Easy Chicken Wings for Dad

Well, is everybody enjoying summer? Although it won't officially arrive until Saturday, I think we're all finally feeling some warmth, aren't we? Kav, how about you?

Here in Texas, we're just thrilled that we haven't hit 100 degrees yet. That means we can actually be outside. We had  pleasant temps and a nice breeze this weekend, meaning it was delightful weather to just sit outside and read, grill or hang by the pool.

But Sunday was Father's Day and while not quite as exciting as Mother's Day, we had a grand time.

As always, I was faced with the dilemma of what to fix for dinner. And since I'd been staring at a large package of chicken wings in my freezer for a few months now, I decided it was finally time to give those babies the lovin' they deserved.

First, I had to thaw out the wings. These were real wings, the kind with three sections to them, so first I cut off the tip section and set it aside. No real meat there anyway. Then I cut the little drumette from the rest of the wing and tossed both sections into a bowl. 

Now let's add a little seasoning. You can use whatever you like. Anything from seasoned salt to hot and spicy.

You might remember Julie and I talking about Penzey's Spices before (you can find them here).

They have all kinds of wonderful seasoning blends, but there were two in my cupboard that fit the bill.

I actually prefer the flavor of the BBQ3001, but I only had a couple of teaspoons of that. So I started there, then added a teaspoon or so of the Barbecue of the Americas and tossed everything together.

Nope. They're not there yet. They needed something more. 

I grabbed my old standby that I mix up and keep in the cupboard in a large container. It consists of kosher salt, ground black pepper, granulated garlic, some paprika and who knows what else. I put several tablespoons into a bowl then added some wonderful smoked paprika (also from Penzeys) and stirred it all together.

PERFECT!

I sprinkled in some of that.

Stirred it some more and then let it sit while I fired up the grill.

Once the grill was nice and hot (I used a gas grill), I added as many of the wings as would fit and still have enough space in between to get crispy.

Flip them halfway through cooking.

They're looking good.

When cooked through, remove from grill and keep warm until ready to serve.

Of course, if anyone sees them, you might find yourself missing a few.

Oh. My. Word.

These were some of the most delicious wings I've ever had. Hubby even told me they were "way better than the frozen ones" and that I was not to buy the frozen variety any more. Now if that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is.

Just think of the fun you could have with these little babies. We had them for a meal, but you could also do them for a party. Set up a little wing bar with a variety of seasonings and dipping sauces. Hot sauce, Ranch dressing, Terriyaki sauce... You name it. Bet there'd be a crowd gathered there.

Ah, but summer is just beginning.

How is yours shaping up? Are you doing anything special?