Copycat Plucker’s Medium Buffalo Wings

It’s a tremendous understatement to say that I love Plucker’s wing sauces. I’ve tried many of their bottled sauces and they are all absolutely fantastic. I devoured my last bottle of medium Buffalo sauce, so I had to resort to making a copycat Plucker’s medium Buffalo wings sauce. Oh, and all was right in the world again! The perfect amount of heat, just enough to wake me up but not so much to make me cry. Wonderful traditional wing flavor. These are the wings that are destined to disappear in no time.

Copycat Plucker's Medium Buffalo Wings

Perfect Heat and Flavor

I cut the recipe down so I could enjoy a small batch of copycat Plucker’s medium Buffalo wings for my lunch. No point in heating up my huge restaurant-style deep fryer for just a handful of wings. So, I used my Fry Daddy fryer instead. This little fryer gets a workout in my house. It’s the perfect size for a small batch of wings.

I usually reach for the Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce when I make anything Buffalo-style. And sometimes I’ll go for Crystal Hot Sauce, which has a wonderful Louisiana-inspired flavor. You want a traditional cayenne sauce, and not something flavored like a habanero mango hot sauce!

Also try my copycat of Winger’s wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 100 homemade wing recipes, including sauces and seasonings!

Copycat Plucker's Medium Buffalo Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Copycat Plucker’s Medium Buffalo Wings

Wonderful traditional wing flavor.
Inspired by a recipe from Copykat
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time9 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buffalo wings, copycat
Servings: 4
Calories: 961kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Place the hot sauce, vinegar, butter, jalapenos and pepper in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
  • Once the butter melts, whisk the ingredients together until the sauce comes together.
  • Reduce heat and keep warm until ready to use.

For the wings

  • Heat 3" of oil to 350 F in a deep fryer or Dutch oven.
  • Working in batches if necessary, fry the wings 8-10 minutes or until they reach 165 F. Remove to a wire rack over a baking sheet or paper towel-lined plate to drain.
  • Transfer wings to a large bowl. Drizzle with the sauce and toss gently to coat. Click here for our guide on how to sauce your wings.

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 961kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.5g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 77g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 323mg | Sodium: 3931mg | Potassium: 556mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 1285IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Wing Magic Smoky Lime Dry Wings

Dry wings are popular for a reason. There are a lot of great wing seasonings on the market. You don’t have to use them to make dry wings, you can instead use them to season wings before you sauce them. Often, though, I find myself going the dry route so I can enjoy the seasoning without it ‘fighting’ a sauce. Wing Magic Smoky Lime seasoning dry wings are a great reason why I do wings this way. This seasoning has a lightly smoky flavor with a little kick. You bet it’s just the right amount of sweet. And oh, lime! Delicious citrusy lime comes along for a decidedly different taste. These are great, different, wings!

Wing Magic Smoky Lime Dry Wings

Smoky Citrus Goodness

Wing Magic Smoky Lime dry wings seasoning comes from the folks over and the Fire and Smoke Society. They make a huge variety of absolutely addicting seasoning mixes. From burgers, to baked potatoes, to wings, they have the right flavors for everything. Head on over to their site and take a look around. You’ll be drooling in no time. I did!

Also try some Wing-A-Lings rub dry wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!

Wing Magic Smoky Lime Dry Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Wing Magic Smoky Lime Dry Wings

Delicious wings with a wonderful smoky lime flavor.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dry wings, wing dust, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 503kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

I prefer to season my wings immediately after cooking them. The seasoning will stick to the surface of the hot wings better than if you wait until they cool off.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 354mg | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

New Orleans Hot Wings

You’re heard of Nashville hot chicken. Heck, you’ve probably had it plenty of times, just like me. And I’ve made a few batches of wings with Nashville hot sauce on them. There are a number of good bottled sauces out there, like the one from Buffalo Wild Wings. Well, move over Nashville! New Orleans hot wings are in the house! I took the same concept, battered fried chicken wings with a spicy paste, and Cajun-ized it! These wings bring the flavor, the crunch and just the right amount of heat.

New Orleans Hot Wings

Make ‘Em Hotter. Or Don’t.

You can make your New Orleans hot wings as hot and as Cajun as you want. Or tone it down a little, if that’s your thing. Add more hot sauce to make the sauce a little thinner and of course, a little hotter. The more seasoning, the more of that Cajun flavor and the thicker the paste is. It’s a fine line. You don’t want a thin sauce here but you also don’t want it so thick you can’t get it to stick to your wings.

You can use whatever hot sauce you prefer, but for me, this recipe screams Crystal hot sauce. It’s from Louisiana. Boom!

Also try my peri-peri wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 100 homemade wing recipes, including sauces and seasonings!

New Orleans Hot Wings
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5 from 1 vote

New Orleans Hot Wings

These wings bring the flavor, the crunch and just the right amount of heat.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cajun wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 648kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Mix buttermilk with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in a large bowl.
  • Add the wings and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Heat 3" of oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 350 F.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, paprika and remaining kosher salt.
  • Remove the wings from the buttermilk and drain. Do not pat dry.
  • Place wings in the flour mixture and toss to coat well.
  • Working in batches if needed, deep fry the wings 8-10 minutes or until they reach 165 F. Transfer to a wire rack over a baking sheet or a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
  • Transfer the wings to a large bowl.
  • Combine the hot sauce and Cajun seasoning. Drizzle over the wings and toss gently to coat. Click here for our guide on how to sauce your wings.
  • Serve hot.

Notes

You may want to double the sauce recipe. Adjust the Cajun seasoning to taste. 

Nutrition

Calories: 648kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Sodium: 812mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1746IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

How To Cook Frozen Wings in an Air Fryer

I’m not particular when it comes to cooking my chicken wings. Baked, deep-fried, grilled, it makes no difference to me. As long as I’m eating wings I’m one happy guy! During the week, though, if I want wings for lunch I gotta go with a technique that gets wings done with minimum fuss so I can get back to work. That usually means air frying them. I prefer to start with fresh wings, but sometimes they just can’t be found, so I grab some out of the freezer. This is my go-to method. This is how to cook frozen wings in an air fryer.

How To Cook Frozen Wings in an Air Fryer

It’s really easy

This is not a complicated process. There’s nothing fancy about cooking frozen wings in an air fryer. No defrosting. Just cook them up a bit, season them, finish the cooking and sauce them. I sometimes also add more seasoning at the end.

Wing selection

Frozen wings come ‘pumped’. That means they are injected with a broth-like solution that plumps them up and keeps them juicy after cooking. Most frozen turkeys come the same way so don’t let the words ‘contains chicken broth’ scare you off.

I prefer sections when I buy frozen wings. Drumettes and flats, separated. Whole wings are fine, but they’re a bit harder to put into a small air fryer without them overlapping. You don’t want your wings to overlap, you want nice even cooking.

Seasoning

I like to season my wings with a light hand at first. I don’t want the seasoning to burn in the air fryer. So I add a little after the wings have cooked just a bit. When they are done I can add more, along with sauce if I’m using it.

I usually use salt and pepper for my seasoning, but I like store-bought ones too. If I want to make a mix at home, my fire-eater seasoning is my favorite.

Do not add the seasoning when the wings are still fully frozen. It’ll just roll right off the wings.

Saucing

You can use any sauce you want, of course. For homemade Buffalo-style sauces, I’m a big fan of my copycat’s of Hooter’s medium and hot wing sauces.

Dipping

Blue cheese dressing or my copycat of Wingstop’s ranch dressing make for great dipping sauces for your air-fried wings.

Cleaning up

I wipe my air fryer basket out after each ‘fry’. Every few cooks I’ll put the basket into the dishwasher for a good cleaning. But, I never put it directly into the dishwasher without wiping it out first. I don’t want all of that chicken grease in my dishwasher or my pipes. Check your air fryer’s cleaning recommendations for further information about cleaning your particular model.

It’s also easy to make great wings in a convection oven!

How To Cook Frozen Wings in an Air Fryer
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5 from 1 vote

How To Cook Frozen Wings in an Air Fryer

Easy, great wings in no time!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: wings
Servings: 1
Calories: 2027kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400 F.
  • Add wings to the fryer basket and cook for 10 minutes. Do not overlap the wings. Try to not let them touch each other or the sides of the basket so that they cook evenly.
  • Use tongs to remove the wings to a bowl. Sprinkle with your wing seasoning and toss to coat.
  • Return to the air fryer and continue cooking another 10 minutes or until the wings are golden brown.
  • Remove from the air fryer. Toss with more seasoning and/or sauce and serve.

