By Christie Vanover | Published October 22, 2017 | Last Updated February 16, 2023
I’ve been visiting Nashville a lot lately, reminding me how much a kiss of the South influences the food I cook. On a recent visit, I devoured a plate of Nashville Hot Chicken and smothered some biscuits in honey and hot sauce.
Add to that a trip to Lynchburg to visit the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, and voila I couldn’t help but create a recipe for Sticky Tennessee Honey Wings. These combine a bit of heat, a couple shots of whiskey and sticky, sweet honey.
Make these your own by cooking them on your pellet, your egg, your kettle or your gas grill. Just be sure to use the indirect and direct heat methods. This will allow the meat to cook slowly without burning the skins.
Start by cooking them over indirect heat for about 45 minutes to cook the meat all the way to 165F degrees.
Then, give them a toss in this addictive sauce.
Finish them off by charring them up over the direct fire.
Want to get even stickier? I am in love with honeycomb as a condiment. It’s sweet, chewy and pops with a dash of hot sauce. I was so excited when I discovered locally jarred Ozaki Honeycomb at a BBQ Competition in Logandale, Nevada. I eat it by the spoonful – don’t judge.
Sticky Tennessee Honey Wings
Ingredients
Sticky Tennessee Honey Wing Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp butter
Grilled Chicken Wings
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp course ground black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 30 chicken wings
Instructions
Sticky Tennessee Honey Wing Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a saucepot over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, brown sugar, honey, chicken broth, soy sauce, Tabasco sauce and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken and become syrupy.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the butter, until melted. Turn off the heat.
Grilled Chicken Wings
- Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Separate the wing flaps from the drumettes. Rub the combined spices onto the chicken wings.
- Set up the grill so there is a direct heat and indirect heat area. If using a pellet grill, set the temperature to 275F. Cook the wings over the indirect area for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the wings reaches 165F degrees.
- Toss the wings in the Sticky Tennessee Honey Wing Sauce.
- Place the wings over the direct heat and grill, turning often until the sauce is gently charred. If using a pellet grill, set the temperature to 400 degrees.
Nutrition
This estimate was created using an online nutrition calculator
How much sauce does this recipe yield?
About 1 cup