Chicken wings are versatile, easy to make, and incredibly flavorful if you know how to marinate them. I am the perfect protagonist both for a dinner alone and to make the whole family happy. It takes just a few minutes on the barbecue to grill them and add a further nuance of taste thanks to the smoking given by the flame. Read on and find out how to cook chicken wings and which aromas are best to use to flavor them, then get ready to see them devoured quickly.
Ingrediants
Grilled Chicken Wings
- 1, 5 kg of chicken wings
- Extra virgin olive or seed oil
Simple Marinade
- 60 ml of light soy sauce
- 80 ml of dark soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons of vinegar
- 120 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of onion powder
- 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch of dried thyme
- 1 pinch of dry basil
Yield: marinade for 1.5 kg of chicken wings
Buffalo Marinade for Chicken Wings
- 60 ml of melted butter
- 80 ml of hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Yield: marinade for 1.5 kg of chicken wings
Marinade with fresh aromatic herbs
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 15 g of fresh oregano, chopped
- 15 g of fresh rosemary, chopped
- 80 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
Yield: marinade for 1.5 kg of chicken wings
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Prepare the Marinade
Step 1. Season the chicken wings with a simple marinade
Mix 60 ml of light soy sauce, 80 ml of dark soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of vinegar, 60 ml of extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons of onion powder, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 1 pinch of dried thyme and basil. Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.
- At the base of the marinade are vinegar and soy sauce. You can vary the type and quantity of spices and herbs according to your personal tastes.
- Marinating the meat before cooking serves to infuse the flavors even in the center and to the bone. Grilled chicken wings will have an irresistible taste.
Step 2. Also try the spicy buffalo-style marinade
To prepare it you need 60 ml of melted butter, 80 ml of hot sauce, 2 tablespoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper. Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and then mix to mix them.
If you want to make the chicken wings really hot, increase the amount of hot sauce. The more daring can also add another teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Step 3. Use fresh herbs to make a Mediterranean-flavored marinade
In this case you need 6 minced cloves of garlic, 15 g of oregano and 15 g of chopped fresh rosemary, 80 ml of extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Pour the ingredients into a bowl and then mix to mix them.
Step 4. Place the chicken wings in a container or food bag
The simplest method of marinating chicken wings is to place them in a container with a lid or a resealable food bag. In both cases it is important that there is some empty space left that allows you to mix the flaps by shaking the container or bag.
- Resealable food bags are a practical solution for distributing the marinade over the entire surface of the flaps, but they are disposable. Using a plastic container will be a little more difficult to distribute the dressing evenly, but with a little patience you will get a great result.
- If you don't have a container or bag large enough to hold all of the chicken wings, you can divide them in half. Also divide the marinade in half to get an even result.
Step 5. Pour the marinade over the flaps and seal the container
Cover the wings with the dressing trying to distribute it as evenly as possible. Seal the bag or container and then gently shake it to coat the chicken wings with the marinade.
- If necessary, reopen the container and rub the marinade into the chicken wings where it is needed. Immediately afterwards, wash your hands thoroughly.
- The marinade can also act as a sauce once the chicken wings are cooked. If you want, save 50 ml to dip the chicken wings in after grilling them. If the marinade is too runny, you can reduce it over low heat in a saucepan.
Step 6. Leave the wings to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours
When it comes to marinating meat, time is of the essence - the longer you let your chicken wings marinate, the tastier they will be. Put them in the refrigerator and wait at least 4 hours before grilling them. To make them even tastier, let them marinate for longer, up to a maximum of 24 hours.
Prepare the chicken wings a day in advance and leave them to marinate in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them
Part 2 of 2: Cook the Chicken Wings
Step 1. To prevent chicken wings from sticking to the grill, grease it with oil first
Dip the bristles of a kitchen brush or paper towel into the oil and pass it over the wire rack. It will prevent the chicken wings from sticking to the grill and consequently breaking when you try to remove them from the barbecue.
- If the fire is already on, dip the paper towel in the oil and then use the barbecue tongs to pass it over the hot grill.
- To grease the grill you can use extra virgin olive oil or seed oil (for example sunflower).
Step 2. Preheat the grill over medium-high heat
When you are ready to start cooking the chicken wings, turn on the barbecue and allow the grill to heat up to medium-high heat (200 ° C). The temperature must be quite high, because the chicken wings must brown on the outside.
If you are unsure of the correct temperature, place a hand over the grill about 30 cm away. If you can only stand the heat for about 5 seconds, it means the temperature is right
Step 3. Arrange the chicken wings on the wire rack
Drain them one at a time from the marinade and place them on the barbecue, being careful not to burn yourself. Distribute them on the grill evenly without overlapping them, to obtain a homogeneous cooking.
Keep in mind the order in which you placed the chicken wings on the grill as the former will have more time to cook. Once ready, remove them from the barbecue in the same order to ensure they all have the same cooking time
Step 4. Leave the chicken wings to roast on one side for 10 minutes
The skin of the chicken will become dark and slightly charred. Check the doneness regularly to prevent the chicken wings from burning or sticking to the grill.
At this stage, make sure you cook the fins correctly on the outside and not on the inside. Observe how they change color to know when it's the right time to turn them
Step 5. Flip the chicken wings and cover the barbecue for 10 minutes
Flip them over one at a time using tongs or a flat scoop. Put the lid on the barbecue and let the wings roast on the other side for about ten minutes. In this phase the heat will have time to penetrate to the heart of the flesh.
- By closing the lid of the barbecue the heat will remain trapped inside, so you will be able to cook the meat evenly.
- To prevent the meat from sticking to the tongs, grease them too with a drizzle of oil.
Step 6. Make sure the chicken wings are fully cooked
Before removing them from the barbecue, check that they are cooked to perfection even in the center. Once you have located the largest flap, use a knife to carve the meat and check if it is still pink in the center. If necessary, let the chicken wings cook for a few more minutes.
If you have an instant-read thermometer available, use it to check the core temperature of chicken wings. If it is around 74 ° C it means that they are cooked to perfection
Step 7. Remove the chicken wings from the barbecue and serve them immediately
Transfer them to a serving dish using tongs (to avoid burning yourself) and bring them straight to the table. They have an unmatched taste right off the grill. You can accompany them with a sauce or marinade that you have saved and reduced over the heat.
- If you want to use the marinade as a sauce, make sure it is not the one that came into contact with the raw meat, otherwise you will put the health of your diners at risk.
- Refrigerate any leftover chicken wings within 2 hours of cooking. In this way they will also keep for 3-4 days.
Warnings
- Be cautious every time you use the barbecue. Any type of open flame, if not properly controlled, is a potential source of danger.
- Never eat raw chicken meat and keep it away from other ingredients to avoid any health risks.
