For dinner tonight, we’re making WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGS.
a.k.a, Firehouse Chicken Wings.
Just so you know, I pronounce the aforementioned, drawn-out spelling of “Wings” with an exaggerated Southern twang, making the word sound more like — well, there’s no other way to put this: “wangs.”
Wings are always referred to as “wangs” when I’m talking about them, and, yes, my husband has informed me that I do this a little too loudly in public.
Hey, I’m just talking about chicken wings; not my fault if people’s minds are in the gutter.
ANYHOO! Hi there, hello. Let’s get back to these Firehouse Chicken Wings, my book-inspired recipe for Things You Save in a Fire. I wanted a recipe that can feed a crowd, as one would find in a firehouse, and wings are the ultimate crowd-pleaser.
Plus, Firehouse Chicken Wings are grilled over an open flame. Flames…fire…”things you save in a fire”? See where I’m going with this? I’m sure you do.
So, yeah. WINGS. (“Wangs”) I could eat these Firehouse Chicken Wings all day, every day.
This, mind you, is coming from a girl who wouldn’t touch chicken wings with a ten-foot pole not that long ago.
Strangely enough, I have Hooters to thank for my chicken wings addiction. My husband loves WWE, and when we first started dating, we would head there with some friends to grab dinner and watch the pay-per-view show.
So, it was smack in the middle of Hooters where, trying to be one of the gang, I gingerly took a bite of my first chicken wing, which was broiled “naked style” and covered in Daytona Beach wing sauce.
AND I FELL IN LOVE.
After that, I never turned down a chance to sit for four, excruciatingly long hours in Hooters, watching a wrestling show I can’t stand (okay, and maaaaybe reading a book I brought) if it meant I could shove my face full of my beloved Daytona wings.
Flash forward almost a decade (um, WOW. I’m old.), and Mr. Tart now gets WWE streaming straight to his laptop, which means we haven’t set foot in a Hooters in years.
But, I don’t have to live without my favorite chicken wings because…I’ve learned to make my own!!
And, Firehouse Chicken Wings are even better than the Daytona wings I originally fell in love with.
Although I love the Daytona sauce, it’s just a teensy bit spicy for me. Just a twinge. My Firehouse Chicken Wings are coated in a zesty spice rub, but the homemade sauce I schmear on leans toward the sweeter side.
It’s made with maple BBQ sauce, brown sugar, and just a smidgeon of hot sauce, which leaves your lips pleasantly buzzing instead of stinging with pain.
While this sweet and slightly spicy sauce is bowl-lickingly delicious, the real key to making these Firehouse Chicken Wings irresistible is…GRILLING THEM.
Don’t fry them, and please, for the love of all that is holy, don’t bake them. Fire up your grill, whether it be gas or charcoal, and throw these babies on there. The high, direct heat of the flames caramelizes the wing sauce, creating blackened sear lines and pockets of char that are bursting with extra flavor.
The skin turns golden and crispy, the meat becomes succulent and tender, and the hot, sticky, caramelized sauce is guaranteed to smear all over your mouth in the happiest way.
Kudos to Jeff Mauro from The Kitchen, who taught me that baking powder and overnight refrigeration is the key to crispy, crunchy chicken wings. (It sounds like Jeff and I are best buds here, but he has no idea I’m alive. However, if this post ever goes viral… *fingers crossed*)
Firehouse Chicken Wings may take more time than you’re used to for making wings, but the end result is sooooo worth it.
Also? Please, please spend a little extra money and get your chicken wings from a butcher. You’re going to spend 24 hours on these babies, so you might as well buy the good chicken, right? With tons of plump, white, juicy meat instead of tough, chewy gristle. JUST DO IT.
Husband and I started using our local butcher for chicken years ago, and it has changed our lives. Seriously. There’s no going back.
And remember: summer may be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean your grilling days have to! Football season is right around the corner, and these Firehouse Chicken Wings are the perfect crowd-pleaser to take you from hot summer BBQs to cozy, game day eats with friends and family.
Firehouse Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Chicken Wing Spice Rub
- 4 lbs raw chicken wings
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 2 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
Firehouse BBQ Sauce
- 3/4 cup maple BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
Day 1: Prep Your Wings
- Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil, then place a wire cooling rack on top of each baking sheet.
- Mix together the baking powder, paprika, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl.
- Place raw wings into a large Ziplock bag, then sprinkle the spice rub over the wings. Seal the bag and shake so all wings are evenly coated with the spice rub.
- Remove wings from bag and place on the wire racks, leaving a little room between each wing.
- Refrigerate the baking sheets with the wings, uncovered, for 12-24 hours (overnight is best).
Day 2: Make the Firehouse BBQ Sauce
- Whisk together the soy sauce and the cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Combine the maple BBQ sauce, honey, brown sugar, and onion powder into a small saucepan, then whisk in the soy sauce/cornstarch slurry until all ingredients are combined.
- Heat the Firehouse BBQ sauce over medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until boiling. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and set aside.
Day 2: Grill the Wings
- Preheat your grill to 300F. Place chicken wings on the grate, close together but still leaving breathing room between each wing, and grill 30 minutes until cooked through, flipping the wings every 5 minutes.
- Remove wings from the grill (but leave the grill on!) and pile them into a heat-proof bowl. Pour the homemade Firehouse BBQ sauce over the wings and toss with tongs until all the wings are coated.
- Use your tongs to place the saucy wings back on the grill. Cook wings another 5-10 minutes, flipping once or twice, until the sauce has caramelized and the wings are lightly charred.
- Remove wings from grill (you can turn it off now!) and pile onto a platter. Serve immediately with LOTS of napkins.
