The Simple Two-Step Secret For Better BBQ Chicken Wings

Although chicken wings are a fast food classic, homemade versions are often the best — not only because you can toss homemade wings in a number of unexpectedly tasty sauces, but also because you get to enjoy them fresh and crisp from the oven. Barbecue chicken wings are especially delicious made at home because you can roast the wings right in the sauce, which reduces slightly to concentrate the flavors and create a deliciously sticky, smoky outer coating.

Of course, cooking your wings in sauce is also a bit risky. Roasting them too long risks scorching sugar in barbecue sauce and drying out the wings, while not roasting them long enough produces flabby, soggy skin. The simple two-step secret is to sear chicken wings in a pan first to crisp up the skin and develop some deep flavor, then finish them off in the oven to produce tender, juicy meat while the sauce simultaneously caramelizes and adheres to the skin.

Though it may seem like doubling up on your cooking methods will also double your cooking time, it actually reduces it by quite a bit. Your wings need just a few minutes to pan-sear to perfection, then require about 25 minutes to fully roast in the oven. Considering raw wings can take almost an hour in the oven without an initial sear, this two-step process takes about 30 minutes less than the usual method, and with better results.

Though you can dry-brine chicken wings for shatteringly crispy skin, this two-step pan-sear-and-roast technique also works well with marinades — in fact, it may work better with a marinade than without one. Since the skin is high in fat and fat carries flavor, rendering that fat after marinating helps bloom the seasonings to make flavor even more intense. Your barbecue sauce can also pull double-duty as a marinade — just be sure to build it with the right ratio of fat to acid for the best marinades, then let your chicken wings hang out for an hour or so to give them enough time to soak in plenty of tangy, smoky nuance before cooking.

In terms of searing your wings, cast iron is often the material of choice because of its reputation for holding a steady temperature for a long period of time. Stainless steel will also work; you'll just have to pay closer attention to your stove burner's setting to keep things from getting too hot or cooling off too quickly. Avoid nonstick finishes for this method, as the sugars, plus fairly high temps for searing the wings, will ruin your pan.

Once your wings are beautifully golden on the outside, it's a simple matter of pouring them onto a lightly greased sheet pan and then drizzling them with reserved barbecue sauce or brushing it on. Be generous to keep the wings moist while they roast. Turn them halfway through the roasting time or place them on a wire rack inside the sheet pan to help the heat circulate evenly.