Copycat Quaker Steak and Lube Thai ‘R’ Cracker Wings

Whenever we are in the Cincinnati area we make a stop at Quaker Steak & Lube for wings. They have the best sauces and service around. My wife’s favorite sauce there is Thai ‘R’ Cracker, a somewhat sweet chili sauce. We also usually pick up a few bottles of sauce to take home. Those bottles don’t normally last long, so I decided to copycat Quaker Steak and Lube Thai ‘R’ Cracker wings.

A finger-licking good copy

Just like the original, this chili sauce-based mixture combines a bit of sweet and a bit of heat all with a slight Asian zing. It’s really, really good stuff. The kind of stuff that makes you want to lick your wings, which is borderline weird.

Copycat Quaker Steak and Lube Thai 'R' Cracker Wings

The key to success

The secret to this copycat Quaker Steak and Lube Thai R Cracker Wing Sauce is in the chili sauces you choose. Both garlic and sweet chili sauces come in a lot of different variations, making it difficult to match the original taste exactly. I recommend getting a few bottles of each different sauce and mix them and try them to find the combination that you prefer. Our local grocery store had several different brands of each. You can also try your local Asian market for others.

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!

You’ll also want to make these awesome wings:
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wings
Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Jammin’ Jalapeno Wings
Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings
Tangy Tapatio Barbecue Wings

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

Copycat Quaker Steak and Lube Thai 'R' Cracker Wings
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5 from 2 votes

Copycat Quaker Steak and Lube Thai ‘R’ Cracker Wings

Just like the original, this chili sauce-based mixture combines a bit of sweet and a bit of heat all with a slight Asian zing.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Asian wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 570kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

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

For the sauce

Instructions

For the wings

For the sauce

  • Combine all ingredients. Add more garlic chili sauce and sesame oil as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 1402mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

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

Slow Cooker Buffalo Ranch Wings

Jump to Recipe

I usually cook wings on my Char-Broil Big Easy or on my charcoal grill using the Vortex. I have to admit, I was pretty pessimistic about the idea of cooking wings in a slow cooker. Would I like the texture? Would they taste as great as wings off the grill?

One thing’s for sure, making Buffalo Ranch wings in a slow cooker really couldn’t get any easier. It was the perfect recipe for my working-from-home lunch. Toss everything in first thing in the morning and at lunch, enjoy some wings!

So how were they? Well, mighty tasty for starters. In fact, I loved the flavor. Big time. Texture-wise, they got barely crispy but the meat was oh-so-tender and juicy. For truly crispy skin you’ll have to leave them under the broiler for a good bit of time, but keep an eye on them. I found the skin to be melt-in-my-mouth tender and I didn’t actually miss not having super-crunchy wings. In fact, it was a nice change. I loved them!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Ranch Wings

Although not traditional Buffalo wings to a purist, I still enjoyed these slow cooker Buffalo Ranch wings more than I actually thought I would. No mess, no fuss and very tasty. Certainly much easier than firing up a grill or even deep fryer to make a batch of the wings you normally expect.

Also try my drunken BBQ wings and my wicked sticky wings. And hey, my BBQ Ranch wings are great too!

You’ll also want to make these awesome wings:
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wings
Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Jammin’ Jalapeno Wings
Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings
Tangy Tapatio Barbecue Wings

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

Slow Cooker Buffalo Ranch Wings
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4 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Buffalo Ranch Wings

Although not traditional Buffalo wings to a purist, I still enjoyed these slow cooker Buffalo Ranch wings more than I actually thought I would.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buffalo wings, Ranch
Servings: 6
Calories: 349kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the wings into the bottom of your slow cooker.
  • Combine the wing sauce, Ranch dressing mix and salt and pepper and pour over the wings.
  • Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours – 3 hours until the meat is starting to pull back from the bones.
  • Carefully transfer the wings to a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray. Place under a hot oven broiler and broil until just starting to crisp.
  • Let cool slightly then serve with Ranch dressing for dipping.

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 236mg | Vitamin A: 222IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

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

Detroit Hot Honey Wings

Yowsa. Somebody needs to open a gallery of chicken wing pictures. A picture of these Detroit hot honey wings would be right by the entrance. Under heavy guard. I loved them more than I ever thought I would. They’re almost like your standard Buffalo wings with one very obvious addition: sweet honey. Oh, and cayenne. Sweet heat, exactly what you’re searching for in a great wing.

Detroit Hot Honey Wings

You can add more cayenne pepper to the wings as they marinade if you like, but I leaned towards more sweet than heat when I made Detroit hot honey wings. The sauce is so great you could eat it by itself. I think it might also make for a great ham glaze too. And it would also make for a great sauce over roasted or grilled chicken.

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!

You’ll also want to make these awesome wings:
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wings
Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Jammin’ Jalapeno Wings
Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings
Tangy Tapatio Barbecue Wings

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

Detroit Hot Honey Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Detroit Hot Honey Wings

I loved these wings even more than I ever thought I would.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sweet heat, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 662kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

For the sauce

Instructions

For the wings

For the sauce

  • Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in the honey and hot sauce.
  • Reduce heat and keep sauce warm until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 662kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 217mg | Sodium: 841mg | Potassium: 475mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 992IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg

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

Creamy Buffalo Wings

Oh man, what great wings these creamy Buffalo wings were. They disappeared in no time at all. They’re a simple take on the traditional Buffalo wing, with the same great spicy heat, but with a creamier sauce. Flat-out delicious and definitely finger-licking fantastic.

Creamy Buffalo Wings

I cooked the wings on my Vortex, which I use on my Weber Performer grill. The Vortex concentrates the heat from the charcoal into a circle, which you then surround with the wings. The chicken wings cook up super tasty and crisp in just over 30 minutes. I let them cool only slightly then tossed them with the creamy Buffalo wing sauce. And then I went to town on them. It was almost embarrassing, but you’ll understand once you try them.

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!

You’ll also want to make these awesome wings:
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wings
Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Jammin’ Jalapeno Wings
Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings
Tangy Tapatio Barbecue Wings

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

Creamy Buffalo Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Creamy Buffalo Wings

Oh man, what great wings these creamy Buffalo wings are.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buffalo wings, creamy, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 585kcal

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

  • Whisk all ingredients together.

Nutrition

Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 179mg | Sodium: 562mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 392IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

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

Buffalo Ranch Dry Wings

I was perusing the spice section at our local GFS store when I spied a big container of Frank’s RedHot Original Seasoning. Yeah, like I’d pass up on anything wing-related. I grabbed a bottle and stopped by my grocery store and picked up a family pack of fresh chicken wings. I was going to make wings. Great wings. Buffalo Ranch dry wings.

Buffalo Ranch Dry Wings

Dry wings really bring out the flavor of the wing and the seasoning. They aren’t buried in sauce so much that that’s all you can taste. Now that doesn’t mean I’m shy with the seasoning, but I am careful that I can still taste the chicken. These wings are absolutely fantastic, with that traditional Buffalo wing flavor, but without the mess. If you don’t have a GFS in your area you can find other brands of Buffalo style seasoning in your grocer’s spice section.

I like to make my spice, rub and seasoning mixes in big batches and keep them in large bottles with easy-to-pour shaker lids.

You’ll also want to make these awesome wings:
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wings
Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Jammin’ Jalapeno Wings
Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings
Tangy Tapatio Barbecue Wings

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

Buffalo Ranch Dry Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Buffalo Ranch Dry Wings

Dry wings really bring out the flavor of the wing and the seasoning.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Buffalo wings, dry wings, Ranch, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 694kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

Calories: 694kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 234mg | Sodium: 615mg | Potassium: 488mg | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg

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

Joe Montana’s Dry Rub Wings

I don’t know if these really are Joe Montana‘s dry rub wings. Maybe they are. I’m a long time Dallas Cowboy’s fan so it sorta bothers me to say that these are mighty darned good wings.

And as much as I do like wings covered in sauce, I’m just as big of a fan of dry wings. Over-the-top sauces can bury the flavors from the chicken and the seasonings. So, if you can’t taste the chicken, what’s the point of cooking wings to start with?

Joe Montana's Dry Rub Wings

There’s nothing but flavor from Joe Montana’s dry rub wings. Overall simple flavors. Likewise no spiciness (add a good pinch of cayenne if you want some heat). No sweetness (add some brown sugar or honey powder if you prefer a sweeter wing). Just great flavor that anyone will love.

These wings are dry marinated in the rub just before cooking. After they are done, the wings are tossed in a little more rub. You get the rub in every bite.

I like to make my spice, rub and seasoning mixes in big batches and keep them in large bottles with easy-to-pour shaker lids.

You’ll also want to make these awesome wings:
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wings
Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Jammin’ Jalapeno Wings
Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings
Tangy Tapatio Barbecue Wings

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

Joe Montana's Dry Rub Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Joe Montana’s Dry Rub Wings

There’s nothing but flavor from Joe Montana’s dry rub wings.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dry wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 517kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

For the rub

Instructions

For the wings

For the rub

  • Combine all ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 517kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 574mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 663IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

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

Spicy Dry Rub Hot Wings

There’s something about spicy dry rubbed wings that I really love. It’s the subtle flavoring. Nothing overpowering. And you still taste the chicken. It’s easy to lose sight of the chicken when you drown them in sauce. That’s why I am more than happy with wings just tossed with seasoning, like these spicy dry rub hot wings. If you’ve never tried or even heard of dry wings, you’re missing out. Now’s your chance to have something amazing, something different than sauced wings.

Spicy Dry Rub Hot Wings

The seasoning on these spicy dry rub hot wings has the perfect combination of heat, with a hint of smoke. Smoked paprika is a great ingredient for cooking wings, specially if you deep fry them. It adds that ‘almost tastes grilled’ flavor without firing up the grill. I often add smoked paprika in place of sweet paprika for that reason.

I like to make my spice, rub and seasoning mixes in big batches and keep them in large bottles with easy-to-pour shaker lids.

You’ll also want to make these awesome wings:
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wings
Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Jammin’ Jalapeno Wings
Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings
Tangy Tapatio Barbecue Wings

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

Spicy Dry Rub Hot Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Spicy Dry Rub Hot Wings

The seasoning on these spicy dry rub hot wings has the perfect combination of heat, with a hint of smoke.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dry wings, spicy
Servings: 6
Calories: 528kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

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

For the rub

Instructions

For the wings

For the seasoning

  • Combine ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 1376mg | Potassium: 478mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 1420IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 4mg

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

Dragon Fire Wings

Sweet heat. And then some. I should’ve known I’d love these Dragon Fire wings so much that I would want more. Such a simple sauce but oh so addicting. Don’t let the sweetness of that first bite fool you. There’s heat coming and it’s coming fast. No question about it, these are easily one of my favorite wings of all time.

Dragon Fire Wings

I used apricot preserves to make the Dragon Fire wings sauce. Peach would also work just fine. You can also substitute for the Sriracha sauce. Any good hot sauce or even Buffalo wing sauce would work just as well.  No matter what you substitute, if anything, you won’t find an easier wing sauce anywhere. Well, ok, you could just open a bottle of sauce and pour it on your wings I guess. That would be easier.

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!

You’ll also want to make these awesome wings:
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wings
Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Jammin’ Jalapeno Wings
Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings
Tangy Tapatio Barbecue Wings

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

Dragon Fire Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Dragon Fire Wings

Sweet heat. And then some.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fruity, spicy, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 506kcal

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

  • Combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  • Reduce heat and keep sauce warm until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.4g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 694mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 366IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

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

Copycat Buffalo Wild Wings Mango Habanero Wings

Don’t fear the habanero. Don’t worry about the heat. Well, ok, maybe a little. But it’s really tamed by the fantastic mango sauce. This might well be the perfect combination of sweet and heat. This is what Buffalo wing sauce wants to be when it grows up. This copycat Buffalo Wild Wings mango habanero sauce is nothing but awesome.

Copycat Buffalo Wild Wings Mango Habanero Wings

I used a can of mango nectar when I made this copycat Buffalo Wild Wings mango habanero sauce. It can be found in the Hispanic foods section of your grocery store. If you can’t find it, you might find it in the juice section. In a pinch, you can substitute mango that has been diced and pureed until very smooth. In that case you’ll probably need to strain the sauce before using.

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!

You’ll also want to make these awesome wings:
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wings
Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Jammin’ Jalapeno Wings
Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings
Tangy Tapatio Barbecue Wings

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

Copycat Buffalo Wild Wings Mango Habanero Wings
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5 from 2 votes

Copycat Buffalo Wild Wings Mango Habanero Wings

This copycat Buffalo Wild Wings mango habanero sauce is nothing but awesome.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fruity, spicy, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 137kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

For the sauce

Instructions

For the wings

For the sauce

  • Combine ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat.
  • Stir and simmer until reduced to the desired consistency.
  • Keep warm until ready to use.

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 332mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 685IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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

Cajun Honey Lime Wings

There’s wing sauce and there’s WING sauce. The Cajun honey lime sauce on these wings was so good that I’ll be using it on a lot more than ‘just’ wings. A little spice, a little sweet, and a little citrus, all in a thick but not gooey sauce that doesn’t just flow off your wings into the bottom of the basket. Finger-licking good, that’s for sure.

Cajun Honey Lime Wings

I used a fairly tame and not overpowering BBQ sauce when I made these Cajun honey lime wings. The flavors could easily be drowned out by an overly sweet smoky BBQ sauce. Just grab your run-of-the-mill regular ole BBQ sauce. Nothing fancy.

To keep things kinda Cajun-y, I used Crystal Hot Sauce. Man that stuff is so good!

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!

You’ll also want to make these awesome wings:
Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wings
Sweet Baby Ray’s Garlic Parmesan Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings Jammin’ Jalapeno Wings
Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings
Tangy Tapatio Barbecue Wings

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

Cajun Honey Lime Wings
Print Recipe
4 from 1 vote

Cajun Honey Lime Wings

Just grab your run-of-the-mill regular ole BBQ sauce. Nothing fancy.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cajun wings, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 525kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

For the sauce

Instructions

For the wings

For the sauce

  • Combine all ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 246mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2064IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg

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