Wing It Like You Mean It
Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Wings with Maple-Bourbon Glaze and Cracked Black Pepper
45 minutes
Serves 4
AppetizerAmericanGluten-freeNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
Southern barbecue, meet cocktail hour. These wings are all about smoky charcoal flavor, a sweet-and-boozy maple-bourbon glaze, and peppery finish, plus you’ll master the art of the sticky glaze.
Equipment needed
- Charcoal grill
- Wire rack
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels. Toss well in a large bowl with baking powder, kosher salt, and smoked paprika until evenly coated.
- 02Arrange the wings in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- 03Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking: build a hot zone for direct heat and a cooler zone for indirect grilling.
- 04Grill the wings over indirect heat, covered, for 20 minutes, turning once halfway through.
- 05While the wings grill, combine maple syrup, bourbon, unsalted butter, apple cider vinegar, and garlic powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 06Move the wings over direct heat and brush generously with the maple-bourbon glaze. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side, brushing with more glaze as you flip, until deeply caramelized and sticky.
- 07Transfer wings to a platter and immediately shower with freshly cracked black pepper. Season with a bit more salt if needed.
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