Nothing can top smoked wings in my book. But as a home cook, who writes a blog for other home cooks, I realize that smoking chicken wings at home can be a tall order. I get that. I am a kitchen equipment minimalist who lived for years without a kitchen and made do. So I decided that the next best thing is broiled wings. They taste like they’ve come right off a grill, but they’re really broiled just inches from the top of your oven.
This weekend our friend took Sam and me on a day tour of Murfreesboro, and being the barbecue king that he is, our first stop was Slick Pig BBQ to try the smoked wings. I can’t even begin to tell you how perfect they are, and definitely worth the drive from Nashville. Basically it was an entire day of eating at every restaurant in town, drinking, and visiting breweries. It was like being on vacation! But Slick Pig had to be my favorite.
These Honey and Harissa wings are perfectly sweet and smoky. If you haven’t tried Harissa paste, you can now find it at Kroger! It’s a delicious smoky paste filled with lemon, guajillo chiles, and garlic. It’s delicious, and it’s perfectly complimented with honey in this recipe. Let’s get started on these wings!
First, broiler safety. I burned the first batch, because the broiler cooks things very quickly. There’s a fine line between charred and burned. The broiler can get very hot, and it may smoke a little bit, but it’s nothing to get scared about. I have a gas oven, so literal flames are coming out of the top element. The oven is fairly controlled. Just keep the door closed while they broil, and keep an eye on things, checking every couple minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
First, dry off your chicken wings with a paper towel. Mix together a paste of harissa, olive oil, lemon, and honey. Then spread half the paste over the wings. Lightly oil a baking sheet and spread out the wings on the baking sheet.
Put an oven rack in the top third of the oven, about 6 inches from the top. Broil your wings on one side for ten minutes. Then turn them over, spread the remaining sauce on the wings and broil again for ten more minutes or until they start to look charred and the chicken is cooked through. Those last five minutes, make sure you keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Look how delicious they are! These are so quick and easy, and they’re the perfect quick appetizer for guests. See the full recipe below.
- 1.5- 2 lb chicken wings or drumettes (about 15-18 wings)
- 2 tbsp harissa paste
- 2 tbsp honey plus 1 tsp for drizzling
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp neutral oil such as vegetable oil
- Position an oven rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven (second or third postition from the top). Preheat broiler to high.
- In a small bowl, mix together the harissa, 2 tbsp of the honey, butter, olive oil, and lemon juice. Lightly oil a baking sheet with the neutral oil. Place the wings on the baking sheet and brush with half of the harissa mixture. Flip to brush both sides.
- Broil for ten minutes. Flip the wings over on the baking sheet. Brush again with the remaining half of the harissa mixture. Broil again for ten more minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn. Remove from the oven. The wings should be charred, and black in some places. Place wings on a serving platter and drizzle with remaining honey.
These look delicious as can be. My family would love these. Cannot wait to try making these at home! I’ll report back with how they turn out! Thank you so much for sharing.