Wings, wings, wings! If there was ever a food that was made for kicking back while watching the on-court action, wings would be it.
Buffalo and barbecue wings are the most legendary of them all, but there’s hardly a sauce that wouldn’t taste good on chicken. Sweet, spicy, savory, tangy—they’re all perfectly suited . So whether you prefer to deep fry, air fry, or oven bake your wings, try covering them in one of these tasty alternatives that’ll bring even more excitement to the game day action.
Spicy Gochujang
If you love spicy wings but want something different than the same old buffalo sauce, the Korean pepper paste gochujang offers a kick that’ll satisfy. We like to balance out the heat with a bit of honey for sweetness and rice vinegar to give it a lip-smacking tang.
To make it, in a small sauce pan, mix together 1/3 cup gochujang, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 4 cloves minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger. Bring to a simmer before tossing wings in sauce.
Sweet Sesame
Savory Asian flavors like soy sauce and sesame oil become even bigger and bolder when you round them out with a bit of sweetness. This recipe adds honey into the sauce to make them delectably sticky and lip-smacking good. They fit in equally well at a game-watching party as they do at dinner with some rice and veggies.
To make our sesame wings, combine 1 large clove garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1½ tablespoons hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and sriracha (to taste). Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions before serving. Get the full recipe here.
Red Pepper Romesco
Romesco sauce, made from pureed bell peppers, has a gently sweet flavor with a hint of tanginess. It’s great for dressing meats and roasted veggies, and especially suited for coating wings. While you can make your own romesco from scratch, we like to save time with the delicious, fresh romesco from Haven’s Kitchen.
Our basic recipe calls for combining 1 pouch Haven’s Kitchen romesco, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste). For bonus points, you can add on some yogurt to dip these wings in.
Miso
Japanese miso paste has a big umami flavor that turns anything it touches into a flavor bomb. Although you might be most familiar with it when it’s diluted into soup form, the concentrated stuff can truly transform poultry and fish—we recommend using it like a marinade and letting its richness sink in. Start by coating your wings in the stuff and letting it rest in the fridge for a few hours—you can try Haven’s Kitchen gingery miso for a zestier flavor, or Omsom’s yuzu misoyaki for more of a citrusy tang. Let the excess marinade drip off before cooking, and make sure to keep an eye out for burning, which can happen easily with the paste.
Not in the mood to make wings from scratch? Head on over to our prepared foods section, where we’ve got you covered.