Hot Honey Wings

Hot Honey Wings

These Hot Honey Wings are crispy, sticky, and perfectly balanced between sweet and spicy. Cooked on a Weber kettle using high indirect heat, they’re easy to prepare and always a crowd favourite. This recipe walks you through separating, seasoning, grilling, and glazing wings for the ultimate backyard BBQ snack.

Choosing Your Wings:
Use whole chicken wings and separate them into drummies, flats, and the wing tips. Drummies and flats cook evenly when separated, and the tips can be frozen for stock later.
Look for wings with good skin coverage—crispy skin depends on it.
Equipment You’ll Need
•    Weber 57cm kettle (or similar charcoal BBQ)
•    Kettle Kone / Vortex or any high-heat indirect setup
•    Heat Beads Original Briquettes
•    Wire rack + tray
•    Chimney starter
•    Spray oil
•    Small saucepan
•    Tongs and heatproof bowl

Why This Method Works:
Cooking wings at high indirect heat (240°C / 464°F) helps the skin crisp while keeping the meat juicy.
Letting the wings air-dry in the fridge improves browning.
Finishing with a quick glaze and final grill gives the sauce that perfect tacky finish.

Preparation:
Start by separating your whole wings into drummies and flats. This helps them cook evenly and makes serving easier. Pat the wings dry with paper towel—dry skin equals crispier skin.
Season the wings with SPG (salt, pepper, garlic powder). Toss them thoroughly to ensure even coverage, then place them on a wire rack over a tray. Refrigerate them uncovered for at least one hour to help the skin dry.

The Cook:
Set up your Weber with a Kettle Kone / Vortex and load it with lit briquettes from a chimney starter. Aim for 240°C (464°F) of high indirect heat.
Allow the BBQ to preheat for about 10 minutes'

Lightly spray the cooking grate with oil to prevent sticking. Arrange the wings around the outer edge of the grill, leaving the centre open above the Kettle Kone. Put the lid on, with the vent positioned over the wings.

Rotate the lid one-third of a turn every 15 minutes to avoid hot spots and ensure even cooking.
At the 30-minute mark, lightly spray the wings with oil to help them crisp up.
Making the Hot Honey Sauce

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 100g (3.5 oz) of unsalted butter.
Add the honey, Frank’s RedHot, and cayenne pepper. Stir until smooth and bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat.

The Payoff:
After about 50 minutes total cook time, your wings should be golden, crisp, and cooked through.
Dip each wing into the hot honey sauce and return them to the grill for 5 minutes to tack up.
Remove, rest briefly, and serve immediately while sticky and hot.

Equipment Needed:
•    Weber Kettle - Charcoal BBQ
•    Kettle Kone (Vortex)
•    Chimney starter
•    Charcoal Briquettes
•    Instant-read thermometer
•    Mixing bowl

Ingredients:
Wings
•    1.5–2 kg chicken wings, separated into drummies and flats (3.3–4.4 lb)
•    1 tsp salt
•    ½ tsp black pepper
•    ½ tsp garlic powder
•    Spray oil

Hot Honey Sauce
•    100 g unsalted butter (3.5 oz)
•    ½ cup honey (125 ml / 4.2 fl oz)
•    ¼ cup Frank’s RedHot sauce (60 ml / 2 fl oz)
•    ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Recipe Steps:
1    Prep the wings:
Separate wings into drummies and flats. Pat dry with paper towel.
2    Season:
Combine salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Coat wings evenly.
Place wings on a wire rack and refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour.
3    Prepare the BBQ:
Light a chimney of Heat Beads.
Set up the Weber with a Kettle Kone for high indirect heat.
Aim for 240°C (464°F) and preheat for 10 minutes.
4    Load the wings:
Spray the grill grates with oil.
Arrange wings around the outer edge of the grill.
Lid on, vent over the wings.
5    Cook:
Cook for 50 minutes, rotating the lid every 15 minutes to prevent hot spots.
At the 30-minute mark, spray wings lightly with oil.
6    Make the sauce:
In a saucepan, melt butter.
Add honey, Frank’s, and cayenne. Simmer briefly, then remove from heat.
7    Sauce the wings:
Dunk cooked wings in the hot honey sauce.
Return to grill for 5 minutes to tack up.
8    Serve:
Remove from grill and serve immediately while sticky and hot.

Recipe Info:
•    Prep Time: 15 minutes + 1 hour fridge time
•    Cook Time: 50–55 minutes
•    Serves: 4–6
•    Effort: Easy
•    Course: Appetiser / Party Food
•    Cuisine: American / Australian
•    Hydration: 2 beers (optional… but recommended)

Tips & Variations:
•    Swap the heat:
Replace cayenne with chipotle powder for a smoky heat, or use sriracha instead of Frank’s for a different flavour profile.
•    Extra crispy skin:
Leave wings in the fridge overnight to dry the skin even more.
•    Milder version:
Reduce the hot sauce by half or skip the cayenne entirely.
•    Add crunch:
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts after glazing.
•    Different protein:
This hot honey sauce works beautifully on pork ribs, chicken thighs, or even grilled prawns.

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