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How to cook BBQ chicken wings

Hawker-style BBQ chicken wings are chicken wings marinated in a sweet, savoury, garlicky mix, then grilled until the skin is browned and lightly charred at the edges, and glazed while hot. They are usually eaten with a squeeze of lime and a spoonful of sambal chilli.

Ingredients

For the chicken and marinade (marinate at least 4 hours)

• 1 kg mid-joint and drumette chicken wings (about 12 to 14 pieces)
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 6 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp ginger, finely grated
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (for colour)
• 1 tsp fine salt

For the glaze

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp reserved clean marinade ingredients, measured out before the chicken goes in (see step 3)

To serve

• 2 limes, cut into wedges
• 4 tbsp bottled sambal chilli, or chilli sauce, in a small dish
• 1 cucumber, sliced (optional)

Steps

1. Prepare the wings5 min
   Rinse the wings under cold water, then pat very dry with paper towels. Dry skin browns and chars better. If the wing tips are still attached, trim and discard them.
2. Mix the marinade3 min
   In a large bowl, stir together the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, 2 tbsp honey, sugar, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, white pepper, turmeric and salt until the sugar dissolves.
3. Set aside glaze base1 min
   Before adding any raw chicken, spoon 2 tbsp of the mixed marinade into a small clean bowl and refrigerate it. This is for the glaze later; never reuse marinade that has touched raw chicken.
4. Marinate4 hr
   Add the wings to the large bowl and turn them with your hands until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, turning the wings once or twice.
5. Bring to cooking temperature20 min
   Take the wings out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking so they cook evenly. Preheat your grill to medium-high: charcoal should be covered in grey ash with a steady glow, or a gas grill set to about 200 C. Alternative: preheat an oven to 220 C with a rack set in the top third and a wire rack over a foil-lined tray.
6. Make the glaze2 min
   Stir the reserved 2 tbsp of clean marinade with the 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp oil. Set it beside the grill with a brush.
7. Grill the first side10 min
   Lightly oil the grill grate. Lift the wings out of the marinade, letting excess drip off, and lay them skin-side down in a single layer. Grill 8 to 10 minutes without moving them, until the skin releases easily and has golden-brown marks. Brown but do not blacken; if flames flare up, move the wings to a cooler part of the grill.
8. Turn and continue10 min
   Flip the wings and grill another 8 to 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until the skin is deep golden with a few dark charred spots and the thickest part of the meat is no longer pink.
9. Check doneness2 min
   Cut into the thickest wing near the bone. The juices must run clear with no pink, and a probe thermometer should read at least 75 C. Return any wing that is not done to the grill for 3 to 4 minutes and test again.
10. Glaze2 min
    In the last 2 minutes, brush the glaze on both sides of the wings and turn them once or twice so it sets into a sticky shine. Watch closely, as honey burns fast.
11. Rest and serve3 min
    Move the wings to a plate and rest 3 minutes. Serve hot with lime wedges, sambal chilli and cucumber slices. Squeeze lime over the wings just before eating.

Tips

• Marinate overnight for the deepest flavour; the marinade only penetrates the surface in a few hours, so do not skip the dry-off step before grilling.
• Cutting a small slit along each wing bone helps the marinade soak in and the meat cook faster.
• Keep the grill at medium-high rather than very hot; sugar in the marinade burns quickly and gives a bitter taste.
• Ask your butcher or choose pre-cut wings split into mid-joints and drumettes for even cooking.
• For extra sambal heat, mix 1 tsp of sambal into the glaze, or serve with a calamansi-and-chilli dip.

Food safety and allergens

Chicken must reach 75 C at the thickest part with no pink and clear juices before eating; use a clean plate and tongs for cooked wings, never the ones that held raw chicken. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 2 days, reheating until piping hot throughout.

Contains: sesame, shellfish, soy, wheat

Watch it being made

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