I love a good saucy wing. This version takes some inspiration from south of the border and uses my adobo seasoning blend on the chicken wings. I don’t care for burn-your-mouth hot sauces, so I use a relatively mild one for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite. You can also add more spice if desired.
Ranch dressing is America’s favorite salad dressing. People use it for salads, dips, and heck, even pizza. I don’t go that far, but I do love a good buttermilk dressing now and then. I am not taking sides on the “mayo wars” here. Duke’s, Hellman’s, or Blue Plate will all produce a fine dressing. However, if you want to have restaurant-quality dressing, get some “heavy-duty mayo.”
Serves 4Adobo Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Chicken Wings
- 1 pound whole chicken wings
- 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as peanut oil
Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups mild hot sauce, such as cholula
- 1 cup salted butter, melted
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Herby Buttermilk Dressing
- 1 cup Bulgarian-style buttermilk
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or 1/2 tablespoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon Smoke-Roasted Garlic
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Louisiana brand
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
To prepare the seasoning, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. To make the chicken, prepare a smoker to cook at 275°F. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel, then toss with the oil and season thoroughly with the adobo seasoning. Place the wings in the smoker and cook, turning once, for 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature registers 185°F.
While the wings are cooking, to make the sauce, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to incorporate.
For the dressing, in a mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients to incorporate. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. The dressing will keep for 5 days in the fridge.
Remove the wings from the smoker, toss in the wing sauce, and serve with Herby Buttermilk Dressing.
Smoke-Roasted Garlic
Prepare a smoker to cook at 275°F to 300°F. Trim about 1/4 inch from the top end of the garlic. Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom and sides, leaving the top exposed. Drizzle with olive oil and place in the smoker for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until softened. Let cool, then squeeze out that garlic goodness.
Recipes excerpted from “Fanning the Flames: Recipes and Tall Tales From BBQ Hall of Famer Melissa Cookston” copyright 2026 by Melissa Cookston. Photography copyright 2026 by Ken Goodman. Reproduced by permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing. All rights reserved.
