Tag: grilled wings

Old School Backyard BBQ Wings

One of my favorite childhood memories is of the backyard BBQs our neighborhood would have. A charcoal grill, chicken, and BBQ sauce. Oh sure there were things like potato salad and chips, too, but even as a kid I was all about that BBQ chicken. Well, nothing has changed really. Except now instead of legs or chicken quarters, I lean towards grilling wings. There’s nothing fancy going on here. Prep time is minimal. Cook time is fairly short. But these old school backyard BBQ wings hit the spot just like the chicken off the grill oh so many years ago!

Old School Backyard BBQ Wings

Don’t Over-Think It.

Like I said, there’s nothing fancy going on with these old school backyard BBQ wings. There’s no need to some $10/bottle wing seasoning. Or a high-fallutin’ BBQ sauce. Get that cheap stuff that’s been around for decades. There’s a reason it’s lasted that long. Get that.

I really like to put my sauced wings directly over the hot coals just before removing them. I like to ‘set’ the sauce and get a little char on the wings. A little crunch. Not too much, I don’t want to burn them and get that burned taste. But a little char is good.

Heavy-duty BBQ Basting Brush by HQY - Silicone Bristles with 12 Inch Stainless Steel Handle - Make Grilling Easy - 5 Year Guarantee
Heavy-duty BBQ Basting Brush by HQY – Silicone Bristles with 12 Inch Stainless Steel Handle – Make Grilling Easy – 5 Year Guarantee

If you’re looking for extra-crispy wings from your charcoal grill, I can’t recommend using a Vortex BBQ enough!

Old School Backyard BBQ Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Old School Backyard BBQ Wings

Crispy spicy deliciousness!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: grilled wings
Servings: 2
Calories: 1229kcal

Equipment

charcoal grill
charcoal grill
charcoal chimney
charcoal chimney

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Sprinkle the seasoning over the wings. Using your hands, toss the wings to coat.
  • Load up the charcoal chimney about 3/4ths of the way with charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is all lit and lightly covered in ash, dump the coals into the grill along one side. This will create two zones: a hot direct heat zone over the coals and a cooler indirect heat zone for the wings.
  • Add the charcoal grate and close the grill. Oven the top and bottoms vents all the way. Let the grill preheat for 5.
  • Place the wings on the indirect heat side of the grill. Close the lid and turn so that the vent is above the wings.
  • Cook until the wings are lightly browned and crispy, usually 45 minutes.
  • Brush the tops of the wings with BBQ sauce the last 10 minutes of cooking. Close the lid and cook another 5 minutes.
  • Flip the wings and brush with more sauce. Close the lid and cook another 5 minutes.How To Sauce Wings
  • If desired, place the wings directly over the coals to get a little char on them for 1-2 minutes.
  • Serve hot.

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 1229kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 84g | Fat: 96g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 35g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 410mg | Sodium: 1083mg | Potassium: 852mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2860IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 430mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Buffalo Wild Wings Milder Variety Bundle: Parmesan Garlic, Medium, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing: 12 Ounces Each
Buffalo Wild Wings Milder Variety Bundle: Parmesan Garlic, Medium, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing: 12 Ounces Each

How To Make Perfect Wings using a Vortex

I cook up a LOT of chicken wings. Sometimes I make them in the deep fryer, sometimes on the charcoal grill, sometimes on the gas grill, sometimes on the smoker, and often on the Char-Broil Big Easy. I love them any way, any time. One of my favorite ways to prepare wings is using a Vortex on my charcoal grill. This simple device gets your grill screamin’ hot, perfect for making those great crispy wings we all love. So grab a Vortex and read on! This is how to make perfect wings using a Vortex!

How To Make Perfect Wings using a Vortex

The Search…

I am always on a quest for the next best wing cooking idea. Recently, I discovered the best way for making crispy wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy, which came out fantastic. But, I was still looking for the best way to get crispy wings on my charcoal grill. That’s when I discovered the Vortex and Vortex chicken wings are amazing. The Vortex is an insert for your grill that let’s you concentrate the charcoal heat, making for an incredibly hot fire. As you can see below, the wings ring the Vortex, getting super hot and in just a while, crispy. And it couldn’t get any easier.

Best Thing Ever…

I couldn’t be more happy with my Vortex purchase. I purchased the small-sized model, which works fantastic on my old 18″ Weber kettle and 22″ Weber Performer grills. But, a larger model is available for the 22″-26″ cookers.

Since I originally posting this recipe, I’ve made wings on my Vortex hundreds of times. I’ve found that rotating the lid isn’t so critical (specially when cooking on a smaller grill such as the Jumbo Joe). For a little smoky flavor, throw a nice chunk of your favorite wood (I like hickory or cherry) over the Vortex about 5 minutes before you put your wings on.

