Cooking Lesson #410: Super Bowl Sunday Crock Pot Chicken Wings

…from the California Kitchen

How you doin’? Super Bowl is just over two weeks away (Feb 13th). What are you planning on serving the hungry throngs that are all coming over to your house to watch the big game? Super Bowl just wouldn’t be Super Bowl without Buffalo Wings. I love my Buffalo wings, but I hate the mess and smell of frying wings in my kitchen. That smell seems to permeate the whole house for days. Here’s a better solution.
 
Slow Cooker Chicken Wings are the perfect solution! They are fall off the bone tender and loaded with real Anchor Bar flavor. Make it authentic and serve these luscious wings with carrot and celery sticks and cool ranch dressing studded with blue cheese crumbles.
 
A slow cooker (Crock Pot or Instant Pot—slow cook setting) is an easy and great way to cook chicken wings fresh or frozen! If you cook them from frozen, you will have to drain off some of the excess cooking liquid after cooking. Brush the wings with a little bit more sauce and give them a quick broil. After broiling, place the wings back in the slow cooker or on a warming tray to keep them warm.
 
I always have trouble not eating the whole batch, they are so deliciously tangy and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Don’t forget the ranch dip!
 
By the way, there is a difference between Buffalo sauce and hot sauce. Hot sauce is basically just hot peppers, salt and vinegar. Buffalo sauce is smoother than hot sauce, and richer in flavor. The butter creates a spicy and silky sauce that tastes restaurant quality at home. Store bought Buffalo sauce is usually made with oil, not butter. My homemade sauce is made with melted butter—that’s why it tastes so darn good! All you need to do is whisk 2 parts Franks Original Hot Sauce (not Franks Wing Saue) to one part melted butter (or margarine). What’s easier than that?
Toss your favorite wings in this spicy sauce, or use it to dip your veggies, fries, burgers, shrimp, you name it! Store it in an airtight glass container and refrigerate. It will last several weeks in the refrigerator.

Quick History of Buffalo Wings (named after the city, not the animal)
On a Friday night in 1964, Dominic Bellissimo was tending bar at the now famous Anchor Bar Restaurant in Buffalo, NY. Late that evening, a group of Dominic’s friends arrived at the bar with ravenous appetites. Dominic asked his mother, Teressa, to prepare something for his friends to eat.
Teressa had deep fried some wings and flavored them with a secret sauce she just made up. The wings were an instant hit and it didn’t take long for people to flock to the bar to experience this new taste sensation. From that evening on, Buffalo Wings became a regular part of the menu at the Anchor Bar. This phenomenon has spread across the globe.

Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  3 hours
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
Calories:  295 per serving
 
Ingredients 
4 to 5 pounds chicken wings (with drumettes, if desired), fresh or frozen
Buffalo Wing Sauce
1-1/2 cups Franks Original Hot Sauce, plus a little more for finishing
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

For Serving
A bunch of cut carrot sticks
A bunch of cut celery sticks
Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
Blue cheese crumbles to taste
Garnish with paprika and chopped chives
 
Directions

1. Combine the Buffalo wing sauce ingredients—Franks and melted butter; set aside.
2. Place wings in a 6-quart slow cooker (or Instant Pot) and cover with the prepared Buffalo wing sauce. Stir to combine.
3. Cook on HIGH for 2-1/2 TO 3 HOURS for FROZEN wings or on LOW for 3 HOURS for FRESH wings.
4. Once wings have reached 165°F, remove them from the slow cooker and place them on a foil lined sheet pan; discard the cooking liquid.
5. Preheat broiler to high. Brush with additional Buffalo sauce and broil until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side.
6. Serve with celery, carrots, extra Buffalo sauce and Ranch dressing for dipping.

ChefSecret:  I always double up on the Buffalo Sauce so I have enough to use for topping and other dishes.

Quip of the Day:  “Which football player wears the biggest helmet on Super Bowl Sunday? The one with the biggest head.”
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