3 Killer Wing Sauces

September 25, 2018

There is nothing, and we mean nothing, better than biting into a crispy and perfectly seasoned chicken wing, preferably when your team is holding a strong lead. The zippy sauce, the crackly skin, the fall-off-the-bone meat—it’s all so good. Thankfully, football season is back, which means nights when beer, fries, and wings constitute a solid meal are too. While classic sauces are classics for a reason, why not try adding a few new sauces to the roster this year in order to avoid Buffalo burnout?

When it comes to wing sauce royalty, Buffalo sauce will always reign supreme. There’s something about its buttery spiciness that’s inexplicably addictive and it will therefore never be dethroned. However, limiting yourself to its fiery goodness just isn’t right when there are so many other finger-licking good sauces out there that are sweet, sticky, salty, and everything in-between. Next time you’re heading to a tailgate or party, try these three recipes below to bring the perfect trio of flavors that just might earn you the title of Wing Guy. Don’t worry, an ace Buffalo recipe is in there for good measure.

As a wing prep note, the below sauce recipes can be added onto wings that have already been cooked by means of baking, although they would taste great on fried wings, too. Baking your wings boasts the benefits of ease (not having to deal with hot oil) and a slightly healthier outcome, while frying your flour-dredged wings will likely give you a slightly cripsier product with a sauce-absorbing coating. Pro tip: some wing experts claim that lightly coating your baked wings in baking powder can give them that same crispy finish. Choose your prep method accordingly.

And now, onto what really makes good wings sing: their sauces. These three recipes will offer up something for lovers of spice, sweetness and saltiness alike, meaning your wing spread will please no matter the crowd.

Honey Barbecue

Recipe courtesy of Genius Kitchen

This recipe asks you add a few more ingredients onto your chicken wings before baking them including garlic, cayenne, sugar and paprika, which combine to create an extra flavorful base. The sauce, which is composed of hickory barbecue sauce, honey, ketchup, butter, hot sauce and garlic powder will layer on top to create the perfect balance of sticky, smoky and sweet.

Classic Spicy Buffalo

Recipe courtesy of All Recipes

Many people think that Buffalo sauce is a simple combination of butter and hot sauce. While those two ingredients certainly serve as the crux of its fiery addictiveness, the perfect amounts of vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and salt are what really set a so-so sauce apart from one that your fantasy league will ask you for for years to come. Based off of Buffalo, New York-based Anchor Bar’s famous Buffalo wings recipe, this one is the real deal.

Ginger Soy

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious

With only four ingredients needed to make this salty-sweet garlic-y sauce, it’s definitely one of the easiest on the list. But don’t confuse lack of complexity for lack of flavor—these will hit you with a tangy flavor you’ll keep reaching for again and again.

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