Can’t-miss baked Superbowl Buffalo chicken wings

By Dan Vukelich, AGN Online Editor

Easy no-deep-fry recipe for Buffalo chicken wings for the big game

Buffalo chicken wings are so popular these days it’s amazing to think that until the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, created the iconic dish in 1964, wings were basically discarded by chefs as not worth the effort.

Today, they’re right up there with pizza in the pantheon of great American dishes and, according to news reports, there was a looming wing shortage of wings going into Superbowl weekend.

Here’s a no-fuss, can’t-miss recipe for Buffalo wings for Superbowl Sunday that can be adapted for any flavoring — lemon pepper, sesame, barbecue, teriyaki or even Kung Pao-flavored wings using P.F. Chang’s bottled sauce.

This recipe uses the oven not the deep fryer. The secret is flouring the wings before baking, which offers the sauce a slightly crispy exterior to stick to.

This recipe is for 12 wing segments and can be expanded to make many more. It omits the original recipe’s splash of white vinegar because at the heat levels I like, the vinegar gets lost in the shuffle.

Ingredients

12 chicken wing segments

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Franks Original Buffalo Hot Sauce

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

Liberal splashes of Tabasco sauce to add heat, to taste

1 tbsp butter

Preparation

1 If you can’t find pre-cut “wingettes,” buy uncut wings and using your heaviest and sharpest knife or poultry shears, cut off the wing-tips and discard them. With one hand, stand the wings on a cutting board to make a “V” and using your other hand slide the knife down to the joint, cutting the fflech and gently wiggling the blade toward the cutting board until it finds the path of least resistance to cut between the bones.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-by-13 inch banking dish with aluminum foil and place a metal wire rack inside the pan to keep the wings from sitting in rendered chicken fat while cooking.

3. Measure out the flour and place it in a brown paper grocery bag. Make sure the bag has no rips or tears in the corners. Toss the wings in the bag and shake the bag to coat them well. Work in batches to ensure the wings are fully coated. Place the wings on the wire rack with the drumettes on the outside and the flat, two-bone segments toward the middle, which promotes even cooking.

4. Place the pan on a rack in the middle of the oven. For even cooking, after 15 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees. After 30 minutes of cooking, use tongs to turn the wings over. After 45-50 minutes of cooking, rotate the pan 180 degrees again and turn the wings over one more time to ensure they are all lightly browned on all sides. Remove from the oven when all are evenly browned – about 60 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a metal bowl, combine the Frank’s hot sauce, Worchestershire sauce, butter and as much Tabasco needed to generate the desired spiciness.

(If you’re not making Buffalo chicken wings, mix whatever flavor coating you desire. In any case, place the bowl with the coating on the back of the stovetop to warm from the heat of the oven.)

6. When the wings are done, dump them in the bowl with the sauce. At this point, if it’s not yet halftime, you can leave them in the bowl, covered in a dish towel to stay warm on the stovetop for up to 15 minutes. When ready to serve, use a spatula to toss and thoroughly coat the wings with the sauce and serve. If you want to appear health-conscious, serve with peeled carrot and celery slice with low-cal ranch dressing.