My Dr Pepper® Ribs recipe from a few weeks back happened to be my most popular post on CCF and my most popular rib recipe among friends and family. It turned out to also be very controversial. Many people commented health concerns about the high fructose corn syrup found in Dr Pepper®. While I stayed out of the debate at the time, I have since had a chance to investigate the implied health risk with HFCS.

There is a ton of info out there on the subject, but I found this article on the The New York Times to be one of the least subjective.  They go straight to the source and talk to the scientists who initially researched the potential link between HFCS and obesity, as well as others in the scientific, nutritional and medical community.

My take away from The Times article was that HFCS is no worse than other forms sugar. In fact, it is only high in fructose when compared to regular corn syrup and actually has less than table sugar. Definitely not health food but you could find many recipes with ingredients guiltier of contributing to obesity on my web site. It isn’t good to consume HFCS regularly or in mass but neither is a plate of Chili Cheese Fries. But if you are faint of heart over the issue, but still want to make the wings or ribs, you can order the cane syrup version of Dr Pepper® online. Just Google it.

ChiliCheeseFries.net is a celebration of bold, rich, spicy flavors. While hopefully you will find some dramatically delicious recipes, I would never advocate eating this way on a daily basis. Everything in moderation, right?

With all of that said I present to thee more indulgence in the form “Spicy Grilled Dr Pepper® Chicken Wings”. Pretty much the same recipe as the ribs, just a different cooking process. Oh and the sriracha was substituted for sambal oelek chili sauce for more heat. Let me just warn you that the wings are just as good if not better than the ribs. And they are addictive! Damn you HFCS! Damn you!

INGREDIENTS:

For the wings and rub

• 3 lbs chicken wing drumettes, washed and pat dry
• 2 tablespoons oilve oil
• 4 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 1 tablespoon herbs de provance
• 2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

For the sauce

• 2 cans Dr Pepper®
• 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce (found in the ethnic section of most super markets)
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoons sambal oelek chili sauce

PREPARATION:

1. Place washed / dried drummettes in a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and toss to coat. Mix the dry rub ingredients together and add to the wings and toss to coat evenly. Marinate the wings at room temperature for 15 minutes, or over night in the fridge. If overnight, allow the wings to sit at room temperature for 15 -20 minutes before grilling but not any longer. They cook much more evenly at room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Reduce the 2 remaining cans of Dr Pepper in a medium saucepan over high heat to about 1/2 cup. It will be just a bit syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining sauce ingredients.

3. Preheat grill to medium high heat and grill wings until done and a bit crispy. Turning them frequently to promote even cooking. Toss wings with sauce and get your hands out of the way because these wings will be devoured quickly.

Serves 4 – 6

Heat Factor