Although not ‘traditional’, I love tossing wings in barbecue sauce. Just as with wing sauces, there are so many barbecue sauces, so many different flavors. And many of them are truly amazing. Kinder’s mild BBQ sauce wings are tossed in one of those amazing sauces. Mild in heat, but over-the-top delicious, this is one fantastic sauce for wings or anything grilled, from burgers to ribs.
A Great Sauce To Always Have On Hand
These Kinder’s mild BBQ sauce wings have a slight sweetness to them. And a light smokiness. This is one fantastic tomato-based barbecue (and wing) sauce for sure. This is one of those sauces you’ll want to keep on hand at all times.
Frank’s RedHot Stingin’ Honey Garlic Dry Wings absolutely hit the spot. These are what dry wings are meant to be. Of course, you can use the seasoning on any wings, sauced or dried, but I highly recommend you try them dry first. You’ll get wonderful garlic flavor and lots of it. There’s not hunting for garlic here. Along comes just a little sweetness. Not a lot. And just the right amount of spicy tingle. Again, not a lot, but you’ll notice. Skip the dipping sauce, these dry wings are perfect without the need for anything else.
A Great Balance of Garlic and Sweet
I am not shy with the seasoning when it comes time to make my Frank’s RedHot Stingin’ Honey Garlic Dry Wings. Hot out of the fryer (or oven, or off the grill, it doesn’t matter!), into a bowl, and it’s time to get to seasoning. A few good shakes all over, and give the wings a good toss. Then, usually, some more seasoning and another toss! Time to eat!
I prefer to season my wings immediately after cooking them. The seasoning will stick to the surface of the hot wings better than if you wait until they cool off.
Apparently I have been living in a dark, deep cave for years and never heard of peri peri (or piri piri) sauce. Until recently, that is, when I saw an old episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations where he devoured some peri peri chicken in Mozambique. He said it was great, but oh did it burn. Sounded good to me so I found a jar of peri peri sauce at Jungle Jim’s grocery store, and proceeded to make Peri-Peri wings that I then lightly covered in the sour, vinegary, slightly sweet and definitely spicy sauce.
Great Flavor And Heat
I found the peri peri sauce to be quite addicting. Yeah, it’s a bit spicy but it’s really not over-the-top hot in my opinion. It brings a nice earthy pepper to these Peri-Peri wings. I can definitely see myself roasting an entire chicken and covering it in peri peri. That’d make for some mighty good eats. With a kick.
These San Antonio wings turned out to be some of the best I’ve had. I wasn’t expecting the sauce, as simple as it was, to be so drool-worthy. I could not get enough of it. And the dipping sauce was equally fantastic, with just a slight hint of cumin giving it a nice southwestern flavor. A little heat, and a little sweet. Perfect.
Spicy. Or Not. Up To You.
The first time I made San Antonio wings I used hot picante sauce. The next, I used mild. To my surprise, I loved both equally. That’s saying something because I do normally like a good kick to my wings. Not overpowering, but a little spiciness. You can’t go wrong no matter how you make these.
Oh, and the dipping sauce isn’t just great for San Antonio wings. It’s also yummy dipping for tortilla chips.
I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!
I love smoked and fried Buffalo wings. The flavor and the crunch just cannot be beat. I had a dream of making a ‘wing flight’ the other night. Yep, that’s the kind of stuff I dream of. Kind of like a beer flight but with smoked and fried Buffalo wings 4 ways. Like Cincinnati chili even. You can get it 1 way, 2 ways… 4 ways… even more ways! It’s like wing heaven!
Smoked Just Right
I start out smoking a big batch of wings. Nothing fancy here. Just some Buffalo seasoning. Then onto my smoker for 2 hours. I’m not aiming for crunchy skin here. I won’t get that at the low temperature I smoke at. I’m not looking for completely-cooked wings either. Just get them to 140 F or a little more.
I can fry them after they are smoked. But I always make sure I make enough to freeze for another day. I vacuum pack them for maximum flavor and freshness. Nothing beats the ease and flavor of taking a pack of smoked wings out the freezer, thawing them, and deep-frying them.
This Is The Way. Or Ways.
After the wings are smoked it’s time to heat up the deep-fryer. The wings are fried ‘naked’ or ‘coated’. The ‘naked’ ones are just that. No coating. Nothing. Just into the hot oil until the skin is crispy and the wings done. It doesn’t take long. The ‘coated’ ones just get tossed in a simple flour/seasoning mix. I could go crazy and make a complicated mix for them. But I don’t this isn’t the time for that. These aren’t those wings.
Fire up your smoker for 225 F. Use any wood you like. I used Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrel chunks because I wanted a good, noticeable smoke flavor. Use a lighter wood if you want your wings to be a little less smoky.
Toss the wings with plenty of the Buffalo wing seasoning. When you think you've added enough, add more. This is not the time to be shy.
Place the wings onto the smoker and smoke for 2 hours. No need to rotate or flip them.
When done, remove from the smoker. You can deep fry them immediately or freeze them for thawing and frying later.
To fry, heat canola oil to 350 F. Fry the wings based on whether you are making them 1 or 2-4 ways, below.
Smoked and Fried Buffalo Wings 1 Way
Working in batches, add the wings and fry for 1-2 minutes or until they are the desired color.
Remove from oil and let drain and cool on a wire rack.
Serve wings naked, without sauce.
Smoked and Fried Buffalo Wings 2-4 Ways
Combine the wing coating ingredients in a shallow bowl or pie plate.
