Healthier Buffalo Wings

[Shel_B]

Recently I tried buffalo wings for the first time. Pretty good stuff. However, I want to eat a lot of them, and I'd like to find a recipe or technique that will provide something close to the original in taste but with lower fat, calories, and salt.

Playing around with chicken breast meat and tenders seems like a good place to start, and developing a nice, thick sauce shouldn't be too hard. There are numerous recipes available, including the original. So, anyone got some ideas for healthier wings?

I though that the tenders could be breaded, baked, and then given a nice soak in the sauce and heated to caramelize the sauce a bit.

The original sauce recipe supposedly contains cayenne pepper, vinegar, salt, garlic and margarine, although for wings I may want something with a little sweetness in the background. I think the margerine helps the sauce to stick to the breaded meat, but if one is baking the sauce on to the wings, I wonder if the margerine is really needed.

Shel

Edited August 1, 2007 by Shel_B (log)

[WiscoNole]

Put them in the oven around 500 instead of deep frying.

[GlorifiedRice]

The Original recipe was just butter anf a bottle or Frenchs Redhot...

Instead of wings, use skinned baked drumsticks. Its actually the sauce that counts more. The original Buffalo Wings were NEVER breaded...

http://www.anchorbar.com/

[alanamoana]

The Original recipe was just butter anf a bottle or Frenchs Redhot...

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I think you mean "Frank's Redhot"

[GlorifiedRice]

LOL, Yes.

[rlibkind]

Well, it can be done, but why bother? Which is not to say you can't do what you want to do, but any thought that they resemble Buffalo Wings would be delusional.

You either have to eliminate the wings and replace them with a less skin-and-fat intensive part (as you suggest, using breast/tenders), and/or alter the cooking method and/or sauce components. But switching from the unctious wings with their perfect balance of skin, fat, white and dark meat to bland white breast meat simply changes the character too much.

Cooking method. Fry? Not if you really want something healthier. Grilled or broiled would probably be an acceptable alternate to fried.

But then the sauce becomes problematic, because the sauce is about 50 percent butter, margarine or oil with Frank's or Crystal or similar hot pepper sauce. (Do not use Tabasco; you need a less-intensive sauce so you can use more and get the vinegar balance right; if you use Tabasco, use less and balance with additional white vinegar.) Some recipes call for some flour to thicken it up and help it adhere. I don't see any way around the fat-based sauce.

All that said, I'd recommend forgetting about trying to make it "healthier". Almost any attempt to make it healthier makes them Rochester wings, i.e., not Buffalo wings. Work regular, full-flavored wings into your diet, just don't eat them often or more than a small flock at one time.

The only variation that would make Buffalo Wings "healthier" and still retain their essence would be grilling/broiling. You've got to keep the wings and keep the sauce. If there are no wings, well, they're not Wings. And if you don't have the fat-based finger-licking sauce, you don't have Buffalo. While there are distinct differences between grilling and frying, switching to the grill won't, I believe, alter the most important characteristics of Buffalo Wings. But I think the "health" savings achieved, when the wings are properly deep fried with only a light flour coating (not a batter), are marginal.

[Anna N]

What Bob said.

The fun of wings for me is that they are wings and not something else. The differing textures of the drumettes vs. the "flats", gnawing on bones -- that's what it's all about. I would rather have a very few wings than something "healthier" but I have found that grilling the wings and then tossing in sauce makes for a nice compromise.

[ChefCrash]

....... Grilled or broiled would probably be an acceptable alternate to fried.

.....

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I have to disagree. My experience with baking or grilling wings left me with greasy wings that don't hold the sauce.

Fried properly, the oil carries away the chicken fat, the wings come out drier, i.e. less oily, and hold the sauce better.

Otherwise I agree with everything else.

[APPS411]

Baking or broiling wings just doesn't appeal to me. Instead I cut up a chicken breast into 3/4" cubes and toss in a beaten egg and then in a light coating of a mixture of breadcrumbs(75%) and flour(25%). Then place on a baking pan, lightly spray with pam and slide under a hot broiler for about 5 to 7 min. While the're cooking I make a quick sauce of whatever I'm feeling or have in the fridge. Sometimes an asian bbq, w/ any bottled bbq sauce, some garlic, ginger, honey, sesame oil and sirachi. Or a buffalo sauce w/ hot sauce, a bit of tomato sauce to give it some body. Whatever your liking.

Soon as they are done cooking, w/ a bit of browning on top. Take them out and toss in the sauce. I like to hit them w/ a squeez of lemon just before serving.

It's a nice quick meal and healthy if you use just a small amount of egg and breadcrumbs to coat and only enough sauce to cover.

[Vicious Wadd]

Here's a grilled method that's worked pretty well for me:

Charcoal Grill (using lump hardwood charcoal)

Chicken Drumettes (however many you need)

Spice Rub: I use a mix of chili powder, cayenne, oregano, paprika, fresh ground pepper and Kosher salt.

