Name: Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Wings
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 24 wing pieces)
Ingredients: 3/4 cup kosher salt (or 6 tablespoons table salt); 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 12 whole chicken wings (about 2 1/2 pounds), separated into sections (following illustrations below), wingtips discarded

Time

55 minutes, plus 30 minutes brining

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 24 wing pieces)

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

¾ cup kosher salt (or 6 tablespoons table salt)

¾ cup granulated sugar

12 whole chicken wings (about 2 ½ pounds), separated into sections (following illustrations below), wingtips discarded

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

¾ cup kosher salt (or 6 tablespoons table salt)

¾ cup granulated sugar

12 whole chicken wings (about 2 ½ pounds), separated into sections (following illustrations below), wingtips discarded

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

¾ cup kosher salt (or 6 tablespoons table salt)

¾ cup granulated sugar

12 whole chicken wings (about 2 ½ pounds), separated into sections (following illustrations below), wingtips discarded

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted to develop a foolproof grilled chicken wing recipe that would produce crisp, thin, caramelized skin; tender and moist meat; and a well-seasoned, smoky grilled flavor throughout. We started by getting rid of the practically meatless wing tip, then separated the drumstick-like portion from the two-boned center portion to create nicely sized pieces that were easy both to cook and to eat. Brining the wings added flavor and moisture. Cooking them first over medium-low heat and then moving them to medium-high heat gave them a nicely browned exterior.

Before You Begin

Use a grill that is large enough to hold all the wings over roughly one-half of the rack surface. Brine the wings while the grill fire heats up to save time. Serve the wings as is, with a squeeze of lemon or lime, or with an accompanying dipping sauce.

Instructions

In gallon-sized zipper-lock plastic bag, dissolve salt and sugar in 1 quart water. Add chicken; press out as much air as possible from bag and seal; refrigerate until fully seasoned, 30 minutes. Remove from brine, rinse well under running water, dry thoroughly with paper towels, and season with pepper.

Meanwhile, build two-level fire in grill by igniting 1 large chimney (or about 6 quarts) of charcoal briquettes; burn until completely covered with thin coating of light-gray ash. Empty coals into grill and spread in even layer over bottom; place another three-quarters chimney full (or scant 4 quarts) of fresh briquettes over one-half of lit coals (pile should come to within about 2 1/2 inches of grill rack). (If using hardwood charcoal, ignite about 10 quarts of charcoal and, once it is completely covered with gray ash, use fireplace tool to push about 3/4 of it to one side of grill.) Position grill rack over coals; heat until very hot, about 10 minutes.

Grill chicken pieces over lower-heat area (with single layer of coals), turning once, until color is light spotty brown, skin has thinned, and fat has rendered, 8 to 10 minutes. Using tongs, move chicken pieces to high-heat side of grill; grill, turning constantly to prevent charring, until wings are dark spotty brown and skin has crisped, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to serving platter and serve immediately, with a sqeeze of lemon or lime, or with an accompanying dipping sauce, if desired.