I LOVE wings.

We have this standing date with friends one night a week where we all hook up and either go out for dinner and drinks, or everyone comes over and we have a big ole’ cook out. I love going out. But with this perfect weather lately, I sure LOVE COOKING out. The past few times, I have bought a nice big package of chicken wings and apparently did them up right, because with Jeff on “grill” and me on “kitchen” we were lucky to get our hands on them. Jeff’s answer to that? “Next time don’t make them as good”.

Impossible for me because if it is any kind of meat on the grill – it had better be full of awesome or I am throwing it back. (Jeff may claim I am full of fluff and muffins – he is really just jealous that a girl can out cook him in the meat department.)

These make a GREAT Football Sunday snack by the way… hint hint.

Here are two of my go to rubs for grilled wings. (Based on a package of about 16 wings.) They are damn easy and even more they are damned tasty… tastier… more better then easy. JUST PLAIN FLIPPIN’ AWESOME.

Triple Chili Wings

3 Arbol peppers
2 Chipotle peppers
1 Ancho pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon granulated onion (or onion powder)
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
black pepper

Lay the wings out on a baking pan.

Grind the peppers and the spices and mix with the other ingredients.

Sprinkle half of the rub over the wings, pressing to adhere. Flip the wings and repeat with the rest of the rub. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate for a minimum of 3 hours. Remove 30 minutes prior to grilling. While grilling squeeze with lime.

Rosemary Lemon Garlic Wings

Zest from 1 – 2 lemons
Juice of two lemons
4 T cooking oil (I like peanut the best…)
6 – 8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 – 2 sprigs of rosemary, minced
1 heaping teaspoon of dried rosemary crushed
1 t salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Combine the first 5 ingredients and mash well to incorporate flavors.

In a separate bowl, combine the last three ingredients and set aside.

Place wings in a large (gallon sized perhaps) zip lockable bag. Pour in the lemon juice mixture and seal bag. Shake, massage, toss, manhandle, knock about, thwack and/or roughhouse that chicken to get it all evenly coated. Push the air out of the bad and reseal. Refrigerate for one hour. Remove wings from bag and lay out on a baking pan. Sprinkle the 2nd mixture over the wings, turning to coat evenly. Cover and return to refrigerator for a minimum of one hour. Remove 30 minutes prior to grilling.

Be sure you get your hands on a few for yourself if you are grilling them. I don’t care if you have to thwart your friends and family with the hose to do so. It will all be worth it.

By the way, these wings are part of the #GoJunkFood quest to take your every day run of the mill quick bar food and put your own spin on it. This was a throw down started by my good friends Elle and Chris. This time more contestants threw their hats in the ring and can I just say YUM! Be sure and check them out:

Elle at Elle’s New England kitchen
Paula at The Dragons Kitchen
Chris at Blog Well Done
Renee at Flamingo Musings
Judy at No Fear Entertaining

P.S. The photos are of the lemon rosemary wings. The chili ones went so fast I didn’t have a chance.