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Grilled black chicken bat wings coated in soy-honey-chili marinade piled in a white enamel tray on a wood cutting board

Edible Bat Wings, Black Halloween Chicken Wings

Whole jumbo wings kept intact so the drum and flat read as a bat, injected with a butter and Frank’s RedHot mixture dyed red, marinated 12 hours in a black soy, honey and chili paste marinade, then grilled at 350°F to 185°F. Black outside, red inside.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Marinate Time 12 hours
Total Time 13 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken Wings
  • 12 whole jumbo chicken wings Kept intact, drum and flat connected.
Injection
  • 0.5 cup Frank’s RedHot or wing sauce of your choice
  • 2 tbsp butter melted
  • 1 tbsp honey Fully dissolved or it clogs the injector.
  • 5 drops red food coloring
Black Marinade
  • 0.5 cup olive oil
  • 6 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp honey
  • 4 tbsp chili paste
  • 10 drops black food coloring
For Serving
  • Celery and carrots
  • Ranch or blue cheese dressing

Equipment

  • Grill Running at 350°F.
  • Meat Injector For getting the red mixture into the meat.
  • Instant-Read Thermometer Wings come off at 185°F.
  • Two mixing bowls One for the injection, one for the marinade.
  • Large container with lid For the 12 hour marinade.

Method
 

Inject
  1. Pat the whole wings completely dry. Do not separate the drum from the flat.
  2. Melt the butter and combine with the wing sauce, honey and red food coloring. Mix until the honey is fully dissolved and the mixture is loose.
  3. Load the injector and inject each wing in both the drum and the flat. Place the injected wings in a bowl.
Marinate
  1. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, honey, chili paste and black food coloring.
  2. Pour the marinade over the wings and toss to coat every one. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours, preferably overnight.
Grill and Serve
  1. Preheat the grill to about 350°F. Grill the wings, flipping occasionally, until crispy and 185°F internal. They keep their black color through the cook.
  2. Arrange on a platter with the drum and flat of each wing side by side so each one looks like a bat. Serve with celery, carrots and ranch or blue cheese.

Notes

Whole wings: The intact drum and flat is what makes the bat shape. Jumbo wings have more span and read better.
Two colors, two jobs: The red goes in by injection so it colors the meat. The black goes on by marinade so it stains the skin. One without the other is half the effect.
Loose injection mixture: Undissolved honey clogs the injector.
Other colors: Swap the black food coloring for whatever you want.
Doneness: 185°F exceeds the USDA 165°F for poultry. Wings are dark meat and take it without drying out.
Timing: Cook time and servings are estimates. The 350°F, 185°F and 12 hour minimum marinade are as given.

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