How to Cook Chicken Wings
How to Cook Chicken Wings
By Cap'n Ron
Of all the "Bar Foods" available to us at our local watering holes. I think that the most popular must be "Buffalo Wings", or "Wings" as they're most commonly called.
In case you didn't know, the credit for the first Buffalo Wing is given to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. They've been doin' it since 1964. From what I've read, they use Texas Pete and Butter for their sauce.
I remember my first "Buffalo Wings", that's what everyone called them in the early days. It was 1972, and I stopped for lunch, with a customer, in St. Johnsbury, VT. We looked at the menu and spotted these, we asked what they were, and the response was that they were a new "Bar" snack started someplace in Buffalo NY, hence the name. We tried them, and after a whole bunch of 8 piece orders, We were both hooked.
Of course now we just call them "Wings", and it's amazing how well this has spread, and how many variations there are. You can go into almost any bar, and you'll find some type of "Wings" on the menu, including some high end places. And don't forget the specialty bars. There are restaurants that specialize just in wings.
In addition, the old standby of Hot Sauce mixed with butter has given way to a whole slew of new Wing Sauce Flavors. There how now sauce from the standard to the eclectic. It seems like every day there's some new variation of a Wing Sauce. From common things Like Teriyaki, and Honey BBQ, to the eclectic varieties like Cheddar Jalapeno, Hababero Cheddar, Curry, Jamaican Jerked, and any variety of super hot sauces including the hottest of all peppers, the Ghost Pepper.
So now it's time to talk about how I make them. On this page, you'll see a few different ways to cook them, then, it's all about the sauce. Once you've mastered, and are happy with doing the wings one way, stick to it and play with the flavors. You can Fry, bake, boil, grill, or smoke your wings. Each has it's own characteristics of flavor.
Flavors can be added to a batter, or flour. You can make up basting sauces for use while they're cooking. And, the most popular of all is to add the sauce after the wings have finished cooking.
So, on this page I'll give you links recipes showing some of the different methods of cooking them, and a link to go to a special menu of sauce mixes that I've made. Of course all of these sauces use one or more of my products, so don't feel left out that you may not find your favorite style listed there.
If you've read elsewhere on this site, you'll know that I believe in recipes as guidelines, and starting points. Try to be different in your cooking and adjust to your own tastes. Any of the breaded recipes I show below can be easily changed by replacing the flour in these recipes with Crushed Corn Flakes, Corn Flour, Corn Meal, Potato Flour, Whole Wheat Flour Etc. You can add in any additional spices to the mixes like Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper, Ancho Chile Powder, Mesquite Seasoning mix Etc. Don't be afraid to try new things.
Above all, Don't Marinate Chicken Wings. It doesn't do much good, as the marinade doesn't really penetrate the meat of chicken as if you've used a brine. DO, coat the wings with your favorite sauce after they've been cooked, in order to get the full flavor of the sauce you're using.
In case you didn't know, the credit for the first Buffalo Wing is given to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY. They've been doin' it since 1964. From what I've read, they use Texas Pete and Butter for their sauce.
I remember my first "Buffalo Wings", that's what everyone called them in the early days. It was 1972, and I stopped for lunch, with a customer, in St. Johnsbury, VT. We looked at the menu and spotted these, we asked what they were, and the response was that they were a new "Bar" snack started someplace in Buffalo NY, hence the name. We tried them, and after a whole bunch of 8 piece orders, We were both hooked.
Of course now we just call them "Wings", and it's amazing how well this has spread, and how many variations there are. You can go into almost any bar, and you'll find some type of "Wings" on the menu, including some high end places. And don't forget the specialty bars. There are restaurants that specialize just in wings.
In addition, the old standby of Hot Sauce mixed with butter has given way to a whole slew of new Wing Sauce Flavors. There how now sauce from the standard to the eclectic. It seems like every day there's some new variation of a Wing Sauce. From common things Like Teriyaki, and Honey BBQ, to the eclectic varieties like Cheddar Jalapeno, Hababero Cheddar, Curry, Jamaican Jerked, and any variety of super hot sauces including the hottest of all peppers, the Ghost Pepper.
So now it's time to talk about how I make them. On this page, you'll see a few different ways to cook them, then, it's all about the sauce. Once you've mastered, and are happy with doing the wings one way, stick to it and play with the flavors. You can Fry, bake, boil, grill, or smoke your wings. Each has it's own characteristics of flavor.
Flavors can be added to a batter, or flour. You can make up basting sauces for use while they're cooking. And, the most popular of all is to add the sauce after the wings have finished cooking.
So, on this page I'll give you links recipes showing some of the different methods of cooking them, and a link to go to a special menu of sauce mixes that I've made. Of course all of these sauces use one or more of my products, so don't feel left out that you may not find your favorite style listed there.
If you've read elsewhere on this site, you'll know that I believe in recipes as guidelines, and starting points. Try to be different in your cooking and adjust to your own tastes. Any of the breaded recipes I show below can be easily changed by replacing the flour in these recipes with Crushed Corn Flakes, Corn Flour, Corn Meal, Potato Flour, Whole Wheat Flour Etc. You can add in any additional spices to the mixes like Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper, Ancho Chile Powder, Mesquite Seasoning mix Etc. Don't be afraid to try new things.
Above all, Don't Marinate Chicken Wings. It doesn't do much good, as the marinade doesn't really penetrate the meat of chicken as if you've used a brine. DO, coat the wings with your favorite sauce after they've been cooked, in order to get the full flavor of the sauce you're using.
- Chicken Wings, Tips Removed
- Seasoned Flour, or Batter
- Your Favorite Wing Sauce