American · main

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wings

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Wings reads umami 6.7, richness 5.4 and sweetness 4.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 1 hr 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.0 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.8 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.7 · Richness 5.4 · Sweetness 4.8 · Allium 4.1 · Salinity 4.1 · Heat 4.0 · Funk & Ferment 3.9 · Floral 3.8 · Sourness 3.4 · Bitterness 2.5 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Smoke 1.4 · Earthy 0.8

What's in it (15)

• turkey wings — 1361 g
• baking powder — 15 g
• salt — 7 g
• garlic — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• oil — 14 g
• unsalted butter — 54 g
• garlic — 6 g
• red hot sauce — 118 g
• honey — 15 g
• apple cider vinegar — 5 g
• crumbled blue cheese — 14 g
• chives — 4 g
• celery — 80 g
• ranch dressing — 59 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 45 min (45 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 118.4 kcal, 18.7 g protein, 5.5 g fat, 3.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Pat the wings very dry with paper towels, then toss in a large bowl with the baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and pepper until every piece is evenly coated.
2. Arrange the wings in a single layer, skin side up, on a wire rack set over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered at least 1 hour, up to overnight — this dries the skin so it crisps on the grill instead of steaming.
3. Prepare a two-zone charcoal or gas grill (coals banked to one side, or half the burners off) and heat the hot side to 450°F; oil the grates well with a folded paper towel dipped in the neutral oil.
4. Set the wings skin side up on the cool, indirect side of the grill, cover, and cook until mostly cooked through and the fat has rendered, 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
5. During the last 10 minutes of that indirect cook, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the minced garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Whisk the hot sauce, honey, and vinegar into the butter and simmer gently until slightly thickened and glossy, 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat.
7. Move the wings to the direct, hot side of the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until the skin is deeply charred in spots and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F at the thickest part, 5-7 minutes.
8. Transfer the wings to a large bowl and toss with two-thirds of the buffalo sauce until every piece is glazed and glossy.
9. Pile the wings onto a platter, drizzle with the remaining sauce, and scatter the blue cheese crumbles and chives over the top.
10. Serve immediately with the celery sticks and ranch or blue cheese dressing alongside for dipping.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Firecracker Cauliflower Bites — Chinese-American
• Gochujang Chicken Pasta — Fusion
• Crispy Chili Garlic Chicken — Indian · Indo-Chinese
• Grilled Gochujang Pork Chops — Korean
• Sticky Gochujang-Honey Chicken Thighs — Korean

Keep reading: what umami, richness, sweetness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.