Yee-yowsa! You’re talking about some great wings here. I devoured my plate of Lillie’s Q BBQ aioli wings. Boy I really wish I’d made more. This BBQ and mustard sauce hit the spot for me. It’s a creamy sauce. Not one of them traditional vinegary ones. It’s a wonderful mayonnaise concoction. A combination of a lightly smoky BBQ sauce and mustard. But not too much of either. You know how mustard can get .. … too mustardy? Well not here. It’s perfect. I could just pour this sauce in a bowl and grab a spoon it’s just that good.
Tender Sauce
I know the bottle says ‘tender sauce’. But when I hear chicken tenders, I think chicken wings instead. Good call on my part because tossing some hot wings in this sauce was brilliant. If you’re looking for something different, something creamy, make some Lillie’s Q BBQ aioli wings. But make sure you make plenty of them, because they’ll disappear like that!
The simplest of wings can often be the best. Like these Buffalo teriyaki wings. Just a few ingredients and a little cooking time and I’m enjoying great wings. No fancy batters or marinades or anything. Just cooked plain wings tossed in a great sauce. I cooked my wings in the air fryer but any technique will do. I make the sauce while the wings are cooking since it doesn’t take long to prepare. The end result is lightly sweet and lightly spicy. It’s a great combination of Asian-inspired and traditional wing flavors. These are finger-licking good wings!
Step Up Your Teriyaki Game
You can use whatever teriyaki sauce you like to make these Buffalo teriyaki wings. But for me, my go-to teriyaki sauce is from the fine folks over at Bourbon Barrel Food. They have two versions actually. The Kentuckyaki sauce is a wonderfully bourbon-infused sauce that has such a great, deep flavor. It’s great anywhere I need a teriyaki sauce. And of course their spicy version is … spicier! It also makes for a great sauce for these wings!
While the wings are cooking, combine the remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Once the sauce begins to simmer, reduce heat to low to keep the sauce warm.
Go to the grocery store. Buy a family pack of wings. Buy a bottle of Kinder’s Thai BBQ sauce. Prepare the wings. Cook the wings. Doesn’t really matter how you cook them. Sauce them. Get that sauce all over them. Devour. Lick your fingers. Lick the plate. Make moaning sounds. That’s what you do with Kinder’s Thai BBQ wings. Because the sauce is incredible.
Asian-Inspired Wing Greatness
Every bite of Kinder’s Thai BBQ wings is fantastic. The sauce is rich. It’s thick. Stick-to-your wings thick. There’s soy sauce. A bit of lemongrass. Hints of ginger. Chili sauce. It’s kinda sweet but it’s balanced perfectly. Got extra sauce? Put it on some grilled shrimp. Squirt it into a stir-fry. This is one great sauce that has a lot of uses. But for me, it’s flat out great on wings!
It’s not uncommon for me to have wings two days in a row. It is uncommon for me to have the same wings two days in a row. These baked hoisin wings hit the spot for me. Lightly sweet, the lightly sweet and smoky sauce is finger-licking good. I could not get enough of it. These savory wings are baked until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is nicely brown. You won’t find crunchy skin here, but it does have a clean bite-through and great flavor.
Twice-Sauced… Or Thrice-Sauced?
I admit that I do ‘triple sauce’ my baked hoisin wings. The recipe (from the fine folks over at Kikkoman) calls for saucing them up front using half of the sauce. Then halfway through the baking, brush the wings with the remaining sauce. I always found that there was a bit too much sauce to use it all at once for that second saucing. Instead, I like to use half of the remaining sauce for the first brush, then I sauce them for the third time about 10 minutes before they are done. You don’t have to do that, the recipe is great as it is written. With my approach I always use up every ounce of the sauce.
My goodness gracious me are these sticky crispy garlic wings ever good. The chicken cooks up crazy crunchy. It’s good enough to serve by itself. The batter is well-seasoned and is definitely not boring. Then there’s the sauce. Slightly sweet with a slight Asian-inspired flavor, it brings the garlic big time. And oh yes, it’s sticky. Get out the paper towels, because wimpy napkins aren’t going to cut it here.
Watch your sauce
The one thing you need to know before you dive in and make these sticky crispy garlic wings is that the sauce needs to be watched the entire time it simmers. Trust me on this. It’ll want to boil over. You might be thinking it won’t….. and then it will. Just keep an eye on it. If it starts to rise, just grab the pot handle and take it off the heat for a minute or two. Once it subsides, put it back. And keep keeping an eye on it.
No Tossing Zone
If I’m saucing deep-fried wings, specially ones with a thicker coating like these, I don’t like to toss the wings in the sauce. That’ll tend to knock off the crispy coating. Instead, I’ll put the wings in a bowl and drizzle them in the sauce then stir them gently with a rubber spatula. Or I’ll just serve the sauce on the side and dip my chicken wings in it instead.
For the sauce (Warning: Do not leave the sauce un-attended while simmering)
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the honey, soy sauce and pepper. Stir. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir often and keep a close eye on the sauce as it simmers. It will want to expand and boil over the side of the pan. If this starts to happen, remove the pan from the heat until it subsides. Return to the stove and continue simmering.
Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to use.
For the wings
Heat 3-4" of oil to 350 F in a Dutch oven or deep fryer.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and cold water.
Working in batches as needed, dip wings into the egg wash and coat well.
Shake off any excess and transfer to the flour mixture. Turn to coat well.
Transfer the wings to the oil and fry 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack over a baking sheet to drain.
I had no idea. None. I picked up a bottle of Kentuckyaki sauce at the Kentucky Artisan Center because it seemed and looked different. Unique. I was worried it might be too bourbon-y. Would I like it on wings? Well I gotta say, this sauce makes for some of the best wings I’ve ever had. Slightly sweet. A little hint of teriyaki. Garlic and ginger. Sounded Asian-inspired, but with a Kentucky twist: a splash of bourbon. And just the right amount, too. This is the perfect sauce, and Kentuckyaki wings are the perfect wings! Shout out to the fine folks at Bourbon Barrel foods. Great job!
A Great Sauce For Other Dishes
You can sure bet that this sauce is great on a whole lot of other things. I’d tell you what, but honestly, I’m going to use the entire bottle making Kentuckyaki wings. And next time I’m on I-75 in the area of Berea, KY, I’m going to stop at the artisan center again and pick up some more. And I’m going to make more of these wings. I always stop there when I’m in the area. They always have unique foods and crafts. And a great little café too!
Go Easy, My Friend
I’m always leery of tossing deep-fried wings in sauce. You have to be gentle or that crunchy coating you worked so hard to get comes flying off. I recommend either drizzling the wings first and gently stirring with a spatula or brushing the sauce on. You can also just serve the sauce on the side for dipping.
Heat 2-3" of oil in a deep-fryer or Dutch oven. While it's warming up, make the sauce.
In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the Kentuckyaki sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar and hot sauce. Stir.
In a small glass or bowl, mix the corn starch and water together. I like to use a fork for this. Make sure you get them well-combined.
Let the sauce come to a boil. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Continue whisking while the sauce thickens, another 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and let sit while you make the wings. Note: If the sauce gets too thick as it sets, whisk in a teaspoon or two of warm water to thin it.
For the wings
Place the flour in a large bowl. Stir in the salt and pepper.
Working in batches if needed, add the wings to the flour and coat well. Turn them several times, making sure you get the wings covered in flour.
Shake off any excess flour and add to the hot oil. Deep fry 7-10 minutes or until the wings hit 165 F. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack over a baking sheet to drain.
Transfer wings to a large bowl. Drizzle with the sauce. Using a spatula, turn the wings to coat well.
We were on vacation in Sevierville, TN for a few days. Whenever we travel I make it a point to seek out local stores that might have wing sauces I can’t find around home. This time we stopped at the Old Mill. The mill has been around almost 200 years and is the oldest operating grist mill in the US. They have a great restaurant and a store where you can get all sorts of great foods and other items. I of course grabbed a bottle of their Buffalo wing sauce so I could make some Old Mill Buffalo wings as soon as I got back home!
The sauce is your fairly standard Buffalo wing sauce. It has a nice heat level to it. And the flavor is actually quite good. I fond it to be quite tasty. It’s a little on the thin side, but not so thin that you don’t end up with a lake of sauce on your plate.
Memories in a Wing
The Old Mill Buffalo wings are sure to satisfy with great traditional Buffalo flavor. And they also bring back memories. We had a great vacation (again) in the Sevierville area. Oh, and while you’re at the Old Mill store, pick up some of their many flours and corn meal mixes. They have great stuff for making fried chicken, fish and vegetables. And more. Lots more. Tons more.
I’ve had my share of teriyaki-flavored wing sauces. There’s something about that combination of soy, garlic, ginger and a little sweetness that really makes for some fantastic wings. But, I’ve never, ever had something like Wing It teriyaki wings. Yeah, classic tastes, but my goodness me is it dark. You know there’s no skimping on ingredients in the bottle when you pick it up. You can’t see through it. Heck, hold it up to the sun. Nope, nada. This is one seriously thick, seriously serious teriyaki sauce.
Tasty Teriyaki. And More Tasty Teriyaki.
This is easily one of our top favorite sweet wing sauces. Wing It Teriyaki wings just cannot be beat. I like making a batch of some hot wings, then have a few of these wings as ‘desert’. How could you ever go wrong with a wing desert?
This sauce is also fantastic on grilled or smoke ribs. Just put it on at the very end of the cooking to let it set up. Not too long. It’s got plenty of sugar in it, and you don’t want it to over-caramelize (er… burn).
Nothing makes me happier than to find a product from Indiana that just knocks my socks off. That makes my taste buds happy. Hoosier Daddy BBQ does both. Started by William Marshall and now continued by his daughter, this small company produces quality all-natural BBQ sauces. And they’re just not for BBQ either. I love making Hoosier Daddy Ghost Roast BBQ wings. Oh, yes they have other sauces. But if I’m jonesin’ for a good bit of heat in a nice, slightly sweet sauce, this is it.
Fiery Sweetness
Hoosier Daddy Ghost Roast BBQ Wings are spicy. I ain’t gonna lie. The name kinda gives it away. But fear not. That heat level is joined by a little sweetness in a thick, mustard and tomato-based sauce. It goes on wings perfectly. And it stays there. If you’re worried about the kick, just go light on the sauce. You’ll still get some of the best sauced wings you’ve ever had.
In Stores And Online
I’m lucky enough to be able to get all of the Hoosier Daddy BBQ sauces at our local grocery store. Tremendous on anything grilled or smoked, the sauces take wings to an all-new place too. Whether they are deep-fried, baked, grilled or roasted, you’re in for a treat. You can always order their sauces online too.
I am not a hot sauce aficionado. I know what the Scolville scale is, and I know that in general, the smaller the pepper the hotter it is. And there ends my hot sauce knowledge. But I do know what I like, and fortunately there are hundreds and hundreds of hot sauces on the market. All screaming ‘put me on wings’. It can’t get any easier to take that delicious hot sauce and turn it into an ever more delicious wing sauce using my two ingredient wing sauce technique.
Your Heat Your Way
I tend to lean towards the fruit-based hot sauces, and ones that aren’t super-duper hot. They make for the perfect wing sauces. I usually make them using the ‘hot’ technique listed in the steps in my two ingredient wing sauce recipe below. For that spice level I use equal amounts of butter and hot sauce. You can vary the ratio to suit your liking and the sauce you’re using. I’m kind of a butter-a-holic, so I’m happy with more of it rather than less!
In general, the ratio of butter to hot sauce is as below. For example, if the ratio is 3:1 that means you use 3 parts of butter for every 1 part hot sauce. For a mild sauce: 3:1For a medium sauce: 2:1For a hot sauce: 1:1
