Countdown to the Super Bowl- 5 Different Chicken Wings Recipes

What would football be without chicken wings? What would chicken wings be without football? Do people actually order chicken wings once the football season ends? I certainly don't, and since I have 5 days to eat all the chicken wings I can justify eating, I decided to make 5 different recipes for wings. After all this cooking, and eating, all I can say is they are super easy to make! I fried some, and baked some, and loved them all. The baked ones actually came out crispier on the outside than the fried ones, but the meat did dry out a little bit. The fried ones had the perfect texture for the meat, and had just the right amount of crunch. If you want to keep things light, or don't want to make a mess in the kitchen, by all means bake them. They are still really delicious, and especially pair really well when you are using one of the Asian inspired sauces. I wish I could post the pictures of me frying them, and coating them in the sauce, but alas as mentioned in the earlier post, I only have one picture to share with you. So go into that kitchen, and fry/bake some of your own. I promise it's much easier than you think!

Chicken Wings (adapted slightly from Food & Wine)

25-30 wings

You can use any of the rub/sauce combinations below, and either fry/bake them. My favorite combinations were the fried Sriracha wings- the zesty combination really lightened up and complimented the frying, and the baked Teriyaki wings- the sweetness really worked well with the delicateness of the slowly baked wings.

If you want to fry them:

1) Prepare the desired rub, and coat the wings in it.
2) Put vegetable/canola/peanut oil in a large sized pan ( I used a cast-iron skillet). Depending on the size of your skillet/pan, add enough oil to cover the chicken wings at least half way up the sides (about 1 inch). The temperature should be around 360-400F. Test with a bread cube if you would like (if it slowly rises up to the top and starts to brown, it's ready. If it's sinks at the bottom, it's not hot enough. If it quickly burns, it's too hot).
3) Fry them in batches. I only put 4-5 at a time in a 9 inch skillet. Don't crowd them, or you'll bring down the temperature quickly. Once the chicken is in the pan, raise the temperature slightly to accommodate for the temperature loss.
4) Once it browns on one side (about 5 minutes), flip them over and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side.
5) Remove and place them on a paper towel to drain. Remove and coat them with the desired sauce.

If you want to bake them:

1) Preheat the oven to 500F.
2) Line two baking sheets with foil and spray with vegetable oil.
3) Prepare the desired rub, and coat the wings in it.
4) Spread the chicken on the baking sheets in a single layer and spray with more vegetable oil.
5) Cook 40-50 minutes, until browned and crispy. Turn them halfway through baking.
6) Remove and immediately coat them with the desired sauce.

Sriracha Lime Chicken Wings:

Rub:

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:

2 1/2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

2 tablespoons melted butter
1 lime, zested and juiced

1 tablespoon ketchup

Chili Garlic Chicken Wings:

Rub:

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Frank's hot sauce

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoons chili garlic paste

1/2 teaspoons fish sauce

1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Old Bay Wings:

Rub:

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

Sauce:

2 1/2 tablespoons Frank's hot sauce

2 tablespoons melted butter

Asian Inspired Wings:

Rub:

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon five spice powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Sauce:

2 1/2 tablespoons Frank's hot sauce

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon minced scallion

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

*Optional: Top with toasted sesame seeds

Teriyaki Wings:

Rub:

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Sauce:

2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoon Frank's hot sauce

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup