Finally! I'm happy with my wings! Vortex, corn starch

[Volofish]

I've tried many different versions of wings on a smoker and then the kettle. Never crispy enough for my texture critical wife. I agreed that they were never crispy enough but I could "live with" some of them. I'm sure some of you have done what I did today but I'll share in case I can help someone else that is close to giving up like I was. The credit goes to a website I stumbled on www.barbecuefaq.com The website even shows with many pictures exactly how to cut whole wings into flats and drums. Some of you may consider this overkill but it helped speed me along and ended up not cutting through ANY bones. The only rub is corn starch. 3/4 full chimney and after it got going I carefully poured into my vortex. I don't trust my lid thermometer but it was HOT, read over 600 degrees. I think it was close because the wings IT was a little over 200 after 33 minutes. I made traditional Buffalo sauce 1/2 stick of butter and Louisiana hot sauce (I think they all work, Texas Pete, Franks etc). I tossed them in the sauce and then served with chunky blue cheese dressing. THEY WERE AWESOME! and they were CRUNCHY! My wife loved them! AND I experimented with 10 of the wings. After they were coated in corn starch I sprinkled some Nashville Hot Chicken Seasoning. Cooked them along with the others and of course didn't toss them in the sauce. I loved these too! I hope this helps someone!

[Sid P]

Congrats! I’m not a wing expert, but yours look just like the appetizer I had at Texas Road House an hour ago.

[Jerod Broussard]

Now that is some nice little wingettes and drummettes!

[Oakgrovebacon]

Looks great I would devour those

[Richard Chrz]

Great looking cook.

[Purc]

I do the same thing with my wings as well as put a chunk of wood over the vortex for a little smoke. I have not tried that Hot Chicken rub, but those wings look great!

[HawkerXP]

Vortex, vortex, vortex!

Thanks for sharing!

[LA Pork Butt]

I, too, get great wings with my Vortex and also at 375 indirect on my Big Green Egg cooking 30 minutes, turning for 2o minutes and saucing for 10.

[Mosca]

Did you hit the hot chicken ones with wing sauce, too? Or just eat them with the rub?

[Volofish]

Just ate them with the rub. I like traditional buffalo wings but I liked the Hot Chicken just as much.

[Spinaker]

Wahoo! Yeah, the key is, you have to have that skin dry before cooking. The starch helps with that.

Now it is time to move on to real wings........deep fried. Nothing better! Ever since I got my deep fryer, I have never grilled them since.

[Spinaker]

Nope! I leave it in all season. I filter it out every 5 cooks or so, then I add it back to the deep fryer. You could strain it and store it in a vessel each time if you wanted. However, with my deep fryer, it is not needed. TripleB

[Volofish]

No doubt fried wings are great! I was to the point of thinking that you just can't get a wing grilled to be as good as fried. But this cook changed that for me. Completely coating in Corn starch PLUS super hot using the vortex was a game changer. Thanks!

[Spinaker]

Yeah, I will say that frying them is cheating. What you did takes actual skill. LOL. Well, done sir! Thanks for sharing your insight and this cook. This is a very common problem that many pit masters face all the time.

[Grillin Dad]

Hey Volofish, how much cornstarch did you use for the wings? I’m doing vortex wings this Saturday, hoping to give this a try. Also, did you apply the hot chicken seasoning before or after cooking?

[jfmorris]

He says he put the seasoning on some of the wings BEFORE the cook. And didn't toss those in sauce.

I want to know how much corn starch it took too. I am guessing a good measuring cup or two, which is about the size of many corn start containers from the store...

[Finster]

I use a heaping tablespoon full of cornstarch on 2 to 3 lbs of wings

[SheilaAnn]

Wow! They look so crispy! I gotta get me a vortex. I’m doing wings tonight, actually. So +1 on the cornstarch questions.

[Clawbear57]

Great looking wings.

[Bkhuna]

I started doing vortex/cornstarch after seeing Malcolm do it in one of his videos. The deep fryer has been retired.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9kC1rCIDHg

[Smoke em if you got em]

Thanks for the post. Somehow I missed that one from Malcolm. Doing some wings today, so great timing on the post!

[Finster]

Watched this video earlier this morning.
Wow. that's a lot of cornstarch that he uses.
I just give my wings a light dusting, which seems sufficient.
I may have to try his method just for science...