Chicken wings. Baked.
Just when you thought it was safe.
So you survived the holidays. And now one month into the new year, you’re working on your new year resolutions. Or maybe you’re still thinking about those resolutions?
That’s okay too. Either way, I think once the holiday season passes, many of us breathe a sigh of relief.
Then it’s here. You know what I’m talking about. Super Bowl Sunday.
Did you know that Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest eating day of the year after Thanksgiving? Uh-oh. But wait it gets better.
Can you guess one of the most popular foods eaten? Yup, chicken wings. Approximately 1.3 million wings are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.
Oh boy.
So let’s think about this a moment. Chicken. Nothing wrong with chicken. Unless of course it’s battered, deep fried and then dipped into all that blue cheese dressing.
Hmm – poor little chicken. Don’t get me wrong – I have nothing against chicken wings. In fact, I happen to like wings. A lot. But I’m also a bit picky about my wings.
For one, I’m not a big fan of breading on my wings. Maybe it’s because I feel like you can never get to the meat on those wings through all that breading. And two, I feel like all that breading adds a bunch of extra calories that I would rather save for something else.
Yeah, I know. You can get wings without all that breading.
And if you have the option, go for the non-breaded fried wing. But you know what a better option would be? Make your own. It’s easy. Really it is.
And no deep frying required.
My version has the skin removed. Why? By removing the skin, you’re removing most of the saturated fat. And that’s a good thing. My version is baked in the oven then broiled to get the outside all nice and crispy.
Oh and don’t worry, I didn’t forget the Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce. How can you have wings without the blue cheese?!
So on the second biggest eating day of the year, go ahead – eat wings. Enjoy yourself.
What’s your favorite Super Bowl eats?
- 1-1.5 lbs chicken wings
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ½ cup buttermilk
- salt and pepper to taste
- whole wheat flour for dusting
- your favorite hot sauce
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespons buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons blue cheese
- Remove skin from chicken wings.
- In a bowl, mix together chili powder, smoked paprika and cayenne.
- Place wings in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle wings with spice mixture and rub into meat.
- Pour buttermilk over wings to coat each one. Let marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Remove wings from buttermilk mixture and shake off excess buttermilk.
- Sprinkle wings with whole wheat flour to lightly coat each side.
- Place wings on baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes turning wings half way through.
- Once cooked all the way through, turn on broiler.
- Spread your favorite hot sauce onto each wing. Broil for 10 minutes, turning wings half way through.
- Serve with Blue Cheese dipping sauce and celery sticks.
- Mix together Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar and buttermilk.
- Add in garlic powder and blue cheese. Mix thoroughly.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. After it's chilled you may need to add a bit more buttermilk to thin out the mixture.
Baking times may vary depending on 
how big your wings are (mine were pretty plump). Cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Serving size depends on if having as a meal or appetizer.