Before the AFC champion Bengals head to NFC champion Rams' territory on Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, hungry football fans everywhere will search for two last-minute things: a ticket to the big game or a recipe for the best chicken wings.
Whether you're team flats or team drumsticks, the typically fried-and-sauced snack is synonymous with Super Bowl Sunday.
Check out the recipes below that represent two opposing flavors and techniques and decide which one is a fit for your game-day playbook.
Chef Leah Cohen of Piggyback in New York City is well-known for her ultra-crispy chicken dishes with a bold hit of flavor. The Filipino-American cookbook author and business owner shared her recipe for sweet and savory wings with a fermented red chili paste.
Ingredients
2 dozen chicken wings
1 cup potato starch
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs (whisked)
Salt and pepper
For the sauce
1/2 cup minced garlic
1 cup butter, unsalted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup premium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
3/4 cup gochujang
4 tablespoons honey
1/2 tablespoon red chili flakes
1 cup of water
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Directions
Mix the potato Starch, all-purpose flour and baking powder in a bowl.
Season the wings with salt and pepper and then pour the egg over the wings and make sure each wing is nicely coated.
Then dredge the wings in flour mix and make sure each is nicely coated.
Fry at 325 degrees for 5 min and then drain on paper towel. This can be done be done in advance.
Then fry again at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.
While the wings are cooking, add all the ingredients, except the lime juice, to a sauce pan and cook until it becomes a nice thick glaze.
Finish with lime juice and toss the wings with sauce.
Garnish with scallions and cilantro.
Recipe reprinted courtesy of Leah Cohen, owner of Piggback Bar.
The actor, Los Angeles native and proud Rams fan shared his game day recipe with "GMA" Food ahead of the Super Bowl. His wings are inspired by a classic, but with a California kick.
"These wings have a lot in common with Buffalo wings, except you don’t have to fry them and you use a good old Mexican hot sauce instead of the traditional Frank’s Hot Sauce that they use in New York," Trejo wrote alongside the recipe. "Not frying means you’ve got more time to watch the game and don’t have to worry about one of your friends knocking the hot oil all over the place when your team scores. Make the dip a day or two before the game so you’ll have it ready when the wings come out of the oven."
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients 1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 pounds chicken wings (about 20 pieces), cut into drumettes and flats, patted dry with paper towels
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Trejo’s, Tapatío, or Cholula
For the blue cheese dip
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon whole milk or buttermilk
1 small garlic clove, chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, and paprika. Add the wings and stir to coat them.
Line an 11-by-17-inch sheet pan with aluminum foil. Use the canola oil to grease the foil and then turn the wings out onto the pan. Roast the wings until they’re golden brown, about 45 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, milk, garlic, and a few pinches each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Serve immediately, or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and the hot sauce. As soon as the wings come out of the oven, pour the spicy butter sauce over them and toss to coat. Serve with the blue cheese dip.
Recipe reprinted with permission from "Trejo’s Tacos: Recipes and Stories from L.A." cookbook.