Sticky Wings

Appetizers are one of my weaknesses. I can easily make a meal out of appetizers and after a long day, sometimes enjoying various appetizers are just as enjoyable as a traditional dinner. Hands down, chicken wings are my favorite appetizer and I don’t think I can ever get sick of them. Besides, with so many ways to prepare chicken wings, it’s easy to try new recipes. The most recent one I’ve tried are for these Sticky Wings. Chicken wings are coated and slow cooked with a sweet and savory sauce before getting broiled for a nice texture. These are definitely finger-licking good!…

As the hectic holiday season continues on top of the crazy schedule I have these days, I’m all about recipes that make life a bit easier and delicious for me and my family. I looked at the recipe and realized how I could prep the ingredients in advance so that I could minimize my time in the kitchen after a long day. For this dish, I combined the crockpot cooking sauce with the chicken in a gallon sized storage bag. Then prepared the glaze and kept that in a small storage container. When it was time to make the dish, I just placed the contents of the gallon sized storage bag into the crockpot, covered and let it cook. After a couple hours, it was time to broil and I transferred the wings to a prepared baking sheet, glazed them with the prepared glaze I made in advance and broiled away. Having everything prepped as much as possible really makes life so much easier! You can even freeze the contents of the gallon sized storage bag for a future freezer meal. In that case, just defrost the night before and then cook in the morning.

What I love about this recipe is how the wings have a sweet flavor but that kick of heat (if using cayenne) gets you right at the end. They’re truly addicting wings and make for a great and easy to prepare appetizer for the holidays or game day!

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce (or gluten free tamari)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
4 pounds chicken wings or drummettes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup tomato paste
green onions, thinly sliced for garnish

Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce/tamari. ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper in the slow cooker.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.

Preheat the broiler. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil and top with a wire rack. Transfer chicken to the prepared baking sheet and discard the braising liquid.

Combine the remaining sugar, water, tomato paste, remaining soy sauce/tamari and a pinch of cayenne (optional) in a bowl to create the glaze. Brush the chicken with the mixture and broil the chicken until lightly charred and crisp, about 10-15 minutes. Flip the chicken over and brush with the remaining mixture and continue to broil until charred and crisp on the second side, about 5-10 minutes.

Serve hot and garnish with green onions if desired.