Are you ready for some football?
Football season has arrived all over the country, friends and family will be getting together to watch the big games, cheer for their team, and of course, enjoy some very unhealthy, but delicious football food. With this in mind, I’m sharing my recipe for homemade Chicken Wings for you to enjoy this season. Whether you’re hosting the main event, or adding your dish to a potluck at a party, these wings will make you the Most Valuable Player.
BBQ Chicken Wings
Want to know the secret to delicious BBQ Chicken Wings? It’s all about the sauce. This is my recipe for Homemade BBQ Sauce:
ADESSA’S HOMEMADE BBQ SAUCE
Mix together:
1 cup ketchup 2 heaping tablespoons molasses
½ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
You can alter this recipe for to your taste. If you want it sweeter, add more brown sugar. If you like it tangier, add more mustard. For a hotter sauce add pepper, and for a darker, richer sauce add more molasses. Add additional ingredients a little at a time and taste with each addition.
Wing Preparation
Once you’ve made your sauce, you need to prepare you chicken wings. (Each whole wing needs to be cut into three pieces: the drumstick and the flapper, and the tiny wing tip)
This is fairly easy. You start by holding the wing like a “V”. Then, you hold your knife at the center and go straight down, cutting through the space between the drum and other side. This should be fairly simple, because you’re cutting into the joint and not the bone.
Now just cut of the wing tip and discard it. (There’s no meat in the wing tip.) That’s all there is to it! Your wings are now ready to cook!
There are several ways that you can make BBQ Chicken Wings. You can grill them (but who wants to be standing outside in the cold while everyone else is warm inside watching football?) You can bake them or fry them. I’m going to bake mine in the oven because it’s a little healthier and the clean-up is easier.
1 Start by placing a piece of parchment paper or tin foil on the bottom of a baking dish or your broiler pan.
2. Then place a wire rack on top of the paper.
3. Wash your chicken pieces and pat them dry. Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, paprika, and parsley.
4. Place the chicken pieces on top of the wire rack.
5. Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, basting the chicken with the BBQ sauce every 15 minutes.
6. After 40-45 minutes, when the wings are cooked thoroughly, add one last coating of BBQ sauce and turn the broiler onto “HI” for 10 minutes. This will make your wings crispier as if they were finished on the grill.
If you’re more interested in a Crispy Fried Chicken Wing, check out this recipe which is always a family favorite at my house.
Crispy Southern Fried Chicken Wings
To make Southern Fried Chicken Wings, start by cutting the wings into 3 pieces just as you did for the BBQ Chicken Wings. Again, you will want to throw away the tip.
1. Next, wash the chicken then pat it dry with a paper cloth.
2. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over each piece of chicken. This adds to the flavor.
3. Next, pour about ¼-½ inches of oil into a large skillet or frying pan that has a lid. We use Canola Oil, but you can use whatever oil you prefer. Heat the oil to a high temperature.
4. While the oil is heating combine on a plate:
½ cup white flour 1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon paprika
Blend together with fingers.
5. Next, coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Cover the entire piece of chicken.
6. After the chicken is coated, place each piece into the frying pan.
7. When you have added every piece, cook the chicken in the oil at a medium heat for 10 minutes. Then turn the chicken over and cook the other side for 10 minutes.
8. After both sides have cooked for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to a low temperature and tightly cover the chicken with the lid of your pot. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
9. When 20 minutes have passed, flip each piece of chicken and put the lid back onto the pot. Allow the chicken to simmer for another 20 minutes on that side. This will thoroughly cook the inside of the chicken making it tender and juicy.
10. Now to the last step! Remove the lid from the skillet, and raise the temperature on the stove top to a medium-high heat. These last few minutes of frying will make the outside of the chicken crispy and delicious! During this time, keep an eye on the chicken, when one side seems brown and crispy, turn it over to the other side. Each side will probably fry an additional 5-7 minutes depending on your individual cooktop and skillet.
11. When the chicken looks brown and crispy, remove it from the pan and place it on a plate covered with a paper towel. This will remove any excess grease.
YUMMY! This is one of my absolute favorite ways to make chicken. I’m sure the guests at your football party will love it, too! Happy Football Season!!!!
