0-400 Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

As a part of our tailgate recipe series, we bring you the 0-400 chicken wings! This recipe can have little prep work, it’s quick to cook & the results are epic! Although we normally use a charcoal grill or smoker, a pellet smoker is the perfect tool for this recipe as you literally start the wings off on the grill at 0 degrees, turn it on set to 400 & they’re ready not long after the grill hits the temperature! Yep, that’s right, the wings start to cook AS the grill warms up. At about 30 minutes in, you can check the doneness, flip the wings and determine how much longer they need to cook.

We used our Lemon Pepper rub, quality chicken wings & the Recteq 1250 pellet smoker to whip up one of the classic tailgate foods!

 Have a crack at this crack chicken recipe and let us know what you think!

INGREDIENTS

• Hook's Rub Lemon Pepper
• 24 Chicken Wings (separated into drums and flats
• 1/4 Cup Kosher Salt
• 1/4 Cup Pickle Juice
• 3 TBS Hot Sauce
• 1 Stick (1/2 Cup) Butter
• Water

Tools:

• Thermoworks Thermapen or Square Dot
• Pellet Grill/Smoker
• Small Sauce Pot 
• 1x Large Bowls for tossing wings 
• Jumbo Zipper Bags or Large Stock Pot (for brining)
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Tongs
• Cookie Sheet lined with butcher paper
• (Optional) Wire Cooling Rack
• Sharp Knife
• Meat Cleaver
• Cutting Board
• Paper Towels
• Food Safe Powder-Free Gloves
• Plates and a Serving Dish

Method:

1. On a cutting board, separate whole wings into drums and flats using a meat cleaver or sharp knife. (PRO TIP: Normally, you’d discard the wing tips, but some people prefer to save and freeze them to eventually use to make a chicken stock)
2. Place separated chicken into a large stock pot or zipper bag.
3. Add kosher salt, pickle juice and hot sauce to pot or bag & gently toss making sure to coat evenly.
4. Add enough water to cover the wings, then cover pot or close bag and let sit in the brine for 2-24 hours (the longer the better flavor penetration).
5. After brining, remove all chicken to a bowl, patting dry with a paper towel. 
   
6. Season wings with 3-4 TBS of Lemon Pepper & toss making sure to coat evenly.
7. Place the wings on the cool grill. Turn the grill on to 400 degrees and close the lid. You can be sure to have accurate temperature reading while using the Thermoworks Thermapen ONE or Square Dot using the temperature probe poked into the meat as you check the internal temperature later.
8. Check on the wings after 30 minutes. You should be looking for an internal temperature reading between 170 -190 degrees F. The more done, in that range, the crispier. You can flip them and determine how much longer they need on the fire. You may have to let the less done wings cook an additional 5-15 minutes to get to your desired doneness.
9. When the wings are done, remove to a mixing bowl.

FOR LEMON PEPPER BUTTER 

1. At about the 20 minute mark, in a small sauce pot, add 1/2 cup (stick) of butter and our Lemon Pepper to taste.
2. Melt over medium heat and stir to combine, making sure not to over-cook the butter.

THE TOSS

1. In a large bowl, add the chicken, butter sauce and more Lemon Pepper, then gently toss to coat Chicken with the butter sauce & seasoning mixture.
2. Pour onto your serving dish of choice or eat directly from the bowl!

** If you like this recipe & have made it, please leave a review, follow us on Instagram: @HooksRub & TikTok: @HooksRub and share it with your friends!