Chicken Wings Without the Mess
Traditional chicken wings take more than an hour to prepare and make a major mess in the kitchen, which may be why you usually save wings for game day. But you can serve wings any night of the week when you make them in your Crock-Pot. Using your Crock-Pot not only keeps cleanup to a minimum, but this one-pot chicken wing recipe is so quick and easy it can be put together before you leave for work in the morning for your family to enjoy at dinnertime.
This is recipe makes buffalo-style chicken wings, but any of your favorite chicken wing recipes work in the Crock-Pot.
Total Time: 4 to 5 hours | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup hot sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/2 sticks butter
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds chicken wings
Directions:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix the hot sauce and honey and bring to a simmer. Then add the butter. Cook until butter is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Season the chicken wings with salt and pepper.
- Place the wings in a 6- to 8-quart Crock-Pot, and pour the sauce over the wings.
- Cover the Crock-Pot and cook on low for 4 hours.
Serve your wings with cut carrots and celery, along with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
Tip
- To cut save on prep time, use 1 cup of bottled buffalo sauce in place of the hot sauce, honey and butter. If you prefer more mild wings, cut the buffalo sauce in half and add 1/2 cup of honey-flavored barbecue sauce.
- To add more flavor to your wings, broil them until browned, about 2 minutes per side, after they've finished cooking in the Crock-Pot.
For teriyaki-style chicken wings: In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoons minced garlic and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Pour the sauce over the seasoned chicken wings already in the Crock-Pot, and cook for 4 hours on low heat. Serve these savory wings with plain rice.
For a simple and sweet Crock-Pot chicken wing recipe: Pour 1 cup sweet barbecue sauce over the wings, and then add half a can of soda such as cola, root beer or Dr. Pepper. Cook in your Crock-Pot on low for 4 hours. Serve with roasted potatoes.
Warning
Before you serve your chicken wings, check the temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure the wings are cooked all the way through. A well-cooked wing should have an internal temperature of 165F. If your wings aren't hot enough, continue cooking them, covered on low, for another 30 minutes and recheck.
References
Writer Bio
Jill Corleone is a registered dietitian and health coach who has been writing and lecturing on diet and health for more than 15 years. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, Diabetes Self-Management and in the book "Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation," edited by John R. Bach, M.D. Corleone holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition.