Meatchelada Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Wings

Rich and complex dried chili flavors team up with zesty lime for these delicious grilled chili lime Meatchelada wings.

I have released quite a few rubs into my seasoning line, Hardcore Carnivore now. Each of them is a thoughtful blend of spices designed to enhance meat without overpowering it. Each of them are MSG and Gluten free, and made in Texas. And each of them are made with the most premium ingredients we can get, so it’s all about the flavor. And as proud as I am of Black, Red, Amplify and Camo, I might just have a new favorite with our Meatchelada rub.

It’s designed as Texas Beer Salt Rub that does double duty as a seasoning. Use it as a rub, put it on oysters, slather it on your bottle neck to dress your beer. This stuff tastes REALLY good. One of my favorite applications is on chicken wings, which pair so well with the chili lime profile. The secret here is to use part of the rub as a seasoning before grilling, and part of it as a dry rub to coat the wings at the end. The lime is way punchier and more present that way.

When it comes to grilling and smoking, there’s a direct ratio of the size of the piece of meat compared to how juicy it stays. Meaning, the smaller or thinner it is, the more easily it can dry out. Given their tiny size, it can be difficult to keep wings from drying out during the grilling process. However, immersing them in a brine before cooking basically adds more ‘seasoned’ water to them, to compensate for the water that will be lost during cooking time. Here, I’ve used Lone Star Beer for an added layer of flavor in the brine. If you’re low on time or high on laziness, you can skip the brining part. Also, high five for getting through this entire paragraph without using the word ‘moist’.

Of course to make this recipe, you’ll need Meatchelada, which you can get here. You will also need to know how to set up your grill for two zone cooking.

Meatchealda grilled chili lime chicken wings

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb chicken wing portions (about 12 pieces)
• 12 oz Lone Star beer
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¾ cup Hardcore Carnivore Meatchelada seasoning

Instructions

1. Start by brining the chicken wings. In a small saucepan, combine salt and sugar with just enough water to cover. Stir over low heat until dissolved. Add cold beer to the pan to bring the temperature down, then pour over chicken wings. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
2. Heat a grill for two zone cooking, to medium heat, about 400-450f.
3. Drain the brine from the chicken wings, then pour in half a cup of the Meatchelada seasoning. Mix well to ensure all the wings are coated.
4. Place the wings on the hot side grill, turning every 1-2 minutes until brown. Once a light char has formed, move them to the cool side of the grill to finish cooking without burning.
5. Wings should be cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165f, which will take about 10-14 minutes.
6. Use tongs to remove wings from grill, and place into a large bowl. Cover with the remaining ¼ cup Meatchelada seasoning and toss to coat, then serve immediately.