The Key to a Great Grilled Chicken Wing

The common wisdom over chicken wings, at least when you grill them, is to bake them or boil them first. But that's not exactly right, says cookbook author Jess Larson. She stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Grilled Lemon Parmesan chicken wings. Jess told Tonia the best way to handle grilled wings is to...keep them on the grill. Jess says what you do is to light the grill halfway, that is to make sure half the grill has an open flame, whereas the other half is allowed to warm radiantly. She places the wings on the indirect heat and lets them cook internally, then when they're cooked on the inside, put those wings on the open flame and let them get charred. And as for the sauce, coat those wings after they're cooked!

Season the chicken wings. Pat the chicken wings as dry as possible with paper towel, then coat them in a generous dusting of salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Prep the lemon parmesan garlic wing sauce by combining oil with lemon zest and juice, fresh garlic, grated parmesan, and a touch of honey for caramelized char. Tip! ⇢ Be sure to use a high smoke point vegetable oil that can stand up to the intense heat of a grill. I like grilling with avocado oil.

Zone 2: Finish the chicken wings over direct heat. Place the saucy wings back on the grill, positioning them directly over the flame. Cook until the wings develop beautiful crispy grill marks. Why? ⇢ The intense heat of the direct zone renders the skin, making it deliciously charred and crispy.

A Sweet, Sticky Snack

  

But this one borders on gourmet. Kat Ashmore, who wrote the new cookbook Big Bites, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Sticky Apricot Wings. Chicken Wings that are both sweet and savory and are sure to be a touchdown for your big game party. These are essentially roasted wings with a sauce combination of Apricot Preserves and Worchester Sauce. Kat told Tonia she tosses the wings in both salt and corn starch before roasting them. This mix allows the skin of the wings to dehydrate, so they become crispy. Kat says a lot of her techniques are classic cooking, but she tries to put a more modern spin on the recipes themselves. Listen to the whole interview on the Tonia's Kitchen podcast, wherever you get your podcasts!

A Simple Super Bowl Snack

 

But this one borders on gourmet. Kat Ashmore, who wrote the new cookbook Big Bites, came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Sticky Apricot Wings. Chicken Wings that are both sweet and savory and are sure to be a touchdown for your big game party. These are essentially roasted wings with a sauce combination of Apricot Preserves and Worchester Sauce. Kat told Tonia she tosses the wings in both salt and corn starch before roasting them. This mix allows the skin of the wings to dehydrate, so they become crispy. Kat says a lot of her techniques are classic cooking, but she tries to put a more modern spin on the recipes themselves. Listen to the whole interview on the Tonia's Kitchen podcast, wherever you get your podcasts!

Sweet and Spicy Wings

These chicken wings are a fan favorite because not only are the sriracha spicy, but they're New England sweet too, thanks to the maple syrup. Amy Traverso, who's the Senior Food Editor with Yankee Magazine, stopped by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about her recipe for Maple Glazed Sriracha Glazed Wings. Amy tells Tonia the three primary ingredients for the glaze here are Sriracha and Maple Syrup (of course!) combined with soy sauce. Make the glaze and toss those wings for a sweet, smokey spicy take on a classic cozy snacking food you'll love!

For the Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds chicken wings and drumettes, patted dry
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the wings: In a small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with this spice mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 24 hours (cover bowl if refrigerating for more than 30 minutes).

Preheat oven to 425 °F and set a rack to the upper-third position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Set aside and make the glaze.

Arrange the wings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Set on the upper third rack and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. After 30 minutes, brush the top of the wings with the glaze. Return to oven for 7 minutes. Now turn the wings over and brush the other side with the glaze. Return to oven and cook until nicely browned, 5 to 7 more minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot.

For the Glaze

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2-4 tablespoons sriracha
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, sriracha, and soy sauce. Set aside.