If you’re a football fan, you probably also love everything that goes along with the game – team jerseys, friendly rivalries, tailgating, and delicious food. And what better food to serve up at your next tailgate than a big platter of chicken wings?

Whether you love them sweet, spicy, or somewhere in between, there is a chicken wing recipe that will impress your friends. Here are some tips for preparing tailgate-worthy chicken wings and a few recipes to get you started.

Tips for Preparing Tailgate-Worthy Chicken Wings

When you cook chicken wings, you have several options. You can bake, fry, or grill them. Another choice that is growing in popularity is fixing them in an air fryer. But you may not have one of these at your next tailgate.

However you decide to cook them, one of the best things about chicken wings is the crispy skin. But this can be a challenging effect to achieve. After you remove your wings from the package, pat them completely dry with a paper towel. If possible, leave the wings sitting on a cookie sheet in the fridge for a few hours, ideally overnight.

If you don’t have the time to let your wings sit, you can get your crispy skin another way. Place the dried wings in a plastic bag or bowl, then shake them up after adding some salt and baking powder. Use one-half teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of baking powder for every pound of chicken wings.

How Do You Like Your Chicken Wings & Football?

If you’re going to bring wings to a tailgate party, you might want to consider offering a variety of flavors so that you can appeal to your different guest’s tastes. If you aren’t sure where to start, here are few ideas:

Grilled Buffalo Wings

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. whole chicken wings
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup hot sauce

Preparation:

To prepare, combine the garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Place your wings in a large bowl and toss them with the mixture. Preheat your gas grill to 350 degrees (medium heat). Place the wings on the grill close enough together so that they are touching (this keeps them moist). Flip the wings every 5 minutes for a total cooking time of 20 minutes.

At the same time, heat the hot sauce, butter, honey, and vinegar on low heat in a saucepan and combine with a whisk. Once your wings are cooked, combine the wings with the sauce. Then, turn up your grill heat to high and place them back on the grill for up to two minutes on each side until the skins are crisp.

Fried Garlic Parmesan Wings

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. chicken wings
• 1 cup hot sauce
• 1 cup melted butter
• ¼ cup chopped garlic
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

Preparation:

To prepare, season the wings with salt and pepper and fry at 400 degrees. Combine the garlic, parmesan cheese, hot sauce, and butter in a bowl. After the wings have cooked, toss in the sauce mixture to coat.

Baked Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. chicken wings (or drumettes)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

Preparation:

To prepare, whisk together the soy sauce, water, pineapple juice, vegetable oil, sugar, ginger, and garlic in a large ceramic or glass bowl until all of the sugar has dissolved. Add the chicken wings to the mixture and coat them thoroughly. Let the wings sit for a minimum of an hour.

Next, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease several baking sheets and set them to the side. Remove the chicken wings from the marinade and place them on the baking sheets. Bake the wings in the oven until the glaze is evenly browned and the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about one hour.

Visit Nick’s of Calvert for High-Quality Chicken Wings & Ingredients

However you decide to prepare your chicken wings for your next football tailgate, you should start with the main ingredient – high-quality meat. At Nick’s of Calvert, we offer customers a full-service meat counter, which is our store’s centerpiece. Our store takes pride in delivering the freshest meats at the lowest prices. Visit us today to pick up all of your supplies for your next football tailgate, chicken wing party, or other special event.