From Buffalo’s original hot wings to lemon-pepper, Korean and garlic-Parmesan versions, Chewing The Fat has a wing for practically everyone.
I love chicken wings. Crispy, sticky, spicy, sweet or showered with Parmesan, they are one of those rare foods equally at home at a summer cookout, a cocktail party or directly in front of the television. No cutlery required—and precious little dignity by the time the platter is empty.
Fortunately, Chewing The Fat has accumulated quite a collection of chicken wing recipes over the years. Since July 29 is National Chicken Wing Day, this seems the perfect moment to bring every one of them together.
How Buffalo Wings Took Flight
Chicken wings were certainly eaten long before Buffalo Wings came along, particularly in African American and Southern cooking. But the dish we now know as the Buffalo Wing—fried wings tossed in hot sauce and served with blue cheese dressing and celery—is generally traced to Buffalo, New York, in the 1960s.
The most familiar story credits Teressa Bellissimo of Buffalo’s Anchor Bar with creating them in 1964. Buffalo restaurateur John Young was also serving fried wings dressed with his own spicy “mambo sauce” during the same era. However the credit is divided, Buffalo turned a once-overlooked part of the chicken into an American obsession. In 1977, Buffalo proclaimed July 29 Chicken Wing Day, and the celebration eventually spread across the country.
Nine Chicken Wing Recipes Worth Celebrating
Eric Kim’s Lemon-Pepper Chicken Wings
Our newest addition—and the recipe I would put first today. These wings are baked until beautifully crisp, then tossed with homemade lemon pepper, brown sugar and garlic powder. Bright, savory and completely irresistible. GET THE RECIPE
Balsamic Soy-Glazed Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
A glossy glaze of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and sugar gives these wings their irresistible combination of sweet, salty and tangy flavors. Blue cheese sauce on the side makes them even better. GET THE RECIPE
Honey-Chile Chicken Wings
Chef Tim Wood’s wings are broiled rather than fried, then coated with a sticky glaze of honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and crushed red pepper. One reader told us they have been her go-to wings for years. GET THE RECIPE
Richard Blais’s Hot-and-Sticky Lemon-Pepper Chicken Wings Hot sauce, honey and plenty of lemon give these wings their sweet heat. They are adapted from a Richard Blais recipe originally published in Food & Wine. GET THE RECIPE
Mason’s Sticky Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing
I created these kid-friendly wings for my grandson Mason when he was five. Hoisin sauce, orange juice and ginger make them sweet and sticky, with just enough Sriracha to keep the grown-ups interested. GET THE RECIPE
Korean Chicken Wings with Carrot-Pineapple Salad Crispy fried wings coated in Korean chile-garlic sauce, kecap manis and sesame seeds meet their match in a cool, crunchy carrot-and-pineapple salad. GET THE RECIPE
Salt-and-Pepper Chicken Wings with Parmesan Dipping Sauce For anyone who does not worship at the altar of blue cheese, these crisp oven-roasted wings come with a creamy Parmigiano dipping sauce instead. Andrew approved. GET THE RECIPE
Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Wings Fresh garlic, lemon, parsley and Parmigiano make these among my personal favorites. They can be baked or grilled—and they are exceptionally difficult to stop eating. GET THE RECIPE
Truffalo Wings with Honey Hot Sauce and Boursin Sour Cream Dip
These oven-crisped wings combine truffle hot sauce, honey and vinegar, then double down with a cool Boursin sour cream dip. Subtle they are not. Delicious they most certainly are. GET THE RECIPE
National Chicken Wing Day—and a useful refresher on its history—came to our attention through Day of the Day.
Now the only difficult decision is which wings to make first.
