Name: Barbecue Wings
Ingredients: 24 chicken wings, tips removed, cut in half at the joint; 1 ¼ cups barbecue sauce; 2 tbsp paprika; 2 tbsp lemon pepper; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tbsp black peppercorns , cracked; 1 ½ tbsp ground cayenne pepper (optional); 1/2x3 hickory wood chips

Why it works: Lemon and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,047 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓

Barbecue Wings

Time5 minutes rest

Ingredients

24 chicken wings, tips removed, cut in half at the joint
1 ¼ cups barbecue sauce
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp lemon pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black peppercorns , cracked
1 ½ tbsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2x3 hickory wood chips

Directions

Prepare

Combine seasonings and toss with wings.
Brush wings on all sides with sauce.
Refrigerate as long as possible.

Grill and rest

Preheat 4 ½ pounds charcoal in the chimney.
Disperse evenly around bottom of grill, then reapply grate.
Add chicken and cook, turning often, until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Remove to a plate and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

189Calories

32 gProtein

4 gFat

6 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Chicken	100g cooked	165
Lemon	juice of 1 lemon (48ml)	12
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Cayenne	1 tsp (1.8g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Sauce	not in our table	0
Wood	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together27,047 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Chicken + lemontop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,092 recipes

Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
Chicken + peppertop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together19,958 recipes

Shared aroma: piperonal (bitter, coconut).
Chicken + saucetop 23% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together4,513 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Sauce + peppertop 27% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together15,303 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Sauce and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,303 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Chicken wings: Provide the meat that cooks through over the fire while staying juicy when rested.
Barbecue sauce: Adds sweetness and a sticky glaze that browns on the hot grill surface.
Paprika: Adds color and a mild smoky, sweet flavor to the seasoning coating.
Lemon pepper: Adds bright citrus acidity and pepper flavor to the seasoning coating.

The step that matters

Cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Wings are fatty and have bone, so surface color can mislead. Checking internal temperature confirms the meat is cooked through, and turning often promotes even cooking and prevents the sauce from burning over direct heat.