Sweet and Tangy Grilled Barbecue Chicken Wings

Grilling season is finally here in the northeast. We typically grill outside 8-9 months out of the year, depending on weather conditions. Last month we got ready for the new grilling season by giving our gas grill a good overall cleaning. While cleaning it my husband inspects it from top-to-bottom to make sure everything is in perfect working condition.

Two weeks ago we kicked off our grilling season by making Sweet and Tangy Grilled Barbecue Chicken Wings. Oh my gosh, they were so good! For this recipe you’ll be making your barbecue sauce from scratch. It takes a little bit of time to make but your efforts are well rewarded.

Sweet and Tangy Grilled Barbecue Chicken Wings

1 pkg. raw chicken wings, skin-on
2 cups light brown sugar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/2 cup molasses
dash of salt and ground black pepper

Place all of the above ingredients (except for the chicken wings)  in a 3-quart saucepan and simmer over low heat for approximately 45 minutes. You’ll need to stir it every 10 minutes to keep it from sticking and scorching. I like to use my rubber spatula when stirring it.

Option: If you don’t want to make it on the stove-top, you can place all of the ingredients into a small-sized slow cooker and simmer it over low heat for 2 hours, stirring it every 20-30 minutes.

Once you have the barbecue sauce prepared you’ll want to marinate your chicken wings in it for at least an hour. I pour the sauce into a container, place the wings inside it, stir to get them coated, place lid on top and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat your grill until it’s hot. Place chicken wings on the grate and grill until done. I use the sauce from the container 1/2 way through the cooking process by brushing it onto the wings. You don’t want to use it after that time period (due to raw juices and cross-contamination), so pitch it after you’re done.

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