Notes

Do not thaw the wings ahead of time. You will cook them directly from the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 2027kcal | Protein: 208g | Fat: 127g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 29g | Monounsaturated Fat: 51g | Cholesterol: 720mg | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 2470mg | Vitamin A: 113IU | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 13mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Pepper Palace Sweet But Sinister Sauce Wings

First came Sweet but Sassy sauce wings. And they were good. Oh so good. That got me thinking that I needed some Pepper Palace Sweet But Sinister sauce wings next. Needed. Wanted. Craved. So I made them. And they were good too. Oh so good. Like their sassy cousin, they’re slightly sweet. Unlike their sassy cousin, they’re hotter. In a really good way kinda hot. If you’re looking for a kicked up sweet wing sauce, this is it.

Pepper Palace Sweet But Sinister Wings

Good To The Last Drop

Pepper Palace Sweet but Sinister sauce wings sauce is just the right consistency to stick to your wings. No sauce lake at the bottom of your plate here. Nope. It’s on the wings and it’s there to stay, bite after bite. Well, after you pick them up it’s on your fingers too. Don’t be sad after you take that last bite of your wings, there’s still some finger lickin’ to be had. You’ll want to enjoy every last drop of this sauce.

Also try some Pepper Palace watermelon barbecue sauce wings.

Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!

Pepper Palace Sweet But Sinister Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Pepper Palace Sweet But Sinister Sauce Wings

Sweet with a kick.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: spicy, sweet, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 503kcal

Ingredients

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 354mg | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Pretty Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Wings

This right here is why I just love eating wings. There are so many flavors, so many sauces, seasonings, cooking techniques… and each is fantastic. Pretty Thai Sweet Chili sauce wings are wonderfully delicious. They have an absolutely fantastic flavor. Slightly sweet, with a minimal touch heat and a hint of garlic and vinegar, this is downright tasty sauce. This sauce is ‘very clean’, with only a few ingredients and all of them natural. It might seem a little thin at first, but it’s actually just the right consistency for wings or anything else.

Pretty Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Wings

Great On Other Dishes, Too!

Pretty Thai Sweet Chili sauce wings are reminiscent of Thai BBQ sauced-wings. This sauce would be great on pot stickers, dipping egg rolls, or in a stir fry. But it’s truly outstanding on wings. Sometimes it’s nice to have a break from hot, Buffalo-style wings.

The Pretty Thai brand has a number of fantastic sauces, and they’re great on more than wings. Try them all!

Also try some Pretty Thai Peanut sauce wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!

Pretty Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Pretty Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Wings

Delicious Asian-inspired wings!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Asian wings, barbecue, BBQ
Servings: 6
Calories: 503kcal

Ingredients

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 354mg | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Kinder’s Garlic Parmesan Wings

Ahhhhh. There’s just something so satisfying about the combination of roasted garlic and Parmesan. Put the two in a creamy sauce and you’ve got the perfect topping for perfectly-cooked, crispy wings. Kinder’s Garlic Parmesan wings hit the spot and are a great change from classic Buffalo wing flavors.

Kinder's Garlic Parmesan Wings

The Perfect Balance

Kinder’s Garlic Parmesan wing sauce goes on thick, but it kinda ‘melts’ when it hits hot wings. The flavors get everywhere, in every bite. It’s not gloppy or too thick, not at all. Take a gander at the wings in the picture above. Man, were they ever delicious! This isn’t a salad dressing. It’s a wing sauce!

Also try Kinder’s honey BBQ sauce wings.

Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!

Kinder's Garlic Parmesan Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Kinder’s Garlic Parmesan Wings

Goes on thick, but comes out great!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: garlic, Parmesan, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 503kcal

Ingredients

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 354mg | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Fricker’s Frickin’ Kicker Wings

If a restaurant sells its own bottled wing sauces, I’m there. You don’t have to tell me twice. You’re standing behind what you make when you also go thru the trouble and expense of bottling it. We were at a Fricker’s the other day, and yep, that meant I had to have some wings and grab some sauce to go. This time I got Fricker’s Frickin’ Kicker wing sauce. Yep, you can guess from the name that there’s gonna be some heat in this sauce, and there was. This is a great, classic Buffalo wing sauce. No fancy modifications to the original, just great vinegar and spices. Perfectly spicy on some wings at the restaurant or wings made at home.