Lightly toss the wings in the mixture.
Working in batches, add the wings and fry for 1-2 minutes or until they are the desired color.
Remove from oil and let drain and cool on a wire rack.
If serving 2 ways, serve the wing naked, without any sauce.
If serving the wings 3 ways, toss the wings in your favorite Buffalo sauce.
If serving the wings 4 ways, toss the wings in your favorite Buffalo sauce. Pour some more sauce into a small glass and dunk the wings, coating well.
My wife isn’t a fan of curry seasoning. That’s why I made these brown sugar curry wings for my lunch while she was at work. Score for me, because I loved the combination of sweetness and the curry. These wings need no sauce.
I went ahead and made a big batch of the spice mix in anticipation of making these wings a few days in a row. It’s a good thing that I did because I did end up having them a few times in one week. Don’t judge me.
Deliciously Different
What would I change about these brown sugar curry wings? Yeah, nothing. Ok, maybe I’d add a bit more curry. That’s it. No sauce required, so brine, no nothing. Just cook up some wings (I deep fried mine) and sprinkle with the mix. Then devour.
You don’t need fancy expensive curry powder to make these wings.
The first bite of my Wing Master Mango chile-lime seasoning dry wings made me think I was enjoying a big bucket of wings on the beach. Fantastic tropically-inspired flavors made bite-after-bite deliciousness. A hint of fruitiness. A little citrusy lime. And just the right amount of heat. These are great wings with great seasoning.
Tropical Wings Are A Win
I wasn’t shy with the seasoning when I made some Wing Master Mango Chile-Lime dry wings. As soon as the wings were cooked (in an air fryer in this case), I transferred them to a bowl and give them a few good shakes of seasoning while tossing gently. I found the flavors to be wonderfully different. I’m inspired now to find more tropical-like wing flavors!
If I am serving my wings with Ranch or blue cheese or some other sauce, I use these little sauce dipping cups. They’re the perfect size for dipping wings, nuggets, tenders and even vegetables. And they’re easy to clean, too!
I prefer to season my wings immediately after cooking them. The seasoning will stick to the surface of the hot wings better than if you wait until they cool off.
I never really thought I’d write a post titled The Mustard Man Simply Horsey wings. Let me start by saying that I’m not usually a fan of horseradish. I like it in my cocktail sauce, and then only a little is enough.
Fortunately for me, this sauce has just the right amount of horseradish. It’s a creamy, delicious mayonnaise-based sauce that my wife absolutely loves on sandwiches. And now, I love it on wings!
Horseradish Heaven
These Mustard Man Simply Horsey wings made a horseradish believer out of me. It has shown me that the right balance of ingredients can make for a great wings with just the right amount of horseradish heat. These are great wings.
Our neighbor gave me a bottle of dried powdered Carolina Reaper pepper. I knew exactly what I was going to make with it: Nightmare wings. What I didn’t know, though, was would I survive?
Well, I’m still here! These Nightmare wings definitely packed a serious kick. But beyond that, they also had great flavor. These wings aren’t just about the heat. And if you prefer, you can certainly adjust the spiciness to your tastes. Jalapeno powder itself has just the right kick, while habanero powder brings just a bit more.
A Serious Punch. Just What You Expected.
I enjoyed my Nightmare wings ‘dry’. That is, without sauce. The rub has such a great flavor that I really didn’t want to hide it under a sauce. Now, true, I did have plenty of Ranch dressing on hand for dipping. I needed something to help cool off the heat from the Carolina Reaper peppers. At 1.5 million Scoville units, they pack a serious punch.
I like to make my spice, rub and seasoning mixes in big batches and keep them in large bottles with easy-to-pour shaker lids.
Chicken wings cooked on a charcoal grill (I love my trusty Weber grills!) using a Vortex are the best. Not only do you get great flavor and crunchy skin, you get a light (or heavy.. It’s up to you, you can control it!) smoky flavor. You can’t go wrong with them. But you can make them even better using duck fat spray. What a difference it makes, too. They are better tasting and crunchier. These duck fat chicken wings using the Vortex are the decadent wings that dreams are made of.
Duck Fat And The Vortex Made For Great Wings
The Vortex enables you to get super-hot temperatures on a charcoal grill. That heat not only cooks them perfectly, it gives them a crunchier skin. You just cannot beat duck fat chicken wings using the Vortex.
Adding duck fat spray not only helps with getting that fantastic crunchy it skin, it also adds a fantastic different flavor than if you’d used vegetable or olive oil instead. It makes a world of difference.
Place the Vortex into the center of your grill and add in the charcoal. Open the bottom vents on your grill by 1/3.
Light a charcoal chimney full of charcoal. Alternatively you can fill your Vortex with charcoal and light them inside the unit.
Let the charcoal get fully ashed over then add to the Vortex.
If you want extra smoke flavor, place a small wood chunk or two over the center of the Vortex and let it ignite and smoke.
Place the wings into a large bowl. Spray lightly with the duck fat while tossing. Don't get them soaking wet, you're looking for a light coating. Think 'squirt squirt' and not 'fence painting'.
Add the chicken as shown in the picture above.
Close the grill and cook for 45 minutes. If you are using a large charcoal grill (22" or bigger) you might want to rotate the lid 90 degrees every 15 minutes. I haven't found this to be necessary on smaller (18" and 14") grills.
Transfer wings to a bowl and toss with your favorite seasoning and sauce as desired.
Notes
If you’re saucing your wings with a refrigerated sauce, make sure you bring it to room temperature first or warm it over medium heat.
