Thread Reboot: Chicken Wings

[Baboontyme 2,824]

What are your go-tos? 

I remember solamente73 had some good tips on smoked wings. 

I spent a lot of the summer grilling them on the ceramic, but I'm off that now. I've been asked to cook a bunch for a birthday party on Sunday and trying to figure out what I want to do. Not feeling the oil, the air fryer doesn't have enough capacity. 

Give me your favorite methods. 

[Surly Bevo 25,150]

If cooking indoors I subscribe to the Alton cooking method (and then whatever sauces floats your boat)

 

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/alton-browns-buffalo-wings-recipe-1972721

[Thetexashammer 1,062]

If you really want amazing wings, deep fry them twice. Like you do french fries. 1st time at 250 or so, second at 375. It's a revelation. Like nothing you've every eaten. I learned about this in Korea, it's kinda their thing.

Edited October 26, 2018 by Thetexashammer

[cam4mav 771]

surly Bvs link. Alton speak the true true about chicken wings. have to cook them down enough to get moisture out so the next cook cycle can actually brown and crisp the skin. steam then hot oven works great.

 

 

Edited October 26, 2018 by cam4mav

[VABuckeye 2,472]

I air fry wings.  I use different dry rubs on them but I like my wings on the crispy side.

[next2naus 439]

Ranch Dressing powder. 

[Hook1997 5,402]

I smoked some for like 2 hours at 225-250 last weekend, turned out great.  I love the smoke flavor mixed with the sauce.

[Tylerocks 2,553]

I've had some success getting them crispy in the oven.  

Sprinkle a little baking powder on them.  Not too much, as you're not looking to coat them.

This works a lot better with  dry rub/seasoned wings.  I do a parmesan/garlic and they're fucking awesome.  If your' doing a wet sauce, you lose most of the crispness.

[angelfacedmongoloid 80]

https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/02/the-best-buffalo-wings-oven-fried-wings-recipe.html

 

I follow this method for cooking the wings. I look around and try out different sauces pretty much every time but it gets the wings nice and crispy

[HouTex 1,894]

I air fry wings.  I use different dry rubs on them but I like my wings on the crispy side.

I just tried this and they were very good. I've had better fried wings but considering the easy cleanup and not having to mess with the grease, it's well worth it. I cooked them at 400 for 10 min, flipped them and then cooked them for another 10 minutes. That was after a soak in buttermilk and dredging in seasoned flour.

[VABuckeye 2,472]

Those would be more like fried chicken, right?  Mine are rub only with no buttermilk or flour.  Both can be very good.

[stc 1,465]

my favorite ones are this method:

marinate overnight in mojo criollo and whatever else you like, smoke for ~2hrs, coat with mixture of frank's red hot and butter, throw them on a hot ass grill for a couple minutes to crisp.

 

 

[Anastasis 23,485]

Put me in the smoked wings camp. I usually hit them with some Cajun seasoning, smoke, then sauce. 

[Big_kat 334]

I have been doing wings with a vortex on the Webber lately. They come out fantastic in whatever sauce or rub you choose.

http://youtu.be/CE8nbfRC4KM

[HouTex 1,894]

Those would be more like fried chicken, right?  Mine are rub only with no buttermilk or flour.  Both can be very good.

Yes. I haven't tried them without batter but I will soon. Just a PSA, battered fried chicken cooked in an airfryer is good. Not quite the same as using a deep fryer or even a cast iron skillet, but it's so easy it's worth it.

[Brew 3,049]

Coat with a good rub, smoke them for an hour and a half or so, then finish over the hot coals to crisp the skin. Then I usually do a buffalo sauce and a bbq sauce and let people coat their own with the flavor they want. I prefer the plain smoked.

[Underdog 28,773]

I use the Bobby Deen oven method, really enjoy them that way.  I only use salt, pepper and garlic salt not a huge fan of sauces for wings, basically eating roasted chicken wings. 

[Limp Brisket 546]

I like em smoked at 250 for 2 hours and then deep fried at 350 for 2 minutes.  The progressive frying as mentioned above is very good also i.e. wings off smoker and first round at 275 for a minute then second fry at 350-375 for a minute.  I like to put a sweet bbq sauce with a kick such as Blues Hog TN Red about an 1/8” deep in the bottom of an aluminum pan, place wings in sauce and then hit the top with a homemade white sauce out of a squirt bottle.  The two sauces mix and melt with hot, crispy, smokey chicken.  Delicious.

Edited October 27, 2018 by Limp Brisket

[ohchaucer 1,443]

I've done the oven baked with baking powder - really does result in some crispy wings.  The key is letting them air dry overnight in the fridge and then bake them lower and slower at first then broil/high heat at the end.  Helps the skin render longer.

Which reminds me, wings and Horns football primetime games go together pretty well.