Fricker's Frickin' Kicker Wings

Yeah It’s Got a Kick. A Great Kick.

If you head over to Fricker’s web site you can order some Fricker’s Frickin’ Kicker wing sauce too. Their sauces are very reasonably priced. They currently sell four varieties online, but if you head to a restaurant they’re more than happy to make any sauce you want off the menu ‘to go’. The sauces come in Mason jars and are made fresh, right then and there. It’s awesome!

For a little less heat try Fricker’s hot wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!

Fricker's Frickin' Kicker Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Fricker’s Frickin’ Kicker Wings

Great traditional Buffalo wing flavor and heat!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buffalo wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 503kcal

Ingredients

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 354mg | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Lillie’s Q Buffalo Wings

Vinegar (the quality stuff). Butter (the real stuff). Cayenne (the spicy stuff). Combined they make for a delicious wing sauce. Lillie’s Q Buffalo wing sauce is just that. Just the right consistency to stick to your wings without being, well, gloppy. And not so thin that none of the sauce sticks to the wings. What would be the point of that?

Lillie's Q Buffalo Wings

Buffalo-Inspired Greatness

I will point out that even though the bottle doesn’t specifically state ‘hot’ on it, these Lillie’s Q Buffalo wings are pretty spicy. Not like screaming hot, but you’re gonna feel it. It’s a very flavorful sauce, and I’d expect a little kick from just about any Buffalo sauce. Just letting you know!

There’s also a hotter version of this sauce for those that really want some heat!

Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!

Lillie's Q Buffalo Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Lillie’s Q Buffalo Wings

Great flavor with a bit of heat!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buffalo wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 503kcal

Ingredients

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 354mg | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Rotisserie-Seasoned Air Fryer Wings

The air fryer does a great job making great wings. With little effort they come out crispy and juicy. Here lately I’ve found myself badly addicted to rotisserie chicken seasoning. There’s something about the aroma and taste that really appeals to me. You get that slow-roasted chicken flavor and aroma. There’s a wonderfully fantastic golden color. Your mouth begins to water long before you take that first bite. On wings, it’s fantastic. These rotisserie-seasoned air fryer wings smell and taste just like the chicken you can get at your supermarket.

Rotisserie-Seasoned Air Fryer Wings

Oh, That Crunchy Delicious Skin!

Besides that great classic flavor, these rotisserie-seasoned air fryer wings have super crunchy, delicious skin. You’re definitely going to think you’re eating battered deep-fried chicken. But you’re not. Just a little seasoning and baking powder goes into making these wings fantastic. You ‘dry’ the wings for a short time in the fridge before cooking them. That helps ensure that the skins will get nice and crunchy. So does the baking powder, mixed into the seasoning. Finally, when the wings are cooked to perfection, and while they’re still hot, you sprinkle them with a bit more of the seasoning.

No Dipping Sauce Needed

You can serve these wings ‘dry’, without any dipping sauce. They’re delicious just straight up seasoned and nothing else. You can also serve them with a bit of blue cheese or ranch dressing for a little dipping action.

Also try my air fryer version of Hooter’s hot wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 100 homemade wing recipes, including sauces and seasonings!

Rotisserie-Seasoned Air Fryer Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Rotisserie-Seasoned Air Fryer Wings

Great flavor and great crunchy skin!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: rotisserie chicken, wings
Servings: 1
Calories: 7kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pat the wings dry with a paper towel and place into a medium bowl.
  • Combine the baking powder and 1 teaspoon of the seasoning. Sprinkle over the wing parts and toss well to coat.
  • Transfer wings to a plate and cover with paper towel. Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours to help dry the skin.
  • Preheat your air fryer to 360 F. Lightly spray the basket with non-stick spray.
  • Add the wings. Cook for 10 minutes.
  • Flip the wings and cook for another 10 minutes.
  • Increase the air fryer temperature to 400 F. Flip the wings and cook another 4-6 minutes or until the wings are done and the skin is golden brown and crispy.
  • Remove the wings to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining seasoning and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Notes

I prefer to season my wings immediately after cooking them. The seasoning will stick to the surface of the hot wings better than if you wait until they cool off.

Nutrition

Calories: 7kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 5mg | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.