Chicken wings are a hugely popular bar food for Americans.
Over 1 billion chicken wings are consumed during Super Bowl weekend alone each year.
In 2022, the U.S. experienced a chicken wing shortage just before Super Bowl Sunday, when nearly 1.5 billion wings were expected to be devoured.
During the COVID-19 pandemic lock-downs, with most people staying home instead of going out to eat, chicken wing delivery orders became very popular, according to the USDA.
Chicken wings are a hugely popular bar food across the United States. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Though pricier than ever, the obsession remains to be really real. In July 2019, Joey Chestnut, competitive eater, annihilated 413 wings in honor of National Chicken Wing Day, and in January 2023, an Illinois woman was charged with stealing 11,000 cases of wings from the school district she worked for.
So, if you’re one of the consumers purchasing raw chicken wings in stores, and you’re in need of a recipe, read on for how to bake a chicken wing and a spicy sauce that can be served one of two ways.
Chicken wing recipe
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 3 tablespoons of salt
- 3 cups of water
- 1 pound of chicken wings
For two hours, brine one pound of chicken wings in water, salt and baking powder and keep refrigerated. In doing so, you’ll maintain the tenderness of the chicken.
Spicy mango chicken wing sauce recipe
Ingredients for spicy mango chicken wing sauce
- 2 Hungarian wax peppers (8-12 inches long)
- ¼ cup of diced mango
- 3 fresh garlic cloves
- ¼ cup of water
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
On the stovetop over medium heat, pour one tablespoon of oil in a pan and allow it to get hot. Add two Hungarian wax peppers whole – keeping their stems on. The wax peppers should be 8–12 inches in length.
Cook the peppers until very soft and tender.
MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH CHICKEN WINGS FROM A KENTUCKY CHEF: RECIPE
In a blender, include water, garlic, melted butter, salt and black pepper. Blend until smooth. Remove the stems from the Hungarian wax peppers and include in the blender.
For the pepper seeds, you can choose to remove them with the stem or include them in the blender. The more seeds, the more spice. Blend with the peppers until smooth.
Buffalo Wild Wings is a popular American restaurant that specializes in chicken wings and unique sauce flavors. (Buffalo Wild Wings)
Lastly, add diced mango and blend until smooth.
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To drain sauce, you’ll need a bowl, cheesecloth and something to hold the cheesecloth down like a large rubber band or string of sorts.
Place one layer of cheesecloth over the bowl and secure it, so it does not move, and it is tightly stretched across the bowl. Then, layer the wing sauce on top of the cheesecloth. Be sure to cover the whole cloth and give the wing mixture plenty of space.
At least 2–3 times throughout the 24 hours, use a fork or spoon to course through the mixture atop the cheesecloth.
This will ensure all sauce has the opportunity to drain into the bowl.
Reheat the sauce on the stovetop or microwave and toss with hot chicken wings.