I need your help.
I want to make good chicken wings on my Traeger.
I tried this weekend and it was a disaster.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I were in FL on vacation with the family and we got some wings at a place called Blue Mabel. They were amazing. Menu (
https://www.bluemabel.com/menu-dine-in.html) called them "Crispy Jumbo Smoked Wings - Buffalo Dry Rub". They were dry/crispy on the outside with great buffalo wing flavor. I fancy myself as a person who can cook/smoke/grill in as much as I can follow directions well and not fuck things up. Well, I spent a week gathering recipes and figuring out what sounded best for my attempt at this. Here are some details:
- I bought "Party Wings" at Costco... Took between 2-3lbs out of the bigger bag and froze the rest.
- I brined them on Saturday night with coarse kosher salt and a random IPA
- Sunday, I took them out of the brine and dried them thoroughly
- I put them in a bowl and added Frank's Red Hot seasoning (2tbsp) and baking powder (2tbsp)
- I smoked them on my Traeger at 225 until they hit 160 degrees
- I took them off, cranked the grill up to 375, and put them back on until they hit 175 degrees (only took like 10-15 minutes and I flipped them in the middle)
The meat itself was good. Tender and moist. The biggest issue was the skin was still very chewy and gross. The wings were plenty "dry"... Just not "crispy" at all.
What did I do wrong? Also, is there a specific dry buffalo rub that anyone uses and likes?
I need to redeem myself this weekend.
Thanks!