Speaking of photography, if you want to grow your food blog fast, there is no better way out there right now than getting your photos accepted by Foodgawker and/or Tastespotting. If you have tried and been rejected, don’t give up! And don’t be bitter – get better! Nobody wants to hear you whine (on your blog, twitter, or to anyone else who will listen) repeatedly about how they only accept a certain type of photo, or from certain blogs, or whatever it is you tell yourself to soften the blow of their rejection! I’ve been rejected so many times I’ve lost count!!! I STILL get rejected way more often than I get accepted – especially by Tastespotting!! But when I do make the cut, my blog traffic spikes dramatically. We have a love/hate relationship (love to get accepted, HATE to get rejected!), and I credit their exposure for getting me to this point so quickly. Though I have cussed them out mentally many, many (many many many many many…a LOT ok?) times, I’m grateful to them both! So work harder, learn the basics of lighting and exposure (again, Plate to Pixel people!) and keep submitting! Oh and do yourself a favor and pore over the submission guidelines and do your research! Sarah G. over at Tastespotting finds photos of half eaten food gross, hates cilantro, and won’t accept your photo (even if it’s amazing) if your post is boring or too personal (Uh oh, this post is toast! ha ha!!) (see Sarah, I have been paying attention!) Keep abreast of what’s trendy or popular and blog about it – it will raise your chances of getting accepted by a lot!
And so I’m finally moving on to the food which is why most of you are here! Sorry it took so long, guess I had a lot to say today! If this is your first time here I swear I’m not usually quite this wordy! But cut a girl some slack, it’s a big day for me! So, the chicken wings! Who doesn’t love them?? Nobody I’ve ever met that’s for sure! And since it’s playoff season and no Superbowl party worth attending is without a big platter of wings, this seemed like as good a time as any for this recipe! There are a million delicious variations on chicken wings but since I’m doing low carb this week I kept it simple and sugar free – though a sticky, sweet, teriyaki chicken wing is hard to beat! The classic buffalo wing (at least in CT where I’m from) is generally Frank’s red hot sauce and butter. I added a quartered habanero for more heat but that was my only flavor enhancement. One thing I don’t do is deep fry my wings. It’s completely unnecessary in my opinion. There is enough fat in the skin and wing to fry itself when you bake it in the oven.
The trick is to bake them with no sauce first until they are crispy and cooked through. Then a bath in the sauce and back in the oven where they will get nice and crisp and the sauce bakes on – yum!. There isn’t much worse than a soggy chicken wing. But if you put the sauce on while they are raw and then try to bake them, by the time they get crisp (if ever) the meat will be completely dried out and barely palatable. So bake first, then sauce, then bake – repeat if you like them really saucy! And another thing – do yourself a favor and don’t pay extra for the bags of frozen winglets! Fresh wings are cheaper and all you have to do is make two cuts per wing to get the same product! Cut off the tips (I use them to make stock) and then cut through the joint to separate the “wing” from the “drumette.” It’s cheaper and better quality than those freezer burned thingy’s they sell in a bag!
Classic Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 lbs of fresh chicken wings
- 1 lrg bottle of Frank’s Red Hot sauce
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 1 habanero, seeded & quartered (optional)
Instructions
- After you trim the chicken put the pieces onto a cookie sheet (preferably foil covered, it took me forever to scrub mine clean last time!). Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until golden and crisp – longer if you like them really crispy.*
- Meanwhile in a medium saucepan melt the butter and add the entire bottle of hot sauce as well as the habanero, if using. Simmer over low heat while the wings are in the oven.
- Remove wings from the oven and dump into the sauce, toss until well coated. Take them out and put them back on the cookie sheet – back in the oven for another 30 minutes or more.
- If you love them really saucy you can repeat this step. Or if you are cooking them for a party later, refrigerate the sauce and wings and then re-dunk and blast for 20 minutes in the oven right (375 F) before your guests arrive.
