Sometimes you need a little kick to your wings. And sometimes you need a lot. Make a batch of Ass Kickin’ Buffalo wings and you can have either. Add a bit of sauce for a nice gentle heat. Add a good dose of sauce and get some serious heat. Either way, you’re gonna get great flavor from a great sauce.
Bringing the Heat and Flavor
I love when a spicy wing sauce still tastes good. After all, that’s what we’re all here for, right? If you wanted just heat you could go drink a bottle of hot sauce and get this deal over with quick. Ass Kickin’ Buffalo wings are the complete package, the real deal.
Dip Your Toes In First
Try some out of the bottle first. Make the call. Go light? Go heavy? Can’t decide? Go light and serve extra on the side for dipping. Problem solved. And it’s a good problem to have too!
I went the dual-sauce approach to cover all my bases. So, I had a cup of more Buffalo sauce on one side and a cup of Ranch on the other. I ain’t no dummy!
Of course, the Anchor Bar is famous as being the creator of what we now call traditional Buffalo wings. But, not all of their wing sauce flavors are based in vinegar or butter or hot sauce. Anchor Bar Barbecue wings are just as fantastic as the classic. Tomato based, this sauce is lightly smoky, lightly sweet, and has just a slight bit of a spicy kick to it. It’s perfect on wings.
It’s Not Just Great on Wings!
Anchor Bar Barbecue wing sauce is equally as great on a smoked rack of ribs or a grilled chicken breast as it is on deep-fried chicken wings. It has the right consistency, the right flavors to make it a great straight-up BBQ sauce.
Remember that if you have to refrigerate your open bottle of wing sauce to let it sit out on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using. You don’t want to ‘shock’ hot, just-cooked wings with a cold sauce.
This is Part Two of: Have you seen those machines you can buy to make your house smell good? Why do you need one of those smell-making machines when all you need to make your home smell outrageously fantastic is to make some of these dry wings? You get the homestead smellin’ good and you can enjoy some delicious wings! The first part was with Dan-O’s Original Seasoning. Now, it’s time for some Dan-O’s Spicy Seasoning dry wings. How much more of a win-win could you need? Or want?
Herby And Spicy Deliciousness
Dan-O’s Spicy Seasoning was invented for poultry. It’s full of the good stuff that you might normally find on a roast turkey or chicken. Well, don’t forget the wings! These Dan-O’s Spicy Seasoning dry wings are what roasted wings should be. Crispy skin. Wonderful herby flavors. Moist, tender meat. Oh and just a little kick. Not overwhelming, but a little spiciness to wake you up!
I Love Dry Wings
I’m a huge fan of dry wings. They’re hard for me to resist. I love them seasoned heavily. I love that great crunchy skin. Usually, I season my wings before cooking and then again after for extra flavor. For these wings, however, I go with one good, healthy seasoning beforehand. That’s it. No post-cook seasoning required or needed. These are great wings without more, no need to bury them in it!
Season the wings with the mix. Let rest 30 minutes.
For the air fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 350 F.
Working in batches if needed, air fry the wings for 12 minutes.
Flip the wings and air fry another 12 minutes.
Turn the air fryer temperature to 400 F and fry another 6 minutes or until the wings are golden brown.
For the oven
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Or line with foil.
Add the wings and cook 20 minutes.
Flip and cook another 20 minutes.
Check for doneness. For crispier wings, flip and cook another 10-20 minutes.
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.
We always stop at Buc-ee’s when we travel. Yeah, we’ve done the brisket sandwiches, the cheap gas, and the gear. But for me, the highlight is always the condiment section. I always find something there. BBQ sauces. Jellies. Seasonings. And all reasonably priced, too. Our last stop was at the new Buc-ee’s outside of Dayton, Ohio. There I grabbed a bottle of Tabanero smoked pepperoncini BBQ sauce. And I knew exactly what I was going to put it on first: wings. I wasn’t sure what the smoked pepperoncini would bring to a BBQ sauce but I sure do now, and that’s wonderful flavor. Slightly tangy, a bit smoky and a little sweet, this is one crazy-good BBQ sauce. For wings, ribs, chicken, you name it. This is a great sauce. It made for some of the best wings I’ve had using a bottled BBQ sauce, that’s for sure.
Just Make Some Wings!
I went with some nice-and-easy but-still-yummy air fryer wings for my Tabanero Smoked Pepperoncini BBQ sauce wings. You can do whatever wings you want, but you’ll want to stick to unflavored ones. Don’t get frozen Buffalo wings. Or lemon pepper. And don’t use any seasoning that will ‘fight’ the sauce. Salt and pepper is great here. You just want to make some good wings. Then bring on the sauce and the happiness. The sauce comes in a squirt bottle, so you can just squirt it on and give them a light toss or stir. Or you can serve the sauce on the side, in a cup, for dipping. Or both. It’s your life, your wings. Do you. Just get plenty of the delicious sauce!
Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer with non-stick spray. Preheat per manufacturer’s recommendation.
Combine the baking powder and wing seasoning. Sprinkle over the wings and toss to coat.
Add the wings to the basket (be careful it’s hot!). If you have trouble fitting them without overlapping, stand the drumettes along the sides of the basket.
Cook at 360 F for 12 minutes for large wings, 10 minutes for smaller ones.
Carefully flip the wings (rotate the drumettes if they are standing) and cook another 12 minutes again (10 minutes for smaller wings) at 375 F.
Flip the wings one last time. Increase the temperature to 390 F and cook another 6 minutes (4 minutes for smaller wings).
What a fool. I was just sitting here the other day thinking maybe I’d cut back on the wings. Take a little break. After I make these air fryer Hooters Buffalo wings, that sounds like a good time to chill a bit. Well, ‘no’. Just ‘no’ to that idea. Not when there are wings like these. And from the air fryer? I would’ve told you that you were lying to me. No way. “They have to be deep-fried” is what I’d say. Or exclaim. Nope, they aren’t. These are great Buffalo wings. These are the kind of wings that make me happy and ready to eat more tomorrow!
Darn Near Deep-Fried
I use my air fryer for wings a lot because it’s easy and makes for some good wings. But not quite like I’d get deep-fried, which is my wing of choice (well, that and wings cooked on a charcoal grill using the Vortex). These air fryer Hooters Buffalo wings come mighty close to being just as good as deep-fried. Mighty close. Darned close. Close enough? That’s up to you to decide. I loved them. Tossed in a simple standard Buffalo sauce, I could not get enough of them.
Combine the flour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and salt in a large bowl.
Add the wings and coat well.
Place in the fridge for 1 hour.
Spray your air fryer basket with non-stick spray.
Preheat your air fryer to 400 F.
Add the wings to the air fryer. Do not overlap.
Spray the wings lightly with more non-stick spray. If there are any 'floury' spots, give them an extra spray so that they crisp up good.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Gently turn the wings and lightly spray again with non-stick spray. If there are still some 'floury' spots, give them an extra spray so that they crisp up good.
For my money, nothing adds great cooked-outdoors flavor like a Vortex. It’s definitely one of my favorite tools for making perfect wings, time and time again. Today I made a batch of delicious dill pickle dry wings using the Vortex. Easy, with crunchy skin and moist meat, these wings pack in the dill pickle flavor from start to finish. You’re not going to be hunting for that great pucker-up dill pickle flavor in these wings, it’s everywhere!
Keep The Shy On The Sly
Load up on the dill pickle seasoning when you make some dill pickle dry wings using the Vortex. From start to finish. Pour it on. You cannot make these wings ‘wrong’ other than to not add enough dill pickle flavor. And make the dipping sauce, too. No ranch or blue cheese here. Add more dill pickle flavor. It’s a party.
For a quick lunch, air fryer wings just can’t be beat. My extra-crispy version gets me nice crunchy wings in less than 30 minutes. So could I improve on such a great thing? Well, I can. And did. With duck fat spray. Making duck fat air fryer wings is just as easy as making wings using my regular approach. But they are so much crispier and have a wonderful flavor that is just amazing.
Duck Fat is a Game Changer
You can find duck fat spray in your grocers oil aisle, by the non-stick spray and olive oils and stuff like that. It ain’t cheap, but what it does for duck fat air fryer wings (and many other things) is well worth it. I would suggest you don’t go nuts with it the first time you use it. Try a few quick sprays and see if you want to add more.
I often find myself using a few variations on this approach. I’ll sometimes just spritz the wings, salt and pepper them, then cook them. After they are done I’ll sprinkle them with my favorite seasoning and serve them ‘dry’. I often use this approach if my seasoning is prone to charring during cooking. If I want them ‘wet’, then I’ll toss them in my favorite sauce.
Preheat your air fryer per manufacturer's recommendation.
Spray the wings with duck fat. Just a few squirts will do. I like to put the wings into a bowl, give them a quick spray, turn then, and give them another quick spray.
Sprinkle the wings with seasoning. Turn, and add a bit more seasoning. Alternatively, place the wings into a bag or resealable container and sprinkle with the seasoning. Close the container and toss gently to coat.
Add the wings to the basket (be careful it’s hot!). If you have trouble fitting them without overlapping, stand the drumettes along the sides of the basket.
Cook at 360 F for 12 minutes for large wings, 10 minutes for smaller ones.
Carefully flip the wings (rotate the drumettes if they are standing) and cook another 12 minutes again (10 minutes for smaller wings) at 375 F.
Flip the wings one last time. Increase the temperature to 390 F and cook another 6 minutes (4 minutes for smaller wings).
Remove and toss with your favorite wing sauce or sprinkle with more seasoning.
I got thru a lot of paper towels. A lot. Because I eat a lot of messy wings. And messy is good. These garlic Parmesan Ranch wings had me reaching for extra paper towels. Lots and lots of butter. Lots of garlic. And of course, lots of cheese. With a wonderful Ranch flavor to boot. Yeah, these are finger-licking good. But you’ll still need paper towels!
Make Extra Sauce
I made plenty of extra sauce for these garlic Parmesan Ranch wings. It’s nice to have a little extra on the side, in a little cup, for dipping my wings for extra happiness. But also, any leftover sauce is great for other things. And by other things I mean garlic bread. Man, is the sauce ever great for soppin’ with a big ole slice of garlic bread! So make extra and thank me later!
You don’t really have to deep-fry your wings. Just make the sauce and use it on wings cooked however you prefer.
Heat 2-3" of oil to 380 F in a deep fryer or Dutch oven.
Sprinkle the wings with the salt and pepper.
Working in batches if needed, fry the wings until golden brown and the skin has crisped, 8-10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack to drain and cool slightly.
I’m convinced that more wing restaurants should serve BBQ-sauced wings. And not just traditional ones like ‘smoky’ or ‘spicy’ or ‘Texas’ or ‘sweet’. Put something like Traeger GrillsTexas Apricot BBQ sauce wings on the menu. We all want great flavor. Tremendous flavor. And this is it. Slightly fruity. A little bit of heat. Not much. And a hint of smoke. This is a great BBQ sauce. It’s even better on wings!
Thinner Can Be A Winner
This sauce is a bit thin. That worried me at first. But when I made my batch of Traeger Grills Texas Apricot BBQ sauce wings they sauced up just fine. That first bite was great. A ‘mmmmmm’ bite. Good stuff, I thought. Not too sweet. Perfect.
This sauce would be great on a lot of things other than wings. But I am sure it’ll shine on some pork. That’s where I’m headed with it next. A little grilled pork tenderloin brushed with this sauce would be amazing. With a side of wings, of course!
These Shore Lunch Cajun style wings are right up my alley. The breading is out-of-this-world fantastic. Such a wonderful crunch and seasoned to absolute perfection. With a nice essence of Cajun flavor and spiciness. Not overpowering, but there. These wings are truly epic. I could eat these wings all day long! As much as I love air fried wings, or grilled wings, and even baked wings, deep-fried wings are my weakness! You can’t get any easier than these. Or better.
Eat ‘Em Naked
These Shore Lunch Cajun Style wings don’t require a dipping sauce. They’re great just as they are! But, if you are up for a dip or two, I recommend having a little cup of Buffalo wing sauce. You gotta be careful, though. You don’t want to hide the wonderful flavor of these wings. The breading is the star of this show. Don’t go ruining it by having a sauce fight with all of that wonderful Cajun flavor!
