer

 

1 ½ pounds chicken wings

2 cups vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon Rufus Teague Meat Rub

jalapeno slices, to garnish

 

Whiskey Maple Glaze:

1 cup Rufus Teague Maple Whiskey BBQ sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

¼ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons water, to thin as needed

 

Heat the oil in a large pot and allow it to reach 375 degrees. Use a thermometer to guarantee even cooking.

Mix the flour, salt and Rufus Teague Meat Rub in a medium bowl.

Dredge the wings in the flour mixture.

Lightly drop each wing into the hot oil and cook for about 15 minutes, or until wings look nicely browned and crisped. Doing this in batches is recommended, so the oil can retain even heat.

While the wings are cooking, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, black pepper and Rufus Teague Maple Whiskey BBQ sauce in a medium-size saucepan. Allow the mixture to reduce significantly, until it has a sticky, but not dry consistency. If it is reducing too quickly, add some water to thin it out.

Add the wings into the reduced sauce mixture and coat thoroughly.

Top with jalapeno slices. Enjoy with blue cheese or ranch dressing or even more barbecue sauce.

Stubb’s Wicked Chimichurri Wings

Courtesy of Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q, stubbsbbq.com

"Crispy, fried, sweet and hot at the same time, these non-conventional nibblers can keep the gloaters chewing and the losers feeling satisfied."

Serves: 4, as appetizer

 

1/2 cup Stubb’s Original Wing Sauce (or equal parts bottled hot sauce & barbecue sauce)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 cup tightly packed fresh parsley, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

3–4 pounds chicken wings

Combine Stubb’s Original Wing Sauce, olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, parsley, garlic and oregano in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until pureed and the mixture forms a thick sauce.

Fold and tuck the wing tips back behind the drummettes, creating triangles. Marinate the chicken for at least two hours, or up to overnight, refrigerated.

Prepare a grill for direct cooking. For a charcoal grill, when the coals are ash-covered, rake or spread them out in the bottom of the grill so the wings can cook directly over the coals. (For a gas grill, fire up the burners so the wings can cook directly over the heat.)

Remove the wings from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the wings over direct medium heat, until the wings are brown on the outside and the meat is opaque, about 20 minutes total cooking time, flipping them over once or twice during cooking. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grilled Chicken Wings

Excerpted from Master of the Grill: Foolproof Recipes, Top-Rated Gadgets, Gear & Ingredients Plus Clever Test Kitchen Tips & Fascinating Food Science. Copyright 2016 from the Editors at America’s Test Kitchen.

"If you buy whole wings, cut them into two pieces before brining. Don’t brine the wings for more than 30 minutes or they’ll be too salty."

EDITORS AT AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN
Makes: 2-dozen wings

 

1/2 cup salt

2 pounds chicken wings, wingtips discarded, trimmed

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon pepper

Dissolve salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Prick chicken wings all over with fork. Submerge chicken in brine, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Combine cornstarch and pepper in bowl. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer wings to large bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch mixture, tossing until evenly coated.

For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter half filled with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.

For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-low.

Clean and oil cooking grate. Grill wings (covered if using gas), thicker skin side up, until browned on bottom, 12 to 15 minutes. Flip chicken and grill until skin is crisp and lightly charred and meat registers 180°F, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve.

VARIATIONS:

Grilled BBQ Chicken Wings: Reduce pepper to 1/2 teaspoon. Add 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon sugar to cornstarch mixture in step 2.

Grilled Creole Chicken Wings: Add 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to cornstarch mixture in step 2.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken Wings: Reduce pepper to 1/2 teaspoon. Add 1 teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper to cornstarch mixture in step 2.

One-Pot Sticky Chicken Wings

Courtesy of Andrew Zimmern

"A few years ago, I went to Malaysia for the first time and spent every second I could on New Lane in Penang. It’s arguably the single greatest street-food stroll in the world. Among the hundreds of stalls are a few that turn out chicken wings and chicken quarters glazed with the classic Chinese master sauce that I can’t eat enough of. Sticky and fatty, the best versions of this dish emulsify the chicken fat into the sauce as it reduces."

Andrew Zimmern
Total Time: 40 minutes Serves: 6

 

3 pounds chicken wings, wing tips removed and wings cut into 2 pieces

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

4 small dried red chiles

2 whole star anise

1 3-inch cinnamon stick

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup sake

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

3 tablespoons mirin

3 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup water

2 scallions, thinly sliced

lime wedges for serving

In a very large nonstick skillet (or in batches), cook the chicken wings over moderate heat, turning once, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the ginger, chiles, star anise and cinnamon, and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the soy sauce, sake, oyster sauce, mirin, sugar and 1/3 cup of water and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the wings are cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a thick glaze, about 8 minutes. Discard the chiles, star anise and cinnamon. Transfer the chicken wings to a platter, scatter the scallions on top.

Serve with lime wedges.

Sweet Heat Chicken Wings

Courtesy of Cam Barfield

"Heat things up at your next tailgate party with these chicken wings! This is the perfect gameday recipe!"

Total Time: 40 minutes Serves: 6

 

1 cup favorite barbecue sauce

1/2 stick of butter melted

1/4 cup of honey

1/4 cup habanero hot sauce

Favorite dry rub

Sprinkle dry rub on chicken wings and place in plastic zip bag for 1 hour. Heat grill. In a small bowl combine barbecue sauce, melted butter, honey and hot sauce. Place wings on hot grill and cook for 10–12 minutes. Start basting wings with sauce mixture, turning frequently until chicken is cooked through.