Seasonal Saturday: Grilled Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings for Your Labor Day BBQ
The Recipe: Grilled Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings
Click here to visit Josh's website to see the full recipe
Why We Love It
It's Labor Day weekend and grills around the country are being fired up to celebrate (mourn?) the end of summer and a well-deserved day off. Normal fried buffalo wings are kind of a pain to make at home but Josh's grilled version is the perfect, and dare we say better, alternative to the original. Chicken wings are dry-marinated in a spice blend, left to air dry to become crispy, then slow roasted over indirect heat until perfectly cooked. During the last few minutes, a sweet-spicy-tangy glaze of honey, chipotle, lime, and soy sauce is brushed over and grilled until caramelized, crispy, and delicious. You're going to need some napkins for this one.
The Chef: Josh Bousel
Pitmaster & Self-Described Meatmaster
The Meatwave
What started as an occasional event about grilling has turned into a "full-blown addiction" for Josh, the proprietor and Meatmaster behind The Meatwave. In addition to sharing drool-worthy grilling and smoking recipes via his blog, he also hosts a "secret grill club meets community potluck" of sorts that occurs every 2 weeks throughout the summer in Astoria, Queens. Invites are on a referral basis so good luck getting in (Hey Josh - toss us an invite over here please?). Until then, your carnivorous heart will be fulfilled by all of the grilling and smoking recipes here on his blog. The best part is that he explains the techniques, trials, and errors behind all of his creations so you can become a Meatmaster of your own.
Make sure to say hello to Josh on Twitter and Facebook.
The Tip: The Trick for the Crispiest Chicken
We've all been the victim of soggy, lifeless chicken but around here, it's simply unacceptable. Regardless of whether you're roasting or grilling, smart chefs (including Josh) have a secret technique to get the crispiest skin: air-drying.
Season your chicken liberally with salt and any other spices you want. Place on a rack on a sheet pan and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours. The salt and surrounding air removes and dries out the excess moisture in the skin, ensuring crispiness.
This technique works great on any skin-on chicken pieces and even on a whole roast chicken. (A secret tip: try this with your next Thanksgiving turkey). Make sure to listen up because using this tip, you'll have shatter-worthy crispy skin on your chicken.
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