Whenever my sister comes over for the weekend, we take full advantage of Lazy Sundays... We cook, drink, and usually watch one of the following: A) A Movie B) A Game C) TV Shows. We ended up doing a combination of B and C for our latest Lazy Sunday, and we wanted something tasty-yet-easily-prepared for our living room lounging. Chicken wings were a no-brainer. My sister loves fried chicken (I've lost track of how many times we've eaten fried chicken when she's at my house), so I thought I'd pull out my mom's recipe for her twist on Buffalo wings... Wok-Fried Chicken Wings with a Sweet & Spicy Glaze!
Mom's glaze is made up of just 4 ingredients: Frank's RedHot wings sauce, sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, and melted butter. The sweet chilli sauce is a Thai product found in Asian markets, but I've noticed that most grocery stores carry it now! (Which, by the way, I think is awesome. Because I also use it for dipping lumpia, fried pork chops, or just regular ol' fried chicken!) As for the Frank's RedHot, you could use any cayenne pepper and vinegar based hot sauce that you prefer instead.
One of the things that I really love about my Mom's recipe is the addition of the sweet chili sauce, so I decided to highlight that sweetness even more. I added pineapple-orange juice and a couple tablespoons of honey! It creates a subtle sweet and sour effect to go along with all the spiciness.
My sister also requested that we eat some kind of vegetable, but vetoed the typical celery stalk. At first, she wanted a salad. The next minute, she wanted these adorable little brussels sprouts still on the stalk. (Yeah, I don't know about that one either...But we were shopping at Trader Joe's, so it was extremely easy to want everything.) Finally, I suggested a slaw. Most supermarkets have convenient, prepackaged slaw mixes. The one at Trader Joe's had broccoli and carrots. Crunch and yum factor? Check, and check.
For the dressing, I used a combination of sour cream and mayonnaise. Then, I seasoned it with a splash of vinegar and a 1/4 tsp of celery salt. I kept it pretty neutral so that the slaw would do its job as "palate cooler" after a few hot wings. But if you're making this as a side for any other day, the additions of honey, mustard, or even grated ginger would be great flavor boosters.
Next, I wok-fried the chicken wings in 10-12 minute batches, flipping halfway through the cooking process for even cooking and browning. My mom pretty much fries anything and everything in her wok (fish, chicken, bacon...), so that's why I chose to go down that route. It really is a great way to fry quickly and evenly if you don't have a deep fryer.
I served the chicken with the glaze as a dipping sauce and with some creamy broccoli slaw. You can also toss the crispy wings in the glaze itself, just like classic Buffalo wings.
My sister and I enjoyed ours with a few of Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ales, a very smooth and slightly sweet brew (highly recommended). I attempted to eat my wings while watching Game 6 of the NLCS, but let's be honest here... I couldn't even take a bite because I was too busy trying to keep myself from hyperventilating, puking, and/or crying. Ahh, the pleasure and torture of being a sports fan. However, this is still a great dish for any pre/post-game stress-eating... Go Giants! ;)
Wok-Fried Chicken Wings with Sweet & Spicy Glaze - Print Recipe
Ingredients:
Glaze:
8 tbsp Butter, melted
1/3 cup Frank's RedHot Wings Sauce
1/4 cup Sweet Chili Sauce
1/4 cup Pineapple-Orange Juice
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 - 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Oil, for frying
2 lbs Chicken Wings (*I prefer to use the pre-trimmed Party Wings)
All Purpose Flour, as needed for dusting
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, hot sauce, sweet chili sauce, juice, honey, and soy sauce. Whisk together until completely blended. Then, set aside until ready to serve.
- Pour 1 - 1 1/2 cups of oil into a wok over medium-high heat, enough to submerge the chicken 3/4 of the way.
- While the oil is heating, toss the chicken wings with a couple of spoonfuls of flour, just to lightly coat.
- Fry the chicken wings, in batches, for 10-12 minutes per batch. Flip the chicken halfway through the cooking process. The outsides should be crispy and golden-brown.
- Serve the chicken wings with the sweet & spicy glaze on the side. OR, in a large bowl, toss the chicken wings with the sweet & spicy glaze until fully coated. Enjoy!
Creamy Broccoli Slaw - Print Recipe
Ingredients:
Dressing:
1 tbsp Sour Cream
1 tbsp Mayonnaise
1/4 tsp Celery Salt
1 1/2 tsp Cane or Rice Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 12-oz bag of Broccoli Slaw
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, celery salt, and vinegar. Whisk together until completely blended, then taste and season with salt & pepper as desired.
- In a medium-sized bowl, toss together broccoli slaw and creamy dressing.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour. Enjoy!
