This recipe for baked buffalo wings is ultra crispy baked chicken wings tossed in a classic spicy sauce and served with a lightened up blue cheese dip. Snack away with less guilt!
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I absolutely love chicken wings, especially when they’re extra crispy. When I see buffalo wings on the menu at restaurants, I can’t resist! As much as I love wings, I hate the idea of frying them – so much mess and so many calories! These baked buffalo wings are my own version that are baked instead of fried, yet still come out plenty crispy. Serve them with a skinny blue cheese dip and you’ve got an awesome snack or meal with less fat and calories.
The secret to these buffalo chicken wings is all in the brine. I brine my chicken wings which infuses them with flavor and also helps them to crisp up in the oven. It only takes a few minutes to make the brine, but you do need to plan in advance because the chicken needs to be brined for at least 2 hours. There is such a thing as over-brining, so don’t let your wings stay in the brine for more than 8 hours or they may end up overly salty. The brined wings bake in the oven until crispy and deep golden brown, and then are tossed in the 3 ingredient buffalo sauce right before serving.
In my opinion, you can’t have baked buffalo wings without a creamy sauce. Blue cheese dressing is always my sauce of choice, and I’ve made a lighter version here by using a blend of Greek yogurt and light sour cream instead of the traditional mayonnaise.
I love that I can have one of my favorite restaurant indulgences at home for less effort (and less calories!). My husband also loves these wings, and if I’m serving them as a meal I set some aside without the sauce so that my spice-hating kids can also enjoy some crispy chicken delights. A winning situation all around!
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Baked Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- For the buffalo wings:
- 2 1/2 pounds party style chicken wings or whole chicken wings that have been halved crosswise
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 tablespoon of barbecue, poultry or grill seasoning
- 8 cups water
- cooking spray
- 1/2 cup hot sauce such as Frank's Red Hot
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- For the blue cheese sauce:
- 1/2 cup low or non fat plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup low fat sour cream
- ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives or parsley
Instructions
- For the wings:
- Bring one cup of water to a boil (I use the microwave) and pour the water into a very large bowl. Add the salt and honey to the water and stir until the salt has dissolved.
- Add the garlic and seasoning to the bowl. Pour 7 cups of very cold water over everything and stir until combined.
- Place the chicken wings in the brine, cover the bowl and put it into the refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Remove the chicken wings from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the wings in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until wings are a deep golden brown.
- Whisk together the hot sauce, melted butter and sugar. Pour it over the wings and toss to coat.
- For the blue cheese sauce: Combine all of the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to one day. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
Things You’ll Need (or Want!)
My husband can never get enough wings, so love that these are baked! Sounds like great football food to me 🙂
These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them!
Good wings, good sauce, blue cheese dressing, whats not to love!