[Lhorn 4,963]

On 10/26/2018 at 6:29 AM, VABuckeye said:

I air fry wings.  I use different dry rubs on them but I like my wings on the crispy side.

Looking forward to getting an air fryer for Christmas.  I bake mine on pretty high heat and they get pretty crispy. Agree completely on crispy.  Went to a Halloween party the other night and had the worst chicken wing I've ever eaten.  I think someone got them from a Pizzahut or Dominos or something.  Cold and with rubbery skin that wasn't rendered at like like they were boiled or something.  Covered in gelatinous BBQ sauce.  Straight to the trash can.

[Thetexashammer 1,062]

If you want to go down the rabbit hole........

https://www.seriouseats.com/2012/01/the-food-lab-how-to-make-best-buffalo-wings-fry-again-ultimate-crispy-deep-fried-buffalo-wings.html

[Brisketexan 105,336]

Looking forward to getting an air fryer for Christmas.  I bake mine on pretty high heat and they get pretty crispy. Agree completely on crispy.  Went to a Halloween party the other night and had the worst chicken wing I've ever eaten.  I think someone got them from a Pizzahut or Dominos or something.  Cold and with rubbery skin that wasn't rendered at like like they were boiled or something.  Covered in gelatinous BBQ sauce.  Straight to the trash can.

Dominoes. I ordered some during a baseball game the other night. Holy crap they were bad.

[utee94 15,862]

5 minutes ago, Thetexashammer said:

If you want to go down the rabbit hole........

https://www.seriouseats.com/2012/01/the-food-lab-how-to-make-best-buffalo-wings-fry-again-ultimate-crispy-deep-fried-buffalo-wings.html

counterpoint-- this is how the food lab recommends you cook your brisket...

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/08/food-lab-complete-guide-sous-vide-barbecue-smoked-bbq-brisket.html

and this is what it looks like:

[solamente73 1,132]

7 minutes ago, utee94 said:

counterpoint-- this is how the food lab recommends you cook your brisket...

https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/08/food-lab-complete-guide-sous-vide-barbecue-smoked-bbq-brisket.html

 

Godammit.

Anyways, thread needs pics.  Crispy grilled wings for a quick weekend lunch.  Wings on right we’re rubbed with a chipotle bbq rub.  Wings on the left are naked; we toss them in sauce of choice immediately before eating to keep them crispy.  Blue cheese dressing.

[Underdog 28,773]

Would devour. 

[Bill Brasky 1,459]

I like to do them on the grill.   Usually I use Adams Kicked Up Chicken as a dry rub.   With about 5 minutes left in the cook I will toss them in sauce.   Usually I do a mixture of half melted butter and half whatever brand of buffalo sauce I feel like getting at HEB.   You can double toss them if you like it messy, or toss with 10 minutes left if you want it crispier.  

[Baboontyme 2,824]

The baking powder on a wire rack in the fridge overnight served me very well in concert with the air fryer. I let them go for probably 20-25 minutes in the air fryer flipping a couple of times and they were as crisp and tasty as oil fried wings. 

I've done some searching but any thoughts on a way to quick dry the skin in a similar method without having to leave them on a rack in the fridge overnight? This is a pain for many reasons but I liked the payoff. I'm willing to experiment outside of the box. 

My first thought was a hair dryer on low after patting dry. Add salt and baking powder first and then hit for a few minutes on each side with a hair dryer. 

Next thought was air conditioning. I don't really see how to make that work. 

What about the freezer? Freeze for 20 minutes or so after salting and patting dry. I may try this one tomorrow. 

[ohchaucer 1,443]

To speed up the drying effect I once used a hair dryer, but honestly it didn't achieve the same dehydrating effect of the fridge.  Maybe put them on the rack in front of a fan?  I know what you mean about the fridge overnight being a pain but it definitely has led to the best results in my limited experience.

[Baboontyme 2,824]

I read some about the hair dryer method but I decided to experiment otherwise. I read some other experiments, too. 

I pulled the wings out of the fridge around 5:30. Blotted them with heavy petting. Then baking powder and I kind of went for the jt salt and sear method for a ribeye to draw additional moisture out. Of course the salt didn't stay on like it would on a flat ribeye but it definitely had some effect. I also picked each wing 3-4x on each side with a toothpick (peking duck method, I think). After 90 min in the fridge on a rack the salt and powder were kind of forming a liquid paste.

I wasn't quite sure what to do next. I didn't want to rinse and pat dry since there would be no additional drying period. So I rolled with it, straight into the air fryer. 

The good: Fried for about 15 min, flipped, another 10 min. Flipped again, another 10 min. Quite crispy. 

The bad: Salty as fuck. Especially when tossed in Kroger brand wing sauce which has a fair amount of sodium. 

The salvation: I like salt a lot. 

They were pretty good.

I have another salted/powdered batch in the fridge right now. I might try to rinse and pat, maybe oven at low temps for 30-60 min. Then fry. 

