These wings can’t decide if they love you or want to hurt you. The brown sugar draws you in, the hot sauce kicks you in the face, ketchup and Worcestershire smooth the corners. Somehow you just keep going back. By wing five you’re halfway to a beverage emergency. Worth it.
The ‘sweet’ part is real. The ‘spicy’ part is real. Neither dominates. They just trade off bite by bite until you’ve finished the platter and don’t quite remember when that happened.
Sweet and Spicy Wings
Brown sugar, hot sauce, and Worcestershire on grilled wings. The flavour can't decide if it loves you or wants to hurt you.
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken wings
Rub
- 2 tbsp all-purpose rub
Sauce
- 1/4 cup sparkling cherry cola or black-cherry soda 60 ml
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup ketchup 60 ml
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp BBQ seasoning
Instructions
Method
- Toss wings in rub. Rest 20 minutes.
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until thick and glossy.
- Grill wings at 190°C (375°F) on indirect heat for 45-60 minutes, flipping halfway.
- In the last 5 minutes, brush with glaze. Flip. Brush. Repeat once for thick lacquer.
- Plate with extra glaze on the side. Sliced spring onions for garnish.
Nutrition
Notes
Sub the cola. Black cherry soda gives a deeper note; root beer or Dr Pepper also work. Don't use diet — needs the sugar.
Heat dial. Mild = 1 tbsp hot sauce. Standard = 2 tbsp. Aggressive = 3 tbsp + extra cayenne.