Introduction: Hot Wings

By CLAMP Podcast
About: Hi! I'm a slightly feral mountain hermit that likes to be helpful. I do community management at Instructables & Tinkercad. 🙌 Want to hear me chat about making? Search "CLAMP Podcast" on YouTube or your favorit…

Hot wings are amazing party food - excellent for serving large groups of people because they're cheap and easy to make. Especially my version!

They might take an hour to cook, but nearly all of that is time that you can ignore them and mingle or cook other things.

These hot wings cook slowly in the oven, leaving the meat tender on the inside. It literally pulls right off the bones, which makes it easier to get all the yummy bits. You crisp up the hot wings in the last few minutes of cooking, too, so you'll have wonderful crispy wing tips if you're using those. The wing tips taste just like pork rinds if you cook them this way. Yum!

And this hot wing recipe is easily customizable to suit your tastes, too! :D

Step 1: What You'll Need:

For the wings:

  • 1.5 pounds chicken wings
  • salt and pepper
  • canola or veg oil

Try to get the best wings you can. This time I bought a package of wings (Safeway called them "party wings" haha) and they just weren't as awesome. Try to buy them by the pound at your local grocery - I can get them much cheaper at local stores and they're always lovely. :D My personal favorite are the wings that are the wingette and the wing tip still connected.

For the sauce:

  • 1-2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2-1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
  • 1-2 tablespoons of a light tasting vinegar - I used rice wine vinegar
  • 1/8-1/4 cup hot sauce of choice (I used Frank's Hot Buffalo - nice and spicy!)

Much of this it to taste. I recommend mixing together the minimum amounts and tasting and adding more as needed. You'll soon find out what you like! :)

And keep in mind that all of this is easily multiplied to feed more people! This fed me and my boyfriend, but definitely would not feed a group of people. ;) You can also mix up the sauces - you can try a spicy teriyaki, lemon pepper, a sweet and spicy sauce made with apricot jam and chilies... anything you can come up with!

Step 2: Bake the Wings!

Preheat your oven to 375 F.

Coat the wings with a good sprinkling of salt and pepper and some oil. Throw them on a sheet pan and pop that in the oven for 30 minutes! (Please note that if you have little tiny baby wings that are all under 3 inches long and very thin, you might want to cut the cooking time by 10 minutes or so.)

Once the 30 minutes is up, flip the wings over. They should be starting to brown and lots of the fat should be rendered off. If they're sticking, give them a couple more minutes in the oven. Baste them with the fat from the sheet pan as well!

Pop them back in the oven for another 20 minutes while you prep the sauce.

Step 3: Prep the Sauce

Combine your butter, hot sauce, garlic and vinegar in a bowl or measuring cup and pop it in the microwave to melt the butter.

You'll want to taste this and alter as needed. Not tangy enough? More vinegar! Not hot enough? More hot sauce! etc.

Set the sauce aside once you're happy with it. :)

Step 4: Up the Temp and Prep for the Final Baking!

Once the wings are done, pull them out and set them on a plate or in a bowl. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Drain off the excess fat from the sheet pan.

Mix the wings with the sauce - I just use my hands because that way you know everything is good and covered! Place the wings back onto the sheet pan, and put the excess sauce on top.

Depending how saucy you like your wings, you might not want to put them back in for very long - I typically put them in for 8-10 minutes, turning them over halfway. :) This way the sauce browns and they get nice and crispy. You get lots of yummy crunchy bits to eat.

If you want them super saucy, only put them in for another 3-5 minutes.

Step 5: Serve!

Serve them up either right away or at room temp with your favorite sauces and some veggies. :D

Also amazing out of the fridge at midnight!

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