Get lost in the sauce!
There's an old proverb that goes something along the lines of "Your wings are only as good as your sauce."
No matter how perfectly crispy, juicy, or tender you cook your chicken wings, some wimpy wing sauce can still completely sink an otherwise awesome meal. Thankfully, reading this article means you'll never have to worry about half-assed wing sauces, EVER AGAIN. Here are three easy-to-make sauces that are guaranteed to up your wing game, impress your friends, inspire envy amongst your enemies, and win you a lifetime of adoration.
Or something like that ...
Dr. Pepper Barbeque
Using Dr. Pepper in sauce almost feels like cheating. It's an easy way to add a complex, sugary richness to any sort of sauce, and it plays nicely as a robust substitute for honey in this recipe.
You will need:
- 1 cup of light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup Dr. Pepper
Simply combine ingredients over low heat and simmer until reduced into a thick, saucy consistency. You'll know it's done when it coats the back of a spoon and doesn't drip off when you swirl it through. You'll also know that it's done when your mouth starts watering just from the rich, sugary BBQ smell.
Honey Buffalo Sauce
This sauce combination might sound like a bit of an oxymoron, but it's an excellent way to channel two familiar flavors into something that's greater than the sum of its parts.
You will need:
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp UNSALTED butter
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/3 cup GOOD hot sauce (like Cholula)
Just like before, you only need to combine these ingredients over medium-low heat, bring to a simmer, and stir constantly until reduced—which should be about 20ish minutes. Once again, you'll know that the sauce is done when it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (and not fall off), and when your house guests are ravenously lingering around the saucepot, demanding to stick their fingers in it.
Korean Gochujang Sauce
This is the Asian-inspired sauce to end all other Asian-inspired sauces. If you've ever had authentic Korean fried chicken before, there's a chance you've tried this flavor palate. The secret to this sauce is the titular Gochujang, which is a Korean fermented red pepper paste. Your local supermarket should carry it (might also just be called Red Chili Sauce). Just keep an eye out for the Korean: 고추장.
You will need:
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 2 cloves of grated garlic
- 1 tbsp ginger of grated ginger
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
If you've read the other recipes on this list, you can probably guess what the