VORTEX (IN)DIRECT HEAT for Charcoal Grills, Medium Size - For Weber Kettle 22 26.75 WSM Smokey Mountain XL Kamado XL Big Green Egg
VORTEX (IN)DIRECT HEAT for Charcoal Grills, Medium Size – For Weber Kettle 22 26.75 WSM Smokey Mountain XL Kamado XL Big Green Egg

The Vortex isn’t just for high-heat cooking of wings. Check out the Vortex web site for tons of other ways you can cook using the insert.

My duck fat wings made using the Vortex are crazy good too!

How To Make Perfect Wings using a Vortex
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Perfect Wings using a Vortex

Perfect wings every time.
Prep Time3 hours
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: grilled wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 93kcal

Equipment

Vortex
Vortex

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the wings into a large resealable container or baggie.
  • Add the oil and seasoning. Seal and shake to coat well.
  • Refrigerate for 3 hours.
  • Place the Vortex into the center of your grill. Open the bottom vents on your grill by 1/3, while keeping the top vent open completely.
  • 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.
  • Add the chicken as shown in the picture above. For the flats have the skin side up, and for the drumettes keep the meaty part away from the fire.
  • Close the grill and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Rotate the lid 90 degrees and cook for another 15 minutes.
  • Flip the wings. Rotate another 90 degrees and cook 15 more minutes.
  • Check if the wings are as crispy as you like. If not, rotate another 90 degrees and cook another 15 minutes.
  • Transfer wings to a bowl and toss with the wing sauce. Click here for our guide on how to sauce your wings.

Notes

I’ve not found that rotating the grill has an affect on how great this wings turn out. So don’t sweat it if you forget to do it.

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 2216IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Buffalo Wild Wings Milder Variety Bundle: Parmesan Garlic, Medium, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing: 12 Ounces Each
Buffalo Wild Wings Milder Variety Bundle: Parmesan Garlic, Medium, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing: 12 Ounces Each

How To Make Perfect Wings using a Rotisserie

I have cooked my share of wings and then some. On my Char-Broil Big Easy. And on a smoker. Sometimes, on a charcoal grill using the Vortex BBQ. Deep fried. Slow cooked. Air fried. Convection oven. Any way, any time, I do love wings. But until now I had never cooked wings using a rotisserie basket on my grill. One thing is for sure, this is not the last time I’ll be doing it, either. Perfectly crispy wings cooked up in no time, using a gas or charcoal grill. Nothing but yumminess here! This is how to make perfect wings using a rotisserie.

How To Make Perfect Wings using a Rotisserie

Simple Prep. Great Results.

There are no complicated steps involved when it comes to how to make perfect wings using a rotisserie. I just coated the wings in just a bit of oil first. Then I tossed them with my favorite wing seasoning. That’s it. For the rotisserie all you need is a super hot indirect fire. You don’t want flame directly beneath the wings as they will drip, and that’ll cause flare-ups and burning. So keep the fire around the wings, but not below. Your wings will come out as great as my rotisserie chicken wings did.

No Peeking, Please.

Resist the temptation to open the lid to your grill while the wings cook. But I have to admit, I peeked once or twice because hey, it’s cool to see wings toss around in a basket. It’s the ultimate in food porn.

Napoleon 64000 Rotisserie Basket Grill Accessory, Stainless Steel
Napoleon 64000 Rotisserie Basket Grill Accessory, Stainless Steel

Also try my rotisserie-seasoned air fryer wings.

Perfect Wings using a Rotisserie
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Perfect Wings using a Rotisserie

Perfectly crispy wings cooked up in no time, using a gas or charcoal grill.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: grilled wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 544kcal

Equipment

rotisserie
rotisserie

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place wings in a large resealable baggie or container. Add the oil and seasoning. Seal and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Fire up your grill with a rotisserie attachment. You do not want any direct fire beneath the basket. I put a disposable pan under the basket to catch and drippings. On a charcoal grill you’ll want to keep the lit coals in front of and behind the rotisserie. For a gas grill you want any burner(s) to the left and right of the basket to be lit if your burners run from-to-back. If your burners run from left-to-right you want to have the burner(s) in front of and behind the basket to be lit. If you have an infrared burner above your basket, light it also and turn it to medium-high. All other burners should be on high.
  • Transfer the wings to the basket and place on your grill. Turn on the rotisserie and close the lid. You want high heat, so no peaking. Let the wings cook for 20 minutes before checking them. They should start to crisp and the meat will start to pull back from the bones. Mine ended up taking 25-30 minutes until they got how I liked them.
  • Carefully remove the wings from the basket and sauce and serve. Click here for our guide on how to sauce wings.

