For this experiment, we are testing different chicken wing recipes to determine which recipe is best for crispy grilled chicken wings. We are testing three different variable while keeping the seasoning the same. So, we’re going to use Rescue Rub by Code 3 Spices. You can find all their spices online at code3bbqsupply.com.

Chicken Wing Recipes

For the test, we are testing three different ingredients: baking powder, butter and olive oil.

1. BAKING POWDER: One tablespoon of rescue rub and half tablespoon of baking powder.
2. BUTTER: One tablespoon of rescue rub and two tablespoons of melted butter.
3. OLIVE OIL: One tablespoon of rescue rub and one tablespoon of olive oil.

The reason we’re using olive oil and butter mainly is to try different smoke points to see if that has any impact on the crispiness of the wings. What is “smoke point”? Smoke point is the temperature at which oil/fat begins to produce continual, visible smoke. Fats like butter have a lower smoke point compared to vegetable oil that have a higher smoke point which makes it great for frying. Regular olive oil has a higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil.

Pre-Grill Thoughts

1. BAKING POWDER: The baking powder really lightens up the color of the rub a little bit. They might not look thoroughly coated, but we stirred them up to coat them well.
2. BUTTER: The butter is coagulating on the wings a bit. Some of the wings have naked spots with no butter or seasoning. It seems like there is more seasoning in the bowl than the chicken.
3. OLIVE OIL: They sure look pretty.
   

We are going to cook these wings on the charcoal grill with an attachment called the vortex. It helps get the grill very hot and acts like an air fryer as it brings the heat around the dome and circulates it around the food. Unlike the air fryer, the charcoal vortex gives the food a delicious grill flavor.

Final Thoughts

BAKING POWDER: This is a great recipe for crispy chicken wings. You can really hear the crunchiness when you bite through the skin. We could eat these all day long. One disadvantage is that some people are sensitive to the taste of baking powder. But you can play with the baking powder to seasoning ratio to your taste. This is usually our go to crispy chicken wing recipe and you can find the recipe here.

BUTTER: The butter gives them a nice golden color that you see with roasted chicken. They may be crispier than the baking powder wings. The downside to butter is that it solidifies and makes it more difficult to season. Nonetheless, these grilled chicken wings knocked our socks off.

OLIVE OIL: These wings are tasty and crispy. The skin seems thinner which makes them less crispy than the other two. We probably wouldn’t make these again.

We included the different chicken wing recipes below so you can conduct an experiment of your own. Let us know you results in the comments. As always, don’t forget check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more meat-tastic experiment and recipes.