Here's The Best Time To Brush Grilled Wings For The Perfect Glaze

Who doesn't love grilled wings? Even if you opt for simple chicken wings, these juicy, tender, crispy little pieces of meat are one of the best dishes to enjoy at a barbecue or a game day party. One of the best aspects of grilled wings is the ability to coat them with a variety of sauces and marinades, adding layers of flavor. However, it's crucial to apply your sauces at the right time to ensure they're glazed to perfection. And that time is during the final moments of cooking, just before you take the wings off the grill.

If you add your sauce to your grilled wings too soon, the sauce may absorb heat from your grill for too long, which will cause the sugar in your sauce to burn. All of the moisture in the sauce can also stop your wings from crisping up as they grill. However, when you toss your grilled wings in a marinade or rub them with sauce just before they finish cooking  — about one minute before they're finished — the wings will retain their crispiness, and their warm temperature will result in a stickier coating and a beautiful glaze.

There are three ways to achieve a sticky sauce that adheres perfectly to your wings. The first involves adding an emulsifier to your sauce if it's too runny. Some popular emulsifiers you can incorporate are honey, butter, and mustard. Blend any of these ingredients thoroughly into your sauce to thicken it and ensure effective bonding.

The second method to ensure your sauce adheres to your freshly grilled wings is to let freshly boiled sauce cool down before applying it to the wings. As the sauce rests and cools, it becomes thicker and stickier. Allow your sauce to cool for three to five minutes before applying it to the wings. If you've prepared the sauce in advance, make sure it's at room temperature before using it.

Lastly, the key to a sticky glaze is a thick sauce. To create a sauce that will perfectly glaze your wings once they're cooked, simmer it for an extended period, or thicken it with flour or cornstarch. Now you're equipped to make a perfectly thick, sticky sauce for grilled buffalo wings or any other type of flavor.

You can also ensure that your hot-off-the-grill wings receive a perfect glaze by coating them with the stickiest of sauces, and there are many options to choose from. Combining miso, lime juice, ginger, and fish sauce creates a sticky miso glaze that imparts a deliciously bitter and sweet flavor to your wings. Using chicken fat to emulsify soy sauce, sake, oyster sauce, mirin, star anise, and dried chile results in a Penang-style sticky sauce that generously covers your wings.

Another tantalizing option for your grilled wings is to blend bacon, maple syrup, ketchup, applesauce, and soy sauce to make one of the stickiest sauces: a maple-bacon glaze. Fish sauce, too, can create a sticky coat on your grilled wings, adding a delightful sweet and salty flavor. Alternatively, consider a simple yet effective two-ingredient meat glaze that's too easy to pass up. Whichever sauce you choose, ensure you brush your wings with it during the final minute of grilling for the best results.