[Baboontyme 2,824]

Batch 2. I'm tired but I have to see this through. 

I pulled them from the fridge, baking powder and jt salt method intact....about an hour and a half ago. So 10:30 EDT or about 4-4.5 hours after I put them in the fridge. I rinsed them to get rid of the salt. Patted them them down hard core after the rinse. Put them on a tray and into the oven at 170. I cracked the oven door about 2" to allow more air in there. I cycled the oven off and on - my understanding was I should try to keep it around 140-150 to keep the wings from actually cooking 

I pulled them about 15 minutes ago, seasoned with onion, garlic, and cayenne and popped them in the air fryer @ 400. We'll see how these crisp up. 

[HornPhD 1,368]

I grill 'em, toss 'em in some Stubb's BBQ sauce (spicy for me and Mrs. Ph.D. and regular for the kids), then grill 'em just a little bit more.

[Baboontyme 2,824]

8 hours ago, Baboontyme said:

Batch 2. I'm tired but I have to see this through. 

I pulled them from the fridge, baking powder and jt salt method intact....about an hour and a half ago. So 10:30 EDT or about 4-4.5 hours after I put them in the fridge. I rinsed them to get rid of the salt. Patted them them down hard core after the rinse. Put them on a tray and into the oven at 170. I cracked the oven door about 2" to allow more air in there. I cycled the oven off and on - my understanding was I should try to keep it around 140-150 to keep the wings from actually cooking 

I pulled them about 15 minutes ago, seasoned with onion, garlic, and cayenne and popped them in the air fryer @ 400. We'll see how these crisp up. 

This worked much better. They were brown and crispy on one side in the air fryer when I went to flip them after 10 minutes. Flipped them for an additional 10 and they were done and crispy all the way around. No salt taste, either. 

Next time I want to experiment I'm going to try the jt salt method in the fridge for a much shorter amount of time - maybe an hour. The extra time and time in the oven were mostly because I was doing other things and not ready to eat them. 

[irishtexan 11,522]

I try not to over complicate this because, well, they're chicken wings. I cook them offset on the grill . Then I toss them in Franks wing sauce but I add more hot sauce to make them more spicy. I guess I could make my own wing sauce but I'm lazy and Franks tastes pretty damn good. And then I eat them and they are delicious.

[kevwun 15,896]

Season wings with Tony's then cook on gas grill, charcoal or deep fry.  Throw them in a bowl when they're done, squirt in some Gochujang sauce and a little water to dilute it.  Toss well and then sprinkle on some sesame seeds.  Enjoy the best wings you've ever had.

[Sbbruin 21,887]

Turns out there's a major glut of chicken wings.  Can't link the WaPo article, but with the cancellation of the NCAA tourney, and closing of sports bars, there's a major surplus of wings.  Check your local market, but should be able to get them cheap.  May have to smoke up a bunch.

[After irth 1,244]

Great article!  Thanks for posting.  Very inspiring for my weekend plans, I think.

[TexanTraveling 42]

How about best wings in dallas for sale?

[Underdog 28,773]

GDit, picked a bad time to give up wings. 

[Sbbruin 21,887]

[Incredulity 11,683]

5 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

Turns out there's a major glut of chicken wings.  Can't link the WaPo article, but with the cancellation of the NCAA tourney, and closing of sports bars, there's a major surplus of wings.  Check your local market, but should be able to get them cheap.  May have to smoke up a bunch.

That would be a nice change.  Went looking the Friday before the SuperBowl... not a fucking wing avaliable at Costco, Walmart or any of the grocery stores.

 

[Stunns38 3,558]

Turns out there's a major glut of chicken wings.  Can't link the WaPo article, but with the cancellation of the NCAA tourney, and closing of sports bars, there's a major surplus of wings.  Check your local market, but should be able to get them cheap.  May have to smoke up a bunch.

Prices haven’t trickled down yet. Most stores are out plus they’re easy to make at home. I don’t think we’ll see a price break but hopefully I’m wrong.

[dad 557]

I never bother with applying a wet coat of any flavor because they are damn good with just the seasoning I use and grilled over charcoal. I like the red seasoning they use at the Mexican meat market. That shit makes amazing chickens and fajitas.

[PsychMike 1,552]

I didn't see this posted anywhere, but this seems like the right thread for it (I love his strategy for taking 20 seconds to wash his hands):

 

 

[GHOSTUSER 361]

I'm a traditionalist when it comes to wings. Anchor Bar Frank's Red Hot based sauce with Blue Cheese dipping sauce. Ranch is too runny and doesn't effectively counter the heat of the sauce. Carrots and celery as accouterments. Annoyed that restaurants when that's not included with an order. I don't understand the appeal of something like lemon pepper. The only non-traditional sauce I liked that I have tried is the Cajun flavored ones at Bonfire Wings.