The chicken wing — perhaps the ultimate North American pub food; a game day staple during the tailgate or at the bar.
While most commonly deep-fried, the chicken wing is a go-to for the backyard chef stationed at their grill. Whether powered by natural gas, propane, charcoal or smoke, the backyard grill offers a variety of ways to prepare wings that are tasty — yet without the added fat that comes from the deep fryer.
Cooking wings on the grill allows for more versatility, both in how the wings are cooked and the flavours that can be infused into them. As experts in backyard grilling, Napoleon is offering tips, advice and recipes — sauces, marinades and seasonings — to help you get the most out of the drumettes and flats with your backyard barbecue.
(Note – when cooking chicken wings, you want to make sure they are cooked all the way through and have reached an internal temperature of 165°F.)
MARINADES & DRY RUBS
The only limit to how you treat the wings before cooking them is your imagination; most any flavourful combination of herbs and spices can do the trick. Coating the wings in olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper is simple, but delicious. To add a little crisp to the wings, the night before cooking toss them in a combo of baking powder (two tablespoons) and salt (two teaspoons) and let them rest overnight (uncovered) in the fridge. Before grilling toss the wings in a mixture of paprika (two teaspoons) and a teaspoon each of salt, pepper and sugar.
Prep wings with a bit of a kick with a Buffalo Dry Rub: mix together ¾ tablespoon of light brown sugar, ½ tablespoon of kosher salt, 11/2 tablespoon of onion powder, ½ teaspoon cayenne powder, ½ tablespoon smoked paprika, ¾ tablespoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried mustard powder and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss wings in the mixture and let sit for two hours to overnight.
Another good and simple treatment is a Lemon Pepper Dry Rub. Combine four tablespoons of lemon pepper, a tablespoon each of garlic powder and onion powder and two teaspoons of Bone Dust. Toss the wings in a splash of oil and coat with the rub.
For the adventurous, try a Cambodian turmeric and black pepper marinade. Place the wings in a large food bag and add 40 grams of fresh grated turmeric root, three tablespoons of soy sauce, two tablespoons of fish sauce, three teaspoons of freshly ground black peppercorns, three cloves of crushed garlic and 10 lime leaves finely chopped. Seal the bag and give it a good squish to evenly coat the chicken in the spices. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours, or ideally overnight.
COOKING
There are several ways you can use your backyard grill to prepare chicken wings. The most obvious is a direct cook. Let the grill warm up to medium-high heat (about 350°F), then place the wings directly over the flame. But don’t stray too far – the fat dripping off the meat can cause flare ups. Flip the wings once and cook until the skin is crisp but not charred.
Smoking wings adds a beautiful flavour to the dish. Hickory or cherry wood pairs nicely with poultry; soak your wood chips before adding them to a smoker box and preheat the grill to 250°F with the burner under the box. Cook the wings on indirect heat, and allow yourself some time as this will take around two to two-and-a-half hours. Finish by turning all the burners on to medium-high heat and crisping the wings for one to two minutes per side, basting with your sauce of choice as you go.
Cooking wings on the grill over indirect heat takes a bit more time, but is similar to baking them in an oven. Ideally, if you have three or four burners, turn off the middle burner(s) and cook the wings over that space. For added flavour, place the wings on a cedar plank. Pre-heat the grill to 450° and place soaked planks over the unlit burners. Arrange seasoned wings on the planks and roast them for 20 minutes; flip and continue plank roasting for another 20 minutes or until the wings are crispy.
For a truly deep-fried flavour without the deep frying, cook wings in a rotisserie grill basket. Simply pre-heat your grill (ideal if you have a rotisserie burner on your grill), set the basket up on your spit, pour the wings into the basket and sit back and let the grill do all the work.
SAUCES & DIPS
Sure you have the standard mild, medium, hot and honey garlic wing sauces, but cooking is about creativity and wing sauces are a great canvas with which to be experimental.
A honey siracha sauce is sticky and delicious. Heat a saucepan with two tablespoons of sesame oil over low heat. Bloom a ¼-inch grated cube of ginger and four cloves of garlic until fragrant, then add sriracha (three tablespoons), honey (six tablespoons), lime juice (one tablespoon) and soy sauce (two tablespoons). Bring to a gentle simmer. Mix two tablespoons each of cornstarch and water, adding them to the simmering sauce, stirring until the sauce has thickened.
For a more traditional approach, a Bourbon Barbecue Sauce is a delight. In a medium saucepan, sauté half of a finely minced onion, four cloves of minced garlic and ¾ cup of bourbon. Simmer for 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Then add two cups of ketchup, ½ teaspoon of pepper, ½ tablespoon salt, ¼ cup tomato paste, 1/3 cup of cider vinegar, two tablespoons of liquid smoke flavouring, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, ½ cup packed brown sugar and 1/3 teaspoon (or to taste) of hot pepper sauce. Bring to a simmer for at least 5 minutes.
Stick with the pub theme by making a Beer Sauce. Pour 1 ½ cups of beer into a saucepan, holding a tablespoon of beer in reserve. Add a tablespoon each of cajun seasoning and sugar to the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the reserved beer to a tablespoon of cornstarch, whisking until combined. Add the cornstarch mixture to the beer in the pan. Simmer until slightly thickened and remove from heat. Slowly add ¼ cup of cubed butter, one to two cubes at a time, whisking until incorporated.
To try something different than the usual blue cheese or ranch dressing as a dip, combine a cup of plain yogurt, ¼ cup of minced cucumber, a minced garlic clove, two teaspoons of sugar, a tablespoon of lime juice and salt to taste.