Chicken Wings – So Many Choices And Ways To Cook Them

Whether you're watching sports, hosting a get-together, or just looking for a delicious snack, there's nothing better than a plate full of chicken wings. There are plenty of places you can get chicken wings, or you can always cook them at home.  But when it comes to how those wings are prepared, what's the best way? When it comes to cooking wings, you can fry, bake, grill, smoke, or air fry them. Be sure to vote below for your favorite way to cook chicken wings! History Of Chicken Wings Often when you think of chicken wings, many people immediately think of Buffalo wings. However, according to the National Chicken Council, deep-fried chicken wings have a rich history in the South before the discovery of the "Buffalo Wing". The idea of cooking wings in a pepper sauce didn't happen until 1964. A co-owner at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, used leftover wings and cooked them in hot sauce as a late-night snack for her son and his friends. The wings were such a hit with the boys, that they were added to the bar's menu the next day. Much like you see today, the "Buffalo Wings" were served with celery and bleu cheese.  After the wings became a hit in Buffalo, the man who sold hot sauce to the bar, went around the country promoting the sauce. Eventually, Buffalo wings began to catch on. But the idea didn't fully hit until 1990 when McDonald's started selling Mighty Wings. A year later, KFC debuted Hot Wings. By 1994, Domino's Pizza came out with its wings. The love of chicken wings has only grown since the beginning. And are now often associated with sports, especially football. The reason behind the correlation wasn't planned. But by the 80s, consumers mostly preferred boneless-skinless breast meat.  That meant the wings were a byproduct, and became inexpensive. Restaurants and bars jumped on the idea of being able to charge low prices while serving a food item that helped sell more beer due to the wings' spicy and salty nature. Sports bars also started to gain traction around the same time. With their many TVs, they became a great spot for friends to watch games and wings made for great, sharable food. Variety Of Style And Sauces When it comes to the wing itself, you've got the drum or the flat.  And if you eat wings, chances are you prefer one over the other. The drum is often cited as the best due to more meat and only one bone to deal with. And flats have a higher skin-to-meat ratio. For me, the drums are often easier to eat, but I will eat either! I just really love chicken wings. And we can't forget about boneless wings! Those make eating wings even easier. Then there's the sauce. While most people think of Buffalo sauce when it comes to wings, there are now so many varieties to choose from. Sure, you can have just deep-fried wings with no sauce. But if you do want sauce, you have a lot of choices. First, you have different heat options - mild, hot, and sometimes even more than that. But there's also a variety of barbecue sauces to choose from. The list continues with lemon pepper, sweet chili, Teriyaki, garlic parmesan, Cajun, and more. After choosing the sauce, then comes the dipping sauce. The main two are Ranch and Bleu Cheese. Or, if you're like me, you don't like either one. Wings are great without the need for additional dipping! Cooking Chicken Wings There are many places you can order wings. And many of those places give you a few options when it comes to how your wings are cooked. And cooking them at home gives you even more options. So we want to know, what's your favorite way to cook chicken wings? Vote below! [audience-promo widget-url="https://platform.audience.io/#poll/1628738/setup" ]