Grilled Chicken Wings with Sweet and Spicy Apricot Barbecue Sauce

When I take chicken wings out to the grill, it’s usually along with a cast-iron griddle. Wings are super easy to grill on cast-iron since there’s no need to worry about the skin sticking to a hot grate. But sometimes I’d rather give the chicken more of a direct grill—and you really can do that without fear of getting stuck. Here’s how: Start the wings off-heat and finish over direct heat.

This method is the opposite of the start high/finish low preparation that some dishes call for. If you’re braising pork roast, for instance, you want to sear the meat first then let it cook slowly over very low heat. For wings on the grill, I’ve found that starting them slowly with indirect heat allows the meat to cook without the raw skin sticking or burning. Once they’re a little more than halfway done, you can move them over direct heat to finish with a bit of that nice lightly charred look and taste of open-flame cooking.

However you prepare the wings, a scrumptious, sticky, sweet and spicy sauce tops the smoky wings off with great flavor. 

Tip: Don’t brush it on them while they’re grilling—transfer them to the pan with the sauce and turn them in it until they’re deliciously coated all over.

For griddle-grilled wings, see Barbecue Chicken Wings with Chipotle-Maple Sauce and Grilled Chicken Wings with Feta Cheese Dressing.

Serves 2-3 (easily doubled)

Ingredients

• 2 tsp chile powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 12 chicken wing pieces (drums and flappers)
• olive oil, for brushing, plus 1 tbsp
• 1 habanero chile, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp chile-garlic sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Preparation

1. Light a grill for medium heat with space for off-heat cooking.
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small bowl. Place the wings in a large bowl and add the spice rub, coating completely. Let stand 20 minutes.
3. Brush the off-heat side of the grill lightly with oil and place the wings on it. Close the lid and grill 10 minutes, then turn the wings over and grill another 10 minutes. Move the wings over direct heat and grill, turning a few times, until lightly charred and cooked through, 12-15 minutes longer, depending on size.

Spice-Rubbed Wings

Beginning to Grill

After Turning 

Over Direct Heat

Grilled Wings

1. Meanwhile, heat a saucepan (large enough to hold the wings after grilling) over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chile and onion and sauté 2 minutes. Add the apricot preserves and remaining ingredients and season with salt.
2. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand while the wings finish.
3. Transfer the wings to the saucepan and turn several times to coat with sauce.

Chile and Onion

Sauce Beginning to Cook

Cooked Sauce

Stack the wings on a platter and serve.

Grilled Chicken Wings with Sweet and Spicy Apricot Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue Chicken Wings with Chipotle-Maple Sauce

I think grilled chicken wings taste better than wings prepared any other way—and, of course, they’re not as fatty as the deep-fried kind. Grilling gives them a pleasant smoky taste and locks in juiciness without leaving them greasy.

That said, grilling wings directly on the rack above the flame can result in stuck skin and torn meat when you try to turn them. That’s where a cast-iron griddle comes in. Cast-iron gets super hot with evenly distributed heat, so the wings get great grill flavor while cooking on a flat surface—and turning without tearing.

Two key points: Give the griddle five to 10 minutes over a medium-high flame to get hot before you brush with oil. And keep the oil to a minimum—just enough to glaze the griddle, not fry the wings.

I don’t always make my own barbecue sauce for wings, but when I do, I feel better about eating them. There’s something about fresh ingredients and controlling what those ingredients are that makes homemade sauce unbeatable.

This recipe is a little sweet, a little spicy, and very flavorful. Goes great with the smoky wings.

For an oven-roasted wing recipe, check out Japanese-Style Chicken Wings with Miso-Sesame Glaze.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the Wings

• 2 tsp chile powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• sea salt
• 18 chicken wing pieces (drums and flappers)
• olive oil, for brushing

Preparation

For the Sauce

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic, chipotle peppers, and shallot and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes.

Garlic, Chipotle, and Shallot

1. Add the next 6 ingredients (through mustard) and season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook slowly, 20 minutes.
2. Pour the sauce into a bowl and let rest while the wings grill. (May also be made 1 day ahead. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.)

Sauce Beginning to Cook

Chipotle-Maple Sauce

For the Wings

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl. Place the wings in a large bowl and add the spice rub, coating the wings. Set aside while the grill heats.

Wings with Spice Rub

1. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Place a cast-iron griddle over the flame and heat 5 minutes. Brush with olive oil and place the wings on it.
2. Grill 10 minutes, then turn and grill another 10 minutes. Continue grilling, turning every 5 minutes, for a total of 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the wings.

Wings Beginning to Grill 

Wings after Turning

1. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with the chipotle-maple sauce.

Grilled Wings with Sauce Added

Stack the wings on a platter and serve hot.