Follow step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions to make these oven baked, crispy, barbecue chicken wings. We’re featuring Dimples BBQ Sauce, a North Carolina favorite out of Raleigh, North Carolina. It’s the perfect appetizer for family time around the TV on game day. Don’t forget to bring the napkins, you’re going to need them. Printable recipe included
Dimples BBQ Chicken Wings: A Review, A Giveaway, A Recipe
The Giveaway portion of this post has ended. Thank You to everyone that entered.
THE REVIEW: Sometime back, and actually further back than I’d like to admit, the fine folks over at Dimples BBQ Sauce in Raleigh, North Carolina, sent me some of their product to sample. They blessed me with a couple of 16oz. bottles of their BBQ Sauce and a few smaller sample type bottles as well. They of course hoped that I’d try it, maybe write something about my experience with it, then give one of the bottles away here on Taste of Southern. Just so you will know, I was not under obligation to them and they have not paid me for my opinions. The views expressed are entirely my own.
Unless you live here in North Carolina, around South Carolina or Virginia, you may not be aware of just how MANY different BBQ Sauces are on the market today. It’s a tough business with lots of competition for shelf space. Like many around these parts, I make my own BBQ Sauce and I’m pretty proud of it. And as you may or may not know, North Carolina is divided between Eastern and Western as far as styles of BBQ Sauce go. We prefer a Vinegar Based here in the Eastern part of the state, while our Western friends prefer a tomato based version. In other words, we get serious about our BBQ Sauce. Super Serious.
For the record, I make my own Vinegar Based Sauce and I also make a Tomato Based Sauce. I’ve won 1st place ribbons for both at our Regional Fair and I won 3rd place last year for my Tomato Based Sauce in the 2013 North Carolina State Fair. That really doesn’t prove anything, I just like to throw it in whenever I get the chance. Unless I’m talking about barbecue, I don’t really get the chance. Forgive me.
I was really excited to get my package from Dimples. I jumped right into it of course and have been looking for a way to tell you about it here on Taste of Southern. There are lots of great ways you can use Dimples BBQ Sauce, or any barbecue sauce for that matter. It goes great on Beef, Chicken, Pork, even Pizza. I reckon Chicken is my all time meat-of-choice, so I decided to cook up a batch of chicken wings and take advantage of the bottles of sauce from the kind folks over at Dimples. I’ve got the recipe for you just below.
Dimples BBQ Sauce is a sweet, tangy, delicious sauce just right for chicken or beef. I’ll stick with the Vinegar Based sauce when it comes to making barbecue pork. But, that’s just me, you might like it, and I promise not to hold that against you.
I was well pleased with adding this to my oven baked chicken wings recipe below. I can also imagine how good it would be on BBQ Beef Ribs, one of my favorites, especially when slathered in a rich, sweet, tomato based sauce. You know, the kind that takes a whole roll of paper towels to get through. The messier the better. Right?
As mentioned, Dimples BBQ Sauce is sweet and a little tangy all at the same time. I really like that combination, and liked that it was neither runny thin, or so thick you couldn’t get it to pour out of the bottle. It was silky smooth in texture and poured gently from the bottle. It would hold up well as a basting sauce for chicken or beef on the grill in my opinion.
I also liked that it wasn’t spicy hot with peppers. I have a tendency to be a bit sensitive to heat, and Dimples BBQ Sauce didn’t have any of that. I found it very pleasing to the taste buds and would highly recommend it to anyone. I’m just proud they call North Carolina home.
You can learn more about the award winning Dimples BBQ Sauce by visiting their website HERE. They have a bit of history about their fairly new product, launched in 2011, and lots of other reviews for your consideration as well. They have a few recipes you might enjoy, and the best part of all is… you can ORDER their BBQ Sauce right from their website. That way, you don’t have to just take my word for it, you can actually try it yourself. I don’t know if they ship Internationally, but they will ship at least to the 48 contiguous states, maybe further.
I’ve included my recipe for using the sauce below. I understand there’s some type of big ball game coming up in a few days and this would be a great appetizer to gather the family around the TV set with. This particular recipe takes a little extra time to prepare, but it’s well worth the effort and I know you’ll love it. So, if you’re ready to give it a try, grab some paper towels and… Let’s Get Cooking!
The Giveaway: We offered a bottle of Dimples BBQ Sauce to one lucky reader. They had to leave an answer to this question in the Comments Section below.
“What’s your favorite way to enjoy chicken wings? Fried, Buffalo Hot Style, Barbecued, something else?”
One winner was chosen at random, from all the comments received. Thank You again to everyone that entered.
This Giveaway has ended.
Dimples BBQ Chicken Wings Recipe: You’ll need these ingredients.
I’m using frozen chicken wings. I let them sit overnight in the refrigerator but they were still about frozen when I took them out. So, be sure to allow time for them to thaw properly. Here, I’m placing the wing sections in my colander. I want to rinse off the ice crystals and give them a quick check for pin feathers or anything else I might want to remove.
Rinse the wings under cold running water. I must admit, I was a bit surprised by how many little feathers were still attached to these. Just use a paper towel to get a grip on them and they’ll pull right out. Rinse the wings well. Let them drain while you prepare the coating for them.
In a small mixing bowl, add the Salt.
Add the Black Pepper.
Add the Garlic Powder.
Add the Corn Starch. This is a great way to use up some of that big box of corn starch you’ve had sitting around in the cabinet all year. You’re suppose to refresh those items every once in awhile you know.
Use a fork and stir all the dry ingredients together.
Place the mix in a plastic bag, or a paper bag. Most of the time, I use those leftover plastic bags that I bring home from the grocery store. Generally, I’ll ask for paper, but ever so often I take the plastic bags. I find they come in handy for wrapping up some items before tossing them into the kitchen garbage pail. That’s considered recycling… right?
Now, give it a good shake to stir up the dry ingredients some more.
As soon as you discover the plastic bag has a HOLE in it, dump the dry mix into a larger mixing bowl. OK, I looked all inside the bag for holes before I added the corn starch mixture. Didn’t see a single one. Then, when I gave the bag a good hard shake or two, I covered my shirt with cornstarch, salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Seems there was a nice little hole in the side of the bag that I hadn’t seen.
I didn’t have to admit to it, I just wanted you to be able to share in the “experience” of it all. I’m like that sometimes.
You’ll also need to line a sheet pan with Parchment Paper. (See the corn starch on the counter?)
You could use aluminum foil, or wire racks if you have them. The chicken wings don’t stick to the parchment paper as much as they normally do to aluminum foil. Just use what’s convenient for you.
Working with a few wing sections at a time, place them in the dry mix and coat each piece. This would have been much easier in a bag, it’s just not as easy to get pictures that way.
Coat each piece and shake off any excess. Place the chicken wings on the parchment paper lined sheet pan. Allow a little room between each one and don’t overcrowd them.
You could go ahead and bake the wings at this point if you don’t have the time to refrigerate them overnight. But, we want them to be crispy, like fried wings, so in the refrigerator they go.
Place the wings, uncovered, in the refrigerator and let them stay overnight. This will dry the skin out a bit and cause them to have a nice crispy skin once they are baked. The corn starch will also help give the wings a fried chicken like texture.
Anytime you’re working with poultry, you want to be sure you aren’t cross contaminating any other foods you might have out. It’s best to just clear the counter and only work with the chicken until you’re finished. Then, make sure you wash anything that came in contact with the poultry in hot, soapy water, until you’ve got it all squeaky clean.
I seem to have washed a LOT of dishes since I started Taste of Southern. Just saying.
After 24 hours, remove the wings from the refrigerator. Just let them sit on your counter while you preheat the oven. You’ll want to bake them on 350º until they reach an internal temperature of 165º. Baking time will vary from oven to oven of course, so watch them carefully and don’t let them burn.
Place the wings in the oven and let them bake for about 30 minutes. I had mine on the next to bottom rack.
After 30 minutes, remove the pan and turn each wing section over. Then, place them back in the oven and let them bake until they are done.
Let the wings bake until they reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. These were just about there at this point. A simple thermometer can be inserted into the thickest part of one of the drumettes to test for doneness. It took me well over an hour to bake these but the actual time will vary from one oven to the next. You’ll do well to purchase yourself a neat little thermometer if you don’t already have one. They’re generally less than $5.00 each and well worth the price in my opinion.
My former days in the restaurant taught me to always use a thermometer and I can’t kick the habit now.
Place the wings in a metal bowl if you have one. See how crispy they look. They are just like fried wings at this point and you might want to save out a few for anyone that might not like barbecue sauce. That is, if such said person even exists.
Pour the Dimples BBQ Sauce right on top of the wings. Don’t be shy, lather them up good.
Naturally, if you don’t have Dimples BBQ Sauce, you can use one of your favorites. You can also ask your grocer if they would consider adding it to their product line. Many people aren’t aware of how easy it can sometimes be to get a store to carry a certain product. They don’t know you’re interested until you ask about it. It never hurts to try and as they say, “Dimples…makes all the difference.”
Toss the wings all around in the Dimples BBQ Sauce. Get them coated nice and good all over.
This would be even more fun if you just stick your hand in there and swish them around. Just be sure no one is looking, cause you’re going to end up licking your fingers before you decide to rinse them off. I had to keep mine clean because of the camera. The things I do sometimes.
If you aren’t serving them right away, wrap the bowl in aluminum foil. You can just sit it aside for about 15 minutes or so and let the Dimples BBQ Sauce flavor up the chicken. Or, you can pop the bowl and all, back in the oven and keep them warm awhile longer. They’ll just continue to get better and better.
Serve warm and Enjoy!