Notes

Resist the temptation to open the lid to your grill while the wings cook.

Nutrition

Calories: 544kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 354mg | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Buffalo Wild Wings Milder Variety Bundle: Parmesan Garlic, Medium, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing: 12 Ounces Each
Buffalo Wild Wings Milder Variety Bundle: Parmesan Garlic, Medium, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing: 12 Ounces Each

Charcoal Grilled Crispy Cajun Wings

I’ve been wanting to make these charcoal grilled crispy Cajun wings for a while. It’s not that I don’t make wings over charcoal often. I do. But I use a thing called a Vortex BBQ. It helps me get amazingly crispy skin using very high temperatures. That’s not what I’m doing here, though. I wanted to prove that I can make fantastically crunchy skin wings without my Vortex. And boy did I. These great wings take just a little effort, just a little time, and come out fantastic. And the sauce is nothing to sneeze at either! These are great tasting wings too!

Charcoal Grilled Crispy Cajun Wings

It’s Super Easy

There are just two simple steps to making charcoal grilled crispy Cajun wings. First, you need to air dry the wings coated in seasoned baking powder (not baking soda) overnight in a fridge on a wire rack. This helps dry out the skin, making it easier to get it crispy later. And second, when it comes time to cook the wings, make sure you have a pile of super-hot coals on just one side of your grill. That leaves you a less hot zone, called indirect grilling, to cook your wings without worrying about burning them. The high heat circulates around the wings helps crisp up the skin. And of course charcoal adds such a great flavor that you just can’t get in an air fryer, deep fryer or oven!

Charcoal Grilled Crispy Cajun Wings Setup

Don’t Forget The Sauce

Sure, you can use any sauce you want on these wings. But you’ll want to keep that Cajun theme going and make a batch of the sauce below. It has a nice spicy kick to it with a great flavor that compliments the seasoned wings perfectly.

I do still highly recommend a Vortex BBQ. It’s not only great for wings but also ‘fried’ chicken, ribs and oh so much more!

VORTEX (IN)DIRECT HEAT for Charcoal Grills, Medium Size - For Weber Kettle 22 26.75 WSM Smokey Mountain XL Kamado XL Big Green Egg
VORTEX (IN)DIRECT HEAT for Charcoal Grills, Medium Size – For Weber Kettle 22 26.75 WSM Smokey Mountain XL Kamado XL Big Green Egg
Charcoal Grilled Crispy Cajun Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Charcoal Grilled Crispy Cajun Wings

Crispy spicy deliciousness!
Prep Time12 hours
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time9 hours
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crispy, grilled wings
Servings: 2
Calories: 1229kcal

Equipment

charcoal grill
charcoal grill
charcoal chimney
charcoal chimney

Ingredients

For the wings

For the sauce

Instructions

For the wings

  • Place the wings in a large bowl or resealable container.
  • Combine the baking powder and Cajun seasoning.
  • Sprinkle half of the seasoning mix over the wings. Using your hands, toss the wings to coat.
  • Add the remaining seasoning and repeat.
  • Transfer the wings to a wire rack over a baking sheet. Place in the fridge 12 hours or overnight to dry out the skin.
  • Load up the charcoal chimney about 3/4ths of the way with charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is all lit and lightly covered in ash, dump the coals into the grill along one side. This will create two zones: a hot direct heat zone over the coals and a cooler indirect heat zone for the wings.
  • Add the charcoal grate and close the grill. Open the top and bottoms vents all the way. Let the grill preheat for 5.
  • Place the wings on the indirect heat side of the grill. Close the lid and turn so that the vent is above the wings.
  • Cook until the wings are lightly browned and crispy, usually 45 minutes. While the wings are cooking make the wing sauce.
  • Transfer the wings to a large bowl. Pour as much sauce as desired over the wings and toss to coat. Serve hot.  Click here for our guide on how to sauce your wings.

For the sauce

  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  • Stir in the hot sauce and Worcestershire.
  • Reduce heat and keep warm until ready to use.

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 1229kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 84g | Fat: 96g | Saturated Fat: 35g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 35g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 410mg | Sodium: 1083mg | Potassium: 852mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2860IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 430mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Buffalo Wild Wings Milder Variety Bundle: Parmesan Garlic, Medium, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing: 12 Ounces Each
Buffalo Wild Wings Milder Variety Bundle: Parmesan Garlic, Medium, Honey BBQ, Asian Zing: 12 Ounces Each