Is there really any merit in marinating chicken wings?

[BigOrson]

I've got a mess of them that I need to grill and possibly freeze. Despite they're being considered white meat, I've never really been able to taste the difference between wings that are marinated. Tossed with spices and then grilled or fried seems to make a lot of difference in the taste.

Is there a legit rationale for marinating them and, if so, what do you find success with them?

[k.a.m.]

I relate wings to crawfish. I think the marinade gets to the skin but not the meat kinda like dusting crawfish when they are done cooking. I like grilled wings with a light glaze on them so I can taste the grilled flavor. Too much or a thick sauce is like just tasting the sauce. For fried Debbie has a two or three step method that works but she still hasn't hit that Popeye's spicy level I like, it is a work in progress.
Injecting the wings works well for internal flavor in my opinion.
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[BigOrson]

Wow, Kevin, if I could make my wings taste like Popeye's I'd do them like that every time. I worked in a fried chicken joint that used a dry marinade on their chicken, but the place has long gone out of business, and I've lost the recipe (close to 30 years ago).

Give me some tips on what Debbie comes up with. I'd be much obliged.

[Smokin Mike]

I have a marinade / brine that I use and it changes up the taste from straight grilled wings.
Of course things like this are subjective to your own particular taste.
I get a lot of complements with this method;

• 1 qt. (4 cups) Apple cider vinegar
• 4 tbl. Kosher salt
• 2 tbl. brown sugar
• 1 tbl. sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tbl tomato paste
• 6 oz. Texas Pete hot sauce

Mix until salt and brown sugar is dissolved.
Makes enough for approx. 4 lb.'s or 24 wings,
Soak in stainless steel bowl for 4 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Keep refrigerated.
Place directly in smoker or grill after soaking.

If you want to kick up the heat then replace a cup or two of ACV with the hot sauce otherwise they're good to go for anybody that doesn't like heat.
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[MacEggs]

I have marinated them, then dusted with seasoning.
Also, just marinated them …. Also, just dusted with seasoning.

I find a longer marinade, maybe 6 hours might show some extra flavour, but a short spell does not.
That's when I just season them when I am pressed for time.

I now do them at a very high heat on the kettle.

http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=688137
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[suckaass]

Hmmm. Never thought to marinate wings guess I figure that there's not that much meat, so why bother.

I love 'em grilled with a dry rub or fried and tossed in a Buffalo sauce. Mike's recipe looks pretty good though. I'm gonna have to try that.
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[BUGSnBBQ]

When I grill wings, I sometimes marinade them in Italian dressing overnight. The cheap, store bought kind (like Lawry's). And baste them once, halfway through. Kinda old school, the dressing marinade was popular in the 80's.
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[Canadian Bacon]

For wings I like to rinse,pat dry with paper towel.....coat of good EVOO and Montreal Chicken spice......then let sit in the fridge at least a couple hours......
then i bring them out to warm up a bit just before hitting the hot grill.....thats the way i like em.
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[GeorgeH]

The only time I ever had success in marinating chicken wings is when I made chicken lollipops. If you are not familiar with lollipops, you cut the tendons off the small end of the wing section and pull the wing inside out but leave the bone as a handle. It is pretty time consuming but it exposes the meat so a marinade can act on it. If you leave the skin intact, the marinade just doesn't go through the skin. If you don't want to make a chicken lollipop, you are better off using a seasoning or sauce. Most buffalo wings I have eaten just immerse the wings in a sauce and cook them on a stove top. It's not exactly BBQ though.

George

[k.a.m.]

[BigOrson]

FWIW, I ended up dredging them in blackened seasoning, coating them with flour and deep frying them in peanut oil. Sauce was absolutely unnecessary, although they could have benefited from some sweet with the heat.

[NAVET]

I rub the wings the day before and leave them to "marinate" for at least 24 hours. Then I smoke them at about 300-325F till they are done. Move the grate to right over the coals for a few minutes to crisp the skin and then devour them!
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[Chef]

When you talk marinade you are not talking about letting it soak long enough to penetrate. into the meat. Now a brine is a long process that the liquid can penetrate into the muscle fibers. often marinades have an acid componet so if your wings sit in it to long it will break down the meat and make it mushy. For me it is a little rub and maybe some italian dressing on it right before or during the cook. then coat with sauce the last part of the cook so it will candy up on the wings.
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[Cal-B-Que]

It is almost not worth the effort to me, unless I am doing Indian Tandoori wings (yogurt/curry marinade).

Usually, I just season with a jerk dry rub, smoke for a half hour and then crisp/finish on a grill grate over the firebox coals.

Last step is a light saucing with Sweet Baby Rays. It is a great contrast with the jerk seasoning.
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