Types of Hot Wings

The variety of hot wings these days is growing as each year passes.  There are the old traditional styles of buffalo wings and hot sauces with escalating degrees of heat.  Then there are the Asian-style, the butter-based style, the dry rubbed, and the island-style wing sauces.  Beyond those you will discover the no-heat varieties such as BBQ, garlic, butter and herb, cajun, etc.

They say that variety is the spice of life and that saying rings true when considering chicken wings.  Try creating as many types as you can and see which one becomes your favorite.  Then try to create new flavors for the world to experience.  You never know, you might have just what it takes to create the next chicken wing craze!



Steamed (Healthier) Hot Wings

Steam the thawed wings for 10 minutes and rest them on a drying rack in a refrigerator for an hour to allow the skins to firm up and the fat to render out of the chicken.  Bake them in an oven for 40 minutes at 450 degrees turning them after the first 20 minutes.  Add hot sauce and toss.  Avoid sauces with butter and instead try a hot sauce directly from the bottle.


Time to Try a Dry Rub

For a good change-of-pace try chicken wings with a dry rub instead of liquid sauces.  A dry rub is composed entirely of dry spices.  A dry rub works by drawing some of the moisture out of the meat and it combining it with the dry ingredients to form a sauce-like coating without the addition of liquid ingredients. Dry rubs are great for smokers and barbecues.


Chinese Five-Spice Dry Rub Wings

Chinese five-spice powder includes tunghing or "Chinese cinnamon", powdered cassia buds, powdered star anise and anise seed, ginger root, and ground cloves...

Ingredients
5 lbs. chicken wings
2 tablespoons Chinese five- spice powder
2 to 4 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depends on preference)
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the thawed wings in a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle Chinese five-spice powder and cayenne on the wings, add a few pinches of salt and pepper.  Rub the mixture into all the wings.  Continue until no more loose rub remains.  Wash your hands immediately to remove peppers.

Line the wings up on a baking sheet so the side of the wing that has the most skin is upward.  Cook until browned and crispy, about 25 minutes. 

Keep the Sauce - Change the Meat!

Ok, you and your buddies are hooked on hot wings and chicken wings!  You have your favorite sauces and you've mastered the preparation steps to create masterpieces.  Time for the curveball!  Let's change the meat!

Imagine taking your best sauce recipe and applying it to turkey wings.  Or better yet, a chicken or turkey breast!  It's a meat lovers paradise.  That same great taste with more meat.

 

Putting Out the Fire

Eating hot wings for the long-haul?  If so, it's best to have a cool alternative to help balance out the heat attack from the wings.  The top choice of most wing eaters is bleu cheese and celery.

Bleu cheese has a great cooling effect when eaten with hot wings.  Along with the celery, it helps to get the wing eater ready for the next wing.

Carrots are also a favorite to go with a bleu cheese dressing.