Chicken wings should be part of every appetizer table. They’re saucy, tender, and delicious, and go with tons of different dips. Follow along with me as I make my take on a simple but tasty wing recipe using my Goldens’ Cast Iron.

Making Whole Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are great additions to every party or tailgate. They can be hot and spicy, sweet and savory, or somewhere in between. The spices and the way you cook them make or break the flavor and juiciness of the wings. That’s why I like using just a few spices and grilling mine on the Goldens’ Cast Iron. Let’s get started!

The Ingredients

• Whole chicken wings. These will do great holding the spices and being frilled. 
• Olive oil. It’s delicious and acts as a great binder for herbs and spices. 
• Heath Riles BBQ Chicken Rub. If you want your chicken dishes to sing (well not literally), use this unique blend of spices for a mouthwatering result every time. 
• Heath Riles BBQ Honey Rub. For a sweet-meets-heat flavor, this is your perfect choice. 
• Heath Riles BBQ Sweet BBQ Sauce. Our best selling wing sauce, it’s a can’t miss. 

The Equipment Setup

I used my Goldens’ Cast Iron Cooker with Royal Oak Charcoal and Royal Oak Tumbleweeds to create a 2-zone fire. 

The Process for Making Whole Chicken Wings

I shot a video of me making this recipe. If you’d rather watch me do it step-by-step, head over to my Youtube channel and follow along. 

• Pre-heat the grill. I fired my grill up to 275 degrees F using a 2-zone fire. 
• Add the wings to a bowl. Unpackaging my wings, I wiped them off and placed them in a big metal bowl. 
• Introduce a binder. Olive oil was my go-to for this recipe. It’s a good binder and spreads nicely. I drizzled a generous amount onto the wings, then mixed them with my gloved hand until the wings were coated. 
• Throw in the spices. My Chicken Rub was up first. I sprinkled some into the bowl and mixed it with my hand. Then I followed it with my delicious Honey Rub. These 2 blends will give these wings plenty of spice and hints of heat and sweetness. I made sure the chicken wings were completely coated with spice on all sides. 
• Place them on the grill. These wings went directly on the grill grates to soak up as much smoky flavor as they could while they cooked. Before shutting the lid, I sprinkled a little more Chicken Rub and Honey Rub over the top. 
• Flip the wings. After about 20 minutes, I checked on the wings. They had some nice grill marks on them, so I knew they were going to have that delicious grilled flavor that I was going for. I flipped every wing, rotating them around the grill to get them to cook evenly. I shut the lid and let them cook more. 
• Add the sauce. My wings had cooked for about 35 minutes total when I checked their temperature and flipped them again. Using a high temperature silicon brush, I applied my Sweet BBQ Sauce to the wings right there on the grill, making sure to get plenty on each one. I shut the grill lid again, leaving them for about 10 more minutes. 
• Take them off the grill. My wings were hitting between 185-195 degrees F and were ready to be removed from the heat. Using metal tongs, I stacked the wings on a platter. They were charred up good and had juicy sauce on them. I couldn’t wait to try these old-school style chicken wings. 
• Cool down and serve. Once the wings cooled, I was ready to see how they tasted. 

The Results

They pulled apart so easily, telling me they were going to be tender. That first bite lit my mouth up, ya’ll! The chicken wings were juicy and flavorful with a perfect crust. The flavors mingled together with the smokey grill flavor to create a real, traditional wing taste that I absolutely loved. 

Serving Suggestions for Whole Chicken Wings

If you’re using them as an app, 3-4 wings per person is a good plan. As a meal, plan on 6-10 for each diner. 

Storing Them

Let them cool down and store the chicken wings in a ziplock baggie or airtight bowl for up to 3 days in the fridge. You can heat them up or chow down on them cold. Either way will be a big treat. 

Equipment and Tools

Goldens’ Cast Iron Cooker, Royal Oak Charcoal, Royal Oak Tumbleweeds, Thermapen Mk4 , Thermoworks Silicone Tools, Black Gloves , Stone + Wood Cutting Boards , Cast Iron Melting Pot , Olive Oil Squeeze Bottle , YETI Rambler 30oz Tumbler, Metal tongs