Tantalize your taste buds with Chef Eric Gephart’s signature Kamado Joe King Wing! This mouthwatering recipe will be sure to wow your guests with its tenderness and flavor, and make you the pro on the grill.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- A short, punchy marinade with a hard time limit. Blitzing pickled jalapeños into the steak seasoning and marinating for exactly three hours — no more — builds bold flavor fast without the wings turning overly salty or dry.
- Poblanos char directly on the coals, not in a pan. Placing them right on the charcoal until fully blistered gives the ranch dressing a genuine smoky depth that roasting in an oven couldn't replicate.
- A two-zone Kamado setup does double duty. Starting the wings direct for color, then switching to indirect with the deflector shields, lets you get a good sear before finishing them gently to temperature.
- The slaw comes together while the wings cook, not before. Prepping it during the indirect cook phase means everything is freshly assembled and ready right when the wings come off the grill.
Category
Appetizer
Cuisine
American
Servings
2
Prep Time
3 hours 4 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Calories
1199
Chef Eric Gephart is back with a new recipe… this time it’s the Kamado Joe King Wing. This is a whole wing recipe that is sure to impress your friends and family.
Ingredients
- whole chicken wings, tip removed
- 16 oz. pickled jalapeños
- 32 oz. Dale's Steak Seasoning
- 4 Poblano peppers, charred
- prepared ranch dressing
- celery
- carrot
- shallots
- blue cheese crumbles
- blue cheese dressing
Poblano Pepper Ranch Dressing
King Wing Slaw
Directions
- Preheat your Kamado Joe Big Joe to 300°F, set up for direct grilling.
- Remove the tips from the chicken wings with a sharp knife. We will leave the flat and drumettes intact for this recipe.
- Combine the Dale's Steak seasoning and pickled jalapeños in a food processor, and blitz it to combine the ingredients. Place the chicken wings in a food safe container and cover with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator for three hours.
- *Do not exceed three hours as the wings will take on too much salt and dry out.
- While the wings are marinating place your poblano peppers directly on the coals of the Kamado Joe. We want the skin to start to char and blister, turning them as needed. Once the skin has blistered all over pull them from the charcoal and place them in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Wait ten minutes for them to steam and then remove the skin and seeds. Rough chop the peppers and combine in your food processor with prepared ranch dressing.
- Place the deflector shields into your Kamado Joe Big Joe to switch from direct to indirect grilling. Pull the wings from the marinade and put them skin side down on the grates.
- While the wings cook combine the slaw ingredients and set it aside.
- Flip the wings once the presentation side has reached the right color you want. Continue to cook the wings to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why can't the wings marinate longer than three hours?
Beyond three hours, the salt in the marinade starts to draw too much moisture out of the wings, leaving them drier and overly salty instead of well-seasoned.
Why char the poblano peppers directly on the coals?
Direct contact with live charcoal blisters the skin and builds a smoky char that a stovetop or oven roast can't fully replicate, which comes through in the finished ranch dressing.
Why steam the peppers under plastic wrap after charring?
The trapped steam loosens the blistered skin, making it much easier to peel cleanly than trying to remove it right off the grill.
Why switch from direct to indirect heat partway through cooking?
Starting the wings directly over the coals builds color and char quickly. Switching to indirect heat with the deflector shields in place lets them finish cooking through to temperature without burning.
What internal temperature should the wings reach?
165°F, matching USDA's minimum safe internal temperature for poultry — this recipe gets that number right.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
2 out of 5 — the ranch dressing and slaw can be made in any kitchen, but the direct-coal char on both the peppers and the wings is central to this dish's flavor and isn't easily replicated indoors.
Recipe Highlights
The strict three-hour marinade window: Stopping at exactly three hours keeps the wings well-seasoned without over-salting or drying them out.
Direct-coal charring for the poblanos: This builds a genuine smoky depth into the ranch dressing that oven-roasting wouldn't achieve.
The direct-to-indirect heat switch: Searing first, then finishing over indirect heat, balances color development with gentle, even cooking.
Assembling the slaw during the cook: Prepping it while the wings finish keeps everything fresh and ready at the same time.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 4.38 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 1199
- Carbs
- 21 grams
- Protein
- 96 grams
- Fat
- 79 grams
- Sodium
- 1373 milligrams