Sauce: A good quality, low sodium papaya BBQ sauce is the base, to which I add a copious amount of hot sauce (usually Crystal) and white vinegar to bring up the acidity level (the BBQ glaze should taste quite tangy). To this I add 1-2 tbsp. of the spice rub and whisk to blend.

Coat the drumettes wtih the spice rub and drizzle liberally with EVOO (preferably several hours in advance).

Fire up the grill

Grill the chicken, turning frequently, over medium hot coals. Be careful not to burn the spice rub. When the chicken is just short of done, brush the papaya BBQ sauce on one side and cover the grill. At this point, you may want to close the vents on the grill. You only need enough heat to glaze the chicken -- be careful not to scorch the sauce. Wait 1-2 minutes, flip the chicken, and repeat for the other side.

Pile the drumettes on a platter and garnish with a little fresh cilantro and minced green onion.

A homemade blue cheese dressing is nice for a dip, but certianly optional. The chicken is quite flavorful on its own. They also have a nice Buffalo Wing stickiness to them, are not the least bit greasy, and depending upon how much cayenne you add, a nice kick.

BTW, this is my first post to eGullet. I've been an avid reader here for a couple of years, so I'm glad to have an opportunity to contribute something!

Edited August 2, 2007 by Vicious Wadd (log)

[zoe b]

chef crash said

"Fried properly, the oil carries away the chicken fat, the wings come out drier, i.e. less oily, and hold the sauce better."

this is what a friend of mine swears--I'd love to see someone do a comparison of fried and baked wings to prove or disprove this.

I DO bake, however--at 425--I brush the wings with melted butter, sprinkle a lot of paprika on top (necessary) and bake until crispy--I then throw them into a bowl with a couple pieces of butter and a lot of Crystal Sauce and mix and serve.

I've found that you really don't need the half butter in the sauce--my one effort at making wings "healthier".

Which I agree is not an appropriate way to think about wings--have em and enjoy em, and eat super healthy for the next two days to balance it up.

Zoe

[Shel_B]

Thanks for all the ideas and suggestions ...

Shel

[Lisa1349]

I par boil then broil with full fat sauce. Crispy and tasty, nice alternative to frying which I avoid simply because I don't want to grease up my kitchen. It has nothing to do with fat content.

I once coated grilled chicken breasts with buffalo sauce I had leftover and needed to use up and topped with crumbled blue and roasted for 5 minutes. Tasty and different, great with coleslaw on the side.

[rob7]

I agree with the grilling method. I grill them on a weber kettle setting up a fire on one side. I'm sure you can set up the same with a gas grill. I put the wings on the indirect side and let them cook a while. Then I rotate them through the direct side until I get the color I want on the skin.

I think that by cooking them over indirect heat for a while it allows some of the fat in the wings to melt away. I end with wings that have a crispy skin and moist, tender, meat. They've never dried out on me.

I then follow the directions for sauce on Frank's Red Hot and toss the wings in the sauce.

I think that the grilling adds a little extra depth of flavor to the wings, especially when don over hardwood charcoal. You get a little smokiness in the wings.

[Old Timer]

I will give you my recipe for the most incredible and healthy chicken wings you have ever had.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Segment the wings into 3 pieces and discard the tips.

Next, remove the skin from the other segments and discard.

Next, coat each piece thououghly with fat-free mayonnaise. (Don't worry, you won't taste it when done. Mayo acts as a glue for the breading, but adds no flavor.

Next, sprinkle liberally with cayenne pepper. (The more, the hotter they will be.)

Find low-fat bread crumbs in your local grocery and put a good cup full into a gallon size plastic bag. Add the coated wings and shake for a minute or so to make sure everything is coated. Repeat if necessary.

Place on baking sheet and bake in 375 deg. oven for about 30 minutes.

While wings are baking, make up a few dips.

Dijon/Honey

Dijon/Honey/Horseradish

Horseradish/Mayo

When wings are done, you will find them to be "crispy" outside and moist inside...and you will have given up all hope for stopping at 1 or 2.

Now if you aint worried about "low fat", buy a bag of pork skins and crush them into a breadcrumb like consistancy and use it as your "breading" instead of breadcrumbs.

Follow the same baking procedure.

Yep, it really works.

Edited August 3, 2007 by Old Timer (log)

[juuceman]

Nigel Slater offers a few baked/roasted chicken wing recipes in his Kitchen Diaries. My favorite has you break down the wings, remove the tips, toss the raw wings with fresh lemon juice, honey, black pepper and salt. Roast until done, they're nice and sticky with some heat and a good amount of flavor.

I've become pretty good about ordering a grilled chicken breast with buffalo wing sauce on it and a side of blue cheese at my local bar. Makes me feel a bit healthier than eating 20 wings.