Tuesday 28 January 2020

TRAEGER's Grilling Chicken Wings: The Ultimate Guide


Traeger Grills are one of if not the best smoking grills out there. I don't have one, but I'd love one. A few years ago I took a Traeger BBQ Grill Class (I'm certified!) with the legendary Diva Q (aka Danielle Bennet) who highly recommends them. I also, highly recommend the course:



That same year, Traeger Grills let me know about their Top 10 chicken wing recipes. Great tips! Recently, Sarah over at Traeger reached out to me to let me know Traeger was again thinking chicken wings and sent me over an infographic and an article about wings. I'm all about educating the masses (and myself) on all things wings so this seems perfect. The infographic specifically is "How to get the Best Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings":


My quick breakdown - I agree with basically everything they state:

  1. Yes - fresh over frozen, this is also true for deep frying, baking, stir-frying etc.
  2. Cornstarch is great for crispier wings. Potato starch is even better!
  3. I will take their word on this. 
  4. Sauce is good ... but don't think it's necessary for crispy wings ... post cooking dry rubs are good too.
  5. Grilling sound good here.
On my own side, I would also include a brine to keep the wings moist and juicy, and some air drying time in the fridge before cooking as well.


The article that Sarah linked to this is called "Grilling Chicken Wings: The Ultimate Guide"


The article is great and has lots of great tips. Check it out.


My only issue is with one recipe. Buffalo Wings. It's my pet peeve. What's wrong?



  • Buffalo Wings are deep fried. Not baked or grilled. Fried. The actual recipe first calls them roasted, then they say it's smoked. Either way, it's not Buffalo, especially not Classic Buffalo Wings.
  • The mini recipe says "all you need is hot sauce, butter, and mustard (optional)". You're damn right it's optional. In fact, THERE IS NO MUSTARD IN BUFFALO WING SAUCE.
I'm not saying those wings wouldn't be tasty; I'm sure they would be (look at that photo)! Just don't call them Classic Buffalo Wings ...


Traeger Grills

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