I had been on a super-vinegary, mega-spicy wing sauce kick for a while. I needed a break. June Moon honey BBQ sauce rescued me, treating me to delicious sweetness and fantastic flavor. A wonderful tomato-based sauce, these perfectly-sauced wings made me very happy. No heat here, just the right balance of flavors and a hint of smokiness. This is the ideal sauce to serve your friends. Not every wing sauce has to be vinegar-based and fiery hot. Sometimes it’s ok to have a little sweet.
Sweet BBQ Goodness
Oh sure, June Moon honey BBQ sauce would be great on other foods. Like grilled burgers. Or ribs. Roasted whole chicken. Or serve it as a dipping sauce for something like chicken tenders or nuggets. Things like that. But I’m not doing that. Nope, I’m keeping this sauce all to myself and I’m putting it all over my wings. I can do that. I’m a grown-up. Well, sort of.
Alliger’s House of Wings is a highly-rated establishment located in Sayre, PA, halfway between Elmira and Owego NY. It’s definitely on my to-visit list because let me tell you, their wing sauces are insanely good. I recently ordered a bottle of every single one. This time I dug into the House of Wings hot wing sauce. Traditional Buffalo wing flavors with a good bit of kick. But not too much kick.
Just the right Kick
House of Wings’ hot wing sauce doesn’t pack so much heat that that is all you get. You also get really great flavor. This is another great wing sauce from House of Wings. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
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.
Please don’t tell anyone this. But I ate Frank’s RedHot Original Seasoning dry wings three days in a row. In my defense, this seasoning is absolutely delicious. A little garlic and a really good amount of cayenne and a few other good things come together in what is one of the best wing seasonings around. Heck yeah, you can use it on fries or baked potatoes or whatever, but not me. I’m saving it all for wings.
The Perfect Dry Wing
I prefer to make my Frank’s RedHot Original Seasoning dry wings in my air fryer. First, it’s easy. Second, they come out fantastic. I season the wings a little before cooking. Then when they’re done, and while they’re still crazy hot, I really season them. Like a lot. More is better. Then I burn my tongue with the first bite because I have no patience. They’re so good that I cannot wait like a normal person for them to cool off.
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.
I would like to propose a new national holiday. It’s in honor of whoever at TABASCO came up with this sauce. Oh sure, they said it’d be great on veggies. Or on tacos. Maybe in a stir fry. Sure, dip some nuggets in it. But these Tabasco Sweet and Spicy sauce wings are really the best destination for this sauce. This is sweet chili sauce elevated. A little sweet. A little heat. And a complex flavor that is a combination of hints of ginger, garlic and even pear. This sauce is beyond finger-licking good.
Yes, You In The Back
If I was invited to a meeting at the TABASCO sauce board (if they have such a thing) I’d raise my hand and ask the one obvious question. “Why isn’t this available in a 5 gallon jug?” That’s my only complaint about these Tabasco sweet and spicy sauce wings. I go thru the sauce so fast I need a bigger jug of it. Just a suggestion. I’m ok with having to buy 10 bottles of it at a time too. For now.
Wonderfully smoky, tender meat with a lightly crispy skin, these smoked and then fried chicken wings were a thing of beauty. These are one of the most dangerous things you could ever put in front of me. I don’t even need any sauce to toss or dunk them in, either. Just give me a big basket of them and get out of the way!
First You Smoke ‘Em
The process is simple. Season your wings, and place them onto your smoker. No messing around with them either. Just smoke for 2 hours.
Then You Fry Them
When the wings are done you toss them into a deep fryer for a minute or so, until golden brown and lightly crispy. You can also make a big huge batch and freeze the smoked wings (before frying). All you have to do is thaw them and deep fry them when you’re ready to serve them at a later time. I was worried that making them from the frozen smoked wings would result in over-cooked, tough wings, but oh no, they were fantastic!
There’s a brewpub by our house that makes crazy-good chicken wings. They smoke them first over a mix of mesquite and cherry woods, then flash fry them. They sauce them then place them over a hot flame to finish them off. My approach is similar, but I don’t always put them onto the grill at the end. They are fantastic either way, but grilling them real quick does help set the sauce.
Fire up your smoker for 225 F. Use any wood you like. I used Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrel chunks because I wanted a good, noticeable smoke flavor. Use a lighter wood if you want your wings to be a little less smoky.
Toss the wings with plenty of the wing seasoning.
Place the wings onto the smoker and smoke for 2 hours. No need to rotate or flip them.
When done, remove from the smoker. You can deep fry them immediately or freeze them for thawing and frying later.
To fry, heat canola oil to 350 F.
Working in batches, add the wings and fry for 1-2 minutes or until they are the desired color.
It’s happened again. These Bachan’s Spicy Japanese Barbecue sauce wings have gone and made me sad, just like when I first tried their regular barbecue sauce. Sad that I went so long before buying a bottle and squeezing it onto some wings, that is! My goodness me is this ever good stuff! I mean crazy good. Lightly sweet and lightly salty with just a little kick (nothing to be afraid of!), it’s what teriyaki sauce wishes it could be. I cannot stop eating wings covered in this sauce (or the non-spicy version too!).
Sauce ‘Em And Devour ‘Em
The sauce is a little on the thin side, just like its no-heat version. Normally that would be a minus on wings. You won’t want your sauce to end up at the bottom of your plate, you need it to stick to your wings. Well, this sauce has so much fantastic flavor that you don’t need it to be super thick. Not at all. If you want, do like I do and put a small bowl of extra sauce on the side for dipping your spicy Japanese barbecue sauce wings. You won’t regret it.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“Tame.” That’s the first word that came to mind after my first bites of some Rub Your Chicken Buffalo wings. After my last two super-hot Buffalo wing sauces, “tame” was a welcomed thing. Great traditional flavor, buttery and just slightly spicy, this is a great sauce for those desiring the classic without being overwhelmed. The amount of vinegar is spot on. Again, tame is the best way to describe it.
A Nice Mellow Buffalo-Inspired Sauce
Rub Your Chicken Buffalo wings sauce (from BBQ Spot) isn’t just for wings. It’s a great dipping sauce for nuggets, too. Anywhere you want great Buffalo flavor without being overwhelmed, you’ll want this sauce. That’s also why it makes for a great marinade, specially for chicken breasts. A few hours in the sauce then onto the grill. In no time you’ve got great chicken packed with flavor.
What? Lime? On wings? Yes! Oh yes! I was so wrong when I kinda thought these Louisiana Gold jalapeno lime wings might not be fantastic. The combination of citrus and the lightly spicy pepper sauce (with a little jalapeno kick) is different, great, and just amazing! I don’t know when what I was thinking when I was so pessimistic about how they’d come out! Creole seasoned-wings and the sauce make for the perfect combination. Make these and enjoy something different than the usual vinegary, Buffalo-style wings. Not that there’s anything wrong with those.
One Great Sauce That Makes For Great Wings
This is the first time I bought and used Tabasco’s Louisiana Gold green sauce. It’s really great stuff, specially in these Louisiana Gold Jalapeno lime wings! It’s quite mild heat-wise, has a light pepper flavor, and is just the right consistency for a wing sauce. I just wish it came in a (much) bigger bottle! I’d take a gallon-sized jug for starters!
You probably don’t need me to tell you that there’s a lot of pepper in this seasoning. Kosmos Q Seven Pepper Face Lift dry wings are crazy good, but I gotta warn you. It opens up with a kick. It’ll wake you up, but an instant later you get nothing but fantastic peppery flavor. I mean, really good. After a few bites I was all about that heat and pepper and couldn’t get enough. But I admit, that first kick was … a kick!
The Label Does Say Pepper…
If you’re a tad shy about heat I’d recommend going light on the Kosmos Q Seven Pepper Face Lift dry wing seasoning the first time. And I don’t recommend sticking your finger into the bag the first time you open it to get a big ole taste. I paid for that. But, the heat does go away pretty quick, fortunately for me.
Make sure you seal your wing seasonings well after using. You don’t want any moisture sneaking in. Kosmos Q comes in quality pouches that seal perfectly!
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.
