Pimento Cheese Ranch Dressing

Ahhhh. Something different. Something new. That’s what I was looking for when I ran across this recipe for pimento cheese ranch dressing. Oh, no, not for a salad, though it’s great for them. Nope, I made this for dipping my spicy hot Buffalo wings. It cooled me right down, and it was a welcome change from my ‘usual’ ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Pimento Cheese Ranch Dressing

Well Now, That’s Different!

This pimento cheese ranch dressing isn’t thick. It’s a fairly thin sauce, which makes it perfect also as a salad dressing. It is still thick enough to stick to wings, which is why we’re here today. It’ll cool you down from that batch of mouth-on-fire wings, for sure!

Check out my new site, Dress My Salad, for more great salad dressing ideas!

I like to serve my wing dipping sauces in these sauce dipping cups. They’re perfect for a batch of wings.

Also try my tangy wing dipping sauce.

Pimento Cheese Ranch Dressing
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4 from 1 vote

Pimento Cheese Ranch Dressing

This was a welcome change from my 'usual' ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Dipping Sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dipping sauce
Servings: 8
Calories: 262kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Note: If you're making these as a salad dressing instead of as a wing dipping sauce, reserve 1 tablespoon of the diced pimentos before processing. Stir in the remaining pimentos after the dressing is smooth, giving it a little texture.
  • Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and process until smooth, 20-30 seconds.

Notes

Shake or stir before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 562IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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.

McCormick Air Fryer Buffalo Dry Wings

Wow. Just wow. I was wandering around the grocery store when I hit the spice and seasonings aisle. There in a lil red box was some McCormick Air Fryer Buffalo wing seasoning mix. I thought, well, heck. That sounds good. Why not give it a shot? Well, by golly, I was super duper happy with these wings. Un-sauced, they are packed with garlic and traditional Buffalo flavors, with just a slight bit of a kick. And they’re perfectly crunchy! This is why I love air fryer wings. My air fryer never fails me!

McCormick Air Fryer Buffalo Wings

They Smell As Great As They Taste

I couldn’t get over just how great these wings smelled as they cooked in my air fryer. The McCormick Buffalo Air Fryer Buffalo seasoning not only tastes great, it makes your mouth water in anticipation while the wings are getting done. But, don’t over-cook the wings. The seasoning will get a bit dark if you let the wings go too long.

Also make some McCormick Grill Mates Nashville hot chicken dry wings!

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

McCormick Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
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5 from 2 votes

McCormick Air Fryer Buffalo Dry Wings

The seasoning will get a bit dark if you let the wings go too long.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer, Buffalo wings
Servings: 4
Calories: 126kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat air fryer to 380 F.
  • Place wings in a bowl. Sprinkle with the seasoning and toss to coat.
  • Transfer wings to the air fryer basket. Do not overlap (cook in batches if necessary).
  • Cook for 20 minutes, turning once, or until wings are done and skin is crispy.

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: 126kcal | Protein: 10g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 88mg | Vitamin A: 83IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

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

Jalapeno Ranch Dressing

I’m pretty much a Ranch dressing wing-dipping kind of guy. Sometimes I’ll go ‘nuts’ and dip with blue cheese dressing. I’m always on the lookup for a way to amp up my Ranch dressing, just to make sure I don’t get bored with it. This jalapeno Ranch dressing combines a few ingredients with bottled dressing and in no time, boom! Upscale Ranch dressing with a nice mild kick.

Jalapeno Ranch Dressing

Ranch. With A kick.

This jalapeno Ranch dressing definitely needs to get happy in the fridge for AT LEAST 2 hours before serving. I actually prefer to let it blend overnight. It thickens up then too, making it perfect for sticking to wings. Heck, you don’t want the stuff just running right off, do you?

And don’t fear the jalapeno. It adds a nice pepper flavor, with just a little heat. You can use more if you want more of a kick but I wouldn’t use less or you won’t notice it much.

Check out my new site, Dress My Salad, for more great salad dressing ideas!

I use these little sauce dipping cups for dipping my wings. They’re also great for things like nuggets, tenders and even dipping vegetables. As an added bonus, they’re as to clean too!

Also try my creamy blue cheese dressing!

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

Jalapeno Ranch Dressing
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3 from 1 vote

Jalapeno Ranch Dressing

This jalapeno Ranch dressing combines a few ingredients with bottled dressing and in no time, boom! Upscale Ranch dressing with a nice mild kick.
Prep Time5 minutes
2 hours
Total Time2 hours 5 minutes
Course: Dipping Sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dipping sauce, dressing
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 661kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Ranch dressing the bottled stuff, not the seasoning mix
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro minced
  • 2 jalapeno peppers seeded, chopped (or more, to taste)
  • 1 medium tomato chopped

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
  • Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.

Notes

Shake or stir before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 661kcal | Carbohydrates: 132g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 17914mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 184IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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

Jalapeno Buffalo Cheddar Wings

Messy. Very messy. And very good. Normally, I don’t drown my wings in sauce, but this time there was no choice. No turning back. These jalapeno Buffalo cheddar wings are actually crazy good. I’m not sure why I was surprised. The sauce contains all of my favorite things. But yeah, they’re messy. And quite spicy, too. I could not stop eating them.

Jalapeno Buffalo Cheddar Wings

Worth The Mess

The jalapeno Buffalo cheddar wing sauce is also great on hot dogs and hamburgers. That’s a good thing since the recipe below makes more than you’ll need for a family pack of wings. I’ve found that the sauce is actually better the next day, so plan ahead and let it ‘get happy’ overnight in the fridge before using it.

I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!

Also try my jalapeno peach wings!

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

Jalapeno Buffalo Cheddar Wings
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4.75 from 4 votes

Jalapeno Buffalo Cheddar Wings

These jalapeno Buffalo cheddar wings are crazy good.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buffalo wings, creamy, spicy, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 503kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips saved to make stock

For the sauce

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
  • Transfer to a medium saucepan over low heat. Keep warm until ready to use.

Notes

Serve your wings with extra sauce on the side for dipping!

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 1392mg | 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.

How To Make Perfect Wings using a Char-Broil Big Easy

I have cooked a LOT of chicken wings on my Char-Broil Big Easy. It’s my favorite way to cook wings, other than deep frying. The Big Easy cooks wings so easily and quickly. I usually finish off the wings over a hot grill to get a bit of a crunch on the skin. Well, no more. Crispy wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy are fantastic! This is how to make perfect wings using a Char-Broil Big Easy time after time!

Now I can get delicious, tender, moist, crunchy wings on the Big Easy without grilling them afterwards. These crispy wings are fantastic. This is it, the way to do wings on the cooker you thought was only for turkey!

How To Make Perfect Wings using a Char-Broil Big Easy

Dry Skin Means Crispy Skin

The key to getting the wings crispy is to dry out the skin so that it takes on a good crunch under the high heat of the Big Easy. You can (and should!) also pick up a bunk bed basket that doubles the amount of room you’ll have for cooking wings. You don’t want to crowd the wings into the cooker or they won’t cook evenly. This is how to make perfect wings using a Char-Broil Big Easy, time after time!

Check out my other food block, Life’s A Tomato, for tons and tons of other recipes for the Char-Broil Big Easy.

You can also make delicious crispy wings in a convection oven!

Perfect Wings using a Char-Broil Big Easy
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5 from 1 vote

Perfect Wings using a Char-Broil Big Easy

The Big Easy does wings up right!
Prep Time2 hours
Cook Time50 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: grilled wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 506kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Rinse the wings and pat them very dry with paper towels.
  • Place on a sheet pan or plate and cover with more paper towels. Refrigerate for 2 hours to further dry out the skin.
  • Preheat oven to 250 F.
  • Transfer wings to a resealable baggie or container. Add in the baking powder and salt. Seal, and shake or toss to coat well.
  • Spray a baking rack with the non-stick spray and put it over a baking sheet that is lined with foil.
  • Place wings onto rack but do not crowd them.
  • Bake for 30 minutes. While baking, fire up your Big Easy.
  • Transfer wings to the Big Easy and cook another 10-20 minutes or until done.
  • Toss wings in your favorite sauce.  Click here for our guide on how to sauce your wings.

Notes

Want your wings even crisper? Toss them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes after cooking on the Big Easy. Keep an eye on them, though!

Nutrition

Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 880mg | Potassium: 355mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 262mg | Iron: 3mg

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

Honey Cholula Wings

This Cholula Original Hot Sauce-based wing sauce is the perfect sauce for chicken wings. A little sweet, a little heat. As much as I like traditional Buffalo wing flavors, honey Cholula wings are a welcome change. The hot sauce does not overwhelm, and that’s just what I was looking for. Well that and some sweetness.

Honey Cholula Wings

The Perfect Sweet Heat

Sure, you can use other hot sauces when you make honey Cholula wings. I really like Cholula for the flavor and the amount of heat. It’s spicy, but not too spicy. It’s not screaming hot. I think it’s a great middle-of-the-road hot sauce and a pleasure to eat!

In A Hurry? Don’t Worry

If you’re in a hurry you can skip the marinade. Just cook the wings, and while they’re cooking, make the sauce. Keep the sauce warm until the wings are done. If you end up with leftover sauce, just make sure you set it out 30 minutes or so before you start the wings so it starts to soften. You can also microwave it for 10-15 seconds.

Also try my aji amarillo wings!

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

Honey Cholula Wings
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5 from 2 votes

Honey Cholula Wings

I really like Cholula for the flavor and the amount of heat. It’s spicy, but not too spicy.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: spicy, sweet, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 614kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips saved to make stock

For the marinade

For the sauce

Instructions

For the marinade

  • Whisk all ingredients together.

For the wings

For the sauce

  • Place honey in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add in butter and hot sauce. Heat until the butter is melted.
  • Keep warm until ready to use.

Notes

Serve your wings with extra sauce on the side for dipping!

Nutrition

Calories: 614kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 720mg | Potassium: 590mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1774IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 3mg

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

Harissa Wings

After making roasted harissa cauliflower the other day (my first encounter with harissa) I knew after the first bite that the next thing I was going to make with the spicy red pepper paste would be Harissa wings. There was no doubt in my mind that I was in for a wonderful treat. You get a nice kick, but don’t be afraid. Harissa is not crazy spicy, not at all. It has a wonderful earthy flavor to it. I could eat it all day. On wings I could eat it all week.

Harissa Wings

Great Mediterranean-Inspired Flavors

The Harissa sauce for making harissa wings can be found in the Mediterranean section of your local grocery store. I haven’t tried making it home yet, but I will. The consistency reminds me a bit of hummus, though it’s certainly not hummus. But, oh…. it just hit me… harissa sure would be great in hummus! I’m off to try that now!

I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!

Also try my garlic Sriracha dry wings!

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

Harissa Wings
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4 from 1 vote

Harissa Wings

You get a nice kick from this sauce, but don’t be afraid.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Asian wings, spicy
Servings: 6
Calories: 591kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the wings

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips saved to make stock

For the sauce

  • ½ cup Harissa sauce
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Stir occasionally until the butter has melted and the sauce is combined.

Notes

Serve your wings with extra sauce on the side for dipping!

Nutrition

Calories: 591kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 471mg | Potassium: 440mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 721IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg

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

Grill Master Wings

Make yourself a big batch of these grill master wings. You’ll quickly realize that it doesn’t take a complicated recipe or a lot of ingredients to make fantastic wings. Simply seasoned wings are cooked until perfectly tender and moist with crunchy skin. The wings are then tossed gently in a wonderful sauce that has a slight hint of Asian-inspired flavor with a kiss of vinegar. On the side a slightly kicked-up dipping sauce that makes you think of classic Buffalo wings until you get another slight hint of soy sauce. Delicious!

Grill Master Wings

I like to keep it simple

You could use your favorite spice mixture when you make a batch of grill master wings, instead of ‘just’ salt and pepper when marinating the wings before cooking. I rather like keeping them simple and letting the tossing and dipping sauces shine. Heck, wings just seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked and served are just great as they are.

I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!

Also try my gold fever wings!

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

Grill Master Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Grill Master Wings

I rather like keeping them simple and letting the tossing and dipping sauces shine.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time43 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Asian wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 631kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips saved to make stock

For the wing sauce

For the dipping sauce

Instructions

For the wing sauce

  • Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan.
  • Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until slightly thickened.
  • Remove from heat until ready to use.

For the dipping sauce

  • Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.

Notes

Serve your wings with extra sauce on the side for dipping!

Nutrition

Calories: 631kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 1497mg | Potassium: 416mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 577IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg

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

Gold Fever Wings

Mustard. Chicken wings. I had no idea. Sure, I like mustard. On sandwiches, or hot dogs. Or burgers. But, wings? My beloved chicken wings? Yes. Oh yes. Gold Fever chicken wings have quickly rocketed to the top of the ‘chicken wings that we want regularly’ list around here. My wife absolutely loves them. Oh, and don’t worry about them being overly mustardy, either. There’s plenty of traditional Buffalo wing flavor too.

Gold Fever Wings

Buffalo Wings with a Mustardy Twist

I just made a big batch of Gold Fever wings a few days ago. I’m making another tomorrow. That’s how good they are. Finger-licking good. Honey mustard. Traditional Buffalo-wing sauce flavors. Chicken wings. Fantastic. You can’t beat that combination.

This sauce is also great on smoked or grilled pork ribs.

I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!

Also try my garlic Parmesan wings.

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

Gold Fever Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Gold Fever Wings

I just made a big batch of Gold Fever wings a few days ago. I’m making another tomorrow. That’s how good they are.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buffalo wings, mustard, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 595kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the wings

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips saved to make stock

For the sauce

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter melts, stirring occasionally.

Notes

Serve your wings with extra sauce on the side for dipping!

Nutrition

Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 583mg | Potassium: 356mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 508IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

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