These barbecue hot wings are the perfect end-of summer-grilling project. And even though I’m not really a huge sports girlie, the timing does happily coincide with the beginning of football season — aka Travis and Taylor viewing season. The flavours I’ve paired for you here are the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and salty, but feel free to use the same method and play around with different seasoning and sauce pairings. I’ve left a few ideas for you below!
Equipment
Here’s everything you need to make these B-B-Q hot wings at home:
- grill – I’m using propane!
- large tongs
- large bowl
- sheet tray
- wire rack
Get the full ingredients list and instructions below!
Cooking Instructions
- If you don’t have a grill, you can also get a similar result in the oven. For that, pre-heat to 400°F. When the wings are at room temperature, place them in the oven (wire rack and all!) and cook for 15-20 minutes, flipping half-way until the chicken skin is tight and crispy and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 160°-165°F. Excess seasoning on the bottom of the sheet pan can burn and stick, so I like to cover the bottom in foil for easier clean up!
- Play around with different seasonings and sauces.
- For garlic-parm wings: season with salt, garlic powder and onion powder, then toss with melted butter, grated parmesan and red chili pepper flakes.
- For hot honey-buffalo wings: season with salt and pepper, then toss with buffalo sauce, butter, honey and a dash of Worcestershire. Try my buffalo sauce recipe here!
- Serve with…kale caesar salad, everything bagel potato salad, or grilled corn salad with spicy lime dressing.
Ingredients
Method
- Lay your wings on a wire rack-lined baking sheet. Using paper towel, pat the wings dry. Season both sides with garlic powder and salt. Place in the fridge and let chill for 30 minutes, up to 12 hours overnight.
- Roughly chop 2 cayenne peppers, 1 2-inch piece of ginger and 2 stalks green onions. Add to a blender along with 1 garlic clove, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce and the juice of 1 lime. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the pepper sauce to a pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and let simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced by 1/3. Add butter and continue simmering for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add honey and mix until incorporated. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Remove the wings from the fridge and let them come to room temperature while you pre-heat your grill. I like to place them on the little side table beside the grill so they come to temp a little quicker! Pre-heat a seasoned grill to 400°F. When the grill is hot, use your hand to find the hottest section. Place the wings there, cover and cook for 20 minutes, flipping half way, or until the skin is crispy and the juices run clear. If the chicken wings are sticking, leave them to continue cooking until they naturally release from the grates. I promise you they will! To be safe, you could insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the wing and look for 160°-165°F.
- Transfer the wings to a large bowl and cover in pepper sauce. Toss until evenly coated and serve with sesame seeds and sliced green onion.
Notes
To season your grill, dip a paper towel or kitchen rag in neutral oil and use tongs to run it over the grates until evenly coated. This will help prevent sticking!