Spicy chicken wings will be flying off the platters during Super Bowl weekend as sports fans root for their favorite team. Super Bowl without chicken wings would be a little bit like Thanksgiving without the turkey! Even with rising costs, the popularity of chicken wings has been soaring over chicken breast meat recently. Chicken wings are more popular during the Super Bowl than at any other weekend of the year. The National Chicken Council currently estimates that more than 13.5 billion wing pieces will be sold this year – 4 billion in retail grocery stores. More than 1 billion pieces will be sold for consumption during the super bowl.
Even since the Anchor Bar in Buffalo N.Y. began serving the Original Buffalo Chicken Wing, chicken wing aficionados have craved them with spice.
Here are three flavorful chicken wing recipes from the files of the National CHicken Council and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. Traditional chicken wings get an updated look and delicious sweet and sour flavor in the recipe Sweet and Tangy Chicken Wings. (Photo above) Partially-broiled chicken wings are glazed with a sweet and sour sauce of cola, bottled chili sauce, orange juice, cumin, coriander and garlic.
Grilling is popular year round, even in the winter months. It is the perfect way to cook a batch of succulent spicy Apricot Glazed Grilled Chicken Wings. (Photo immediately above.) The chicken wings are grilled and basted in a hot-sweet sauce made from apricot preserves, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, lime juice, balsamic vinegar and cumin. Served hot off the grill or cooked and cooled from the refrigerator, they are finger-licking delicious! Sauerbraten Chicken Wings (photo below) features browned, crispy-roasted chicken wings complemented by a tangy complex-flavored vinegar-based sauce with crushed gingersnaps. Hang on to this recipe for your next Oktoberfest celebration!
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SWEET AND TANGY CHICKEN WINGS
3 pounds chicken wings (about 16 – 20)
1 can (8 ounces) cola
1 jar (12 ounces) bottled chili sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 clove garlic, crushed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
In medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine cola, chili sauce, orange juice, cumin, coriander and garlic. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil and reduce until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Preheat broiler and arrange rack about four inches from heat. Place wings on broiler or baking pan covered with aluminum foil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven and broil 6 minutes, turn and broil for another 6 minutes. Remove from oven.
Turn off broiler and heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Pour sauce over wings, tossing until well-coated. Place tray with wings in oven and bake 35 minutes, or until wings are tender and register 165 degrees F when tested with meat thermometer.
To serve, remove wings to platter and sprinkle with parsley.
Nutritional Information, Per Serving:
500 calories; 26 g fat; 7 g saturated fat; 26 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 16 g sugars; 38 g protein
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APRICOT GLAZED GRILLED CHICKEN WINGS
4 pounds chicken wings, tips removed, and cut at the joint
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup apricot preserves
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
juice from one lime, about 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons chopped chives
fresh lime wedges for garnish
Season wings with salt. Heat grill to medium high.
In the bowl of a food processor (small if available), combine preserves, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, lime juice, vinegar, and cumin process until smooth. Add chives.
Place wings on the grill and cook for 8-10 minutes. Turn, and grill for another 5-6 minutes. With a pastry brush or spoon, brush the sauce on the wings. Cook for about 1 minute, and turn. Repeat on other side of wings. Cook for another 1 minute. Wings should register 170º F when tested with an instant read thermometer. Serve the wings garnished with lime wedges. Serves 4.
Nutrition Information, Per Serving:
670 calories; 34 g fat; 10 g saturated fat; 42 g carbohydrate; 27 g sugars; 49 g protein
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SAUERBRATEN CHICKEN WINGS
4 pounds chicken wings
3 cups water
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
2 bay leaves
9 peppercorns
5 whole cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 medium onion, diced
1 lemon, cut into eight wedges
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons crushed ginger snaps
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Remove wing tips from chicken wings. Combine water, vinegars, bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, salt, onion, and lemon in saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Remove 1 cup marinade liquid (try not to get any solid pieces), cover, and reserve in refrigerator. Place wings in a glass dish and pour remaining marinade over. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, or cover with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Remove wings from marinade (discard marinade), shaking a bit to remove any excess liquid. Place wings on baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and roast in oven for 40 minutes. Turn wings after 40 minutes. Return to oven and continue to roast for another 10-15 minutes or until wings are crispy and brown.
Towards the end of cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add flour to butter, stirring until flour begins to brown (should be golden brown in color), about 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the reserved 1 cup marinade and stock, whisking until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add gingersnaps, whisking until dissolved.
When wings are cooked, remove from oven to a bowl or serving platter. Pour 1 cup of sauce over wings and toss. If desired, add remaining sauce (about 2/3 cup) or serve passed as dipping sauce with wings. Serves 4.
Nutritional Information, Per Serving:
590 calories; 39 g fat;12 g saturated fat; 600 mg sodium; 8 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 2 g sugars; 48 g protein
Photos: National Chicken Council