- Serve with lots of celery sticks and good quality blue cheese dressing! Nom, nom, nom!
Notes
*I seasoned mine with salt and pepper before baking and the finished product turned out a bit too salty. I didn’t use unsalted butter which may have been the problem. So if you season them before baking, use a light hand with the salt and make sure you use unsalted butter in the sauce!
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Chicken
Elissa says
This is how I’ve always made my hot wings and they are so delicious! Are they zero net carbs for 6-8 wings? Unless there are some hidden carbs in the hot sauce I dont’ know about, i think they are zero?
Mellissa Sevigny says
You might count them as one just to be on the safe side, but definitely not more than that!
Stephanie says
Hi Mellissa! How many wings are considered a serving? I had 6 last night. Oops… probably not that many. :) thanks!
Mellissa Sevigny says
If you’re doing keto and it’s your main meal then 6 – 8 would be fine!
Christin says
So good! Love your website. I would recommend making your own Bleu Cheese Dressing. It’s easy, simple, and so much better…..Ranch too!
RedChef says
So how many oz. are in a large bottle of franks?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Not sure.
Debora says
I made these wings for my family for the Super Bowl last week and they were a success! My husband just walked in door today with two family size packs of wings to make more. Thanks for sharing!
Betty Paparazzi says
Hi Melissa,
Thank you so much for the recipe, I’m from New Zealand where Buffalo Wings are unheard of :( HOWEVER.. Very recently we have had an American store open called Martha’s Backyard and they sell franks hot sauce!!! When I saw it on the shelf I squealed and thought of this recipe, which I had bookmarked as I had thought ‘I could do those with Tabasco’ (since buying the franks I can see that it really would not be the same, and my first buffalo wing experience wouldn’t of be half as good as what I was expecting!) Anyway.. All I need to know now is exactly how much does a package of chicken wings weigh? So if you could tell me the weight in Lbs and I will convert it to kg’s. Thanks a kiwi bunch :D X Betty XX
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Hi Betty, sorry I didn’t respond to this sooner! I should really have put a weight on the recipe itself which I’m going to do now. On average when I buy a package here it’s about 4lbs but it varies. I always have extra sauce though so you should be ok with 5 or 6 pounds of wings even. Hope you like them!
Amanda says
YAY!! Cooking these right now and drooooooling like mad! You are wonderful – just saying! I have been low carbing it for about 8 weeks now, and after finding your site and some of your amazingly wondermous recipes it has been easy to let go! Thank you much.
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Amanda! I’m thrilled that the recipes are helping you stay on track! I love these wings and am actually planning to make a batch this week since I’ve been craving them – can’t wait! :)
Emily says
Hey there – LOVE your blog, always looking for some great low-carb recipes! Found you on Pinterest for your cauliflower puree. We made your wings last night and my whole family LOVED them! there wasn’t a single one left. They were really very good! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes – I want to make the tiramisu next!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Emily!! So glad everybody loved the wings! I hope you like the tiramisu too – let me know how it comes out! :)
Ann says
I’m a HUGE Kim fan and I can’t tell you how excited I am that you mentioned her! She’s an amazing blogger! Your advice is terrific and I’m happy to be your newest follower! The wings look delicious – one of my favorites!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks Ann and welcome to IBIH! Looking forward to seeing you around!
Althea says
I was wondering, what is the serving size for this recipe? I’m wanting to start the three day keto thing and was curious. Looking forward to trying it.
goatsandgreens says
They look delicious, and I welcome the no-sugar. And thanks for the cooking tips to make them crisp. While I don’t do football, there are plenty of other occasions to make these wings for!
Mellissa Sevigny (sevimel) says
Thanks for the comment G&G! As far as I’m concerned every occasion is made better by some good wings!! Let us know if they get crispy enough for you! Try finishing them for a few minutes in the broiler if they don’t – just make sure not to forget about them and burn them like I’ve done more times than I can count! oops! :)