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Pineapple habanero grilled chicken wings tossed in sticky sweet-and-spicy glaze served with ranch dipping sauce

Pineapple Habanero Wings

Chicken wings patted dry, tossed with olive oil and poultry seasoning, and grilled at 300 to 350°F until the skin is crisp and they read 185°F. Tossed in a pineapple juice, crushed pineapple, honey, sweet chili, lime, garlic and habanero sauce reduced for about 15 minutes and thickened with a cornstarch slurry.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 5 servings
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, BBQ
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Wings
  • 3 lbs chicken wings flats and drumettes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil 1 to 2 tbsp, as a binder
  • 2 tbsp poultry seasoning your favorite
For the Pineapple Habanero Sauce
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup crushed pineapple drained
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 habanero pepper seeded and finely minced
  • 1 tbsp butter
For the Slurry
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water
For Serving
  • ranch or blue cheese dressing
  • carrot and celery sticks

Equipment

  • Grill Held at 300 to 350°F.
  • Paper towels For drying the wings.
  • Large Mixing Bowl For seasoning and tossing.
  • Saucepan For the sauce, on the grill or the stove.
  • Instant-Read Thermometer

Method
 

Prep and Grill
  1. Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels. Toss with the olive oil, then with the poultry seasoning until every wing is coated.
  2. Preheat the grill to 300 to 350°F. Place the wings on the grates with space between them and grill, turning frequently, until the skin is crispy and charred and the wings read 185°F, about 35 to 50 minutes.
Sauce
  1. While the wings cook, combine the pineapple juice, crushed pineapple, honey, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, habanero and butter in a saucepan over medium heat, on the grill or the stove. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until combined and starting to reduce.
  2. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together and stir the slurry into the sauce. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy. Remove from the heat.
Toss and Serve
  1. Transfer the wings to a large bowl, pour the sauce over and toss until coated.
  2. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing, carrots and celery.

Notes

Doneness: The USDA minimum for chicken is 165°F. Wings are pulled at 185°F here so the fat renders and the skin crisps. Go by the thermometer.
Crispy skin: Dry the wings completely before the oil goes on, and keep the grill between 300 and 350°F. Hotter burns the outside before the inside is done.
Heat level: One seeded habanero is medium. Half a habanero or a jalapeno is mild. Two with seeds is hot.
Sauce: Toss the wings in a bowl, not on the grill. The sugar burns on the grates. The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead.
Timing: Grill time, prep time and slurry time are estimates.
Storage: Sauced wings keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Unsauced cooked wings freeze up to 3 months. Reheat at 400°F until crisp and toss in warmed sauce.

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