Summer has, and probably always will be, my favorite season. Slow mornings drinking coffee on the porch, bike rides through the woods, sipping kombucha on the roof-top deck of my local coffee shop, swimming in our favorite spring, eating ripe and juicy blueberries right off the bush, reading books into the late afternoon, grilling with family and friends, and shrubs at sunset— summer is magical!
This Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to summer and these Buffalo Chicken Wings will help you kick it off with a bang.
You will love the crispy skin, punchy Buffalo sauce, and juicy and tender meat. No grilling or frying required; these wings are broiled to crispy perfection in the oven.
So grab your favorite cold drink and turn up the tunes— it’s summertime!
Buffalo Chicken Wings
- 3.5 lbs chicken wings
- 1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sea salt
- 1 recipe of Buffalo Sauce (recipe follows)
Directions:
- Line two baking sheets with foil. Put a baking rack on top of each baking sheet.
- Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Arrange the wings in a single layer on the baking sheets. (An even layer of wings cooked on a baking rack will ensure that the heat circulates around the wings; this will help the wings to become crispy instead of soggy.)
- Combine the baking powder and salt. Sprinkle the salt mixture over the wings, making sure to coat both sides of each wing.
- Let the wings dry out on the baking racks for 30-45 minutes. (The baking powder and salt mixture draws water out of the chicken wings and helps create a crispy skin.)
- Set the oven to high broil.
- Broil the wings for 15 minutes.
- Flip the wings and broil for 15 more minutes. (If you bake the wings on two separate racks in the oven, make sure to rotate the trays at the halfway mark. You want to make sure each tray has exposure to the broil at the top of the oven to ensure a crispy surface on the wings.)
- Coat the wings in Buffalo sauce. (I like to use tongs to toss the wings around in the sauce. I keep the sauce in the saucepan, but you can transfer it into a bowl if you prefer.)
- Put the wings back on the baking racks. Broil for 3-5 minutes, until brown and crispy.
- Serve with extra Buffalo sauce and ranch dressing.
Buffalo Sauce
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp xantham gum*
*The xantham gum helps thicken the sauce so that it coats the chicken wings well. You can make the sauce without it but the sauce will be thinner and a bit runny.
Directions for the Buffalo Sauce:
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Warm the sauce over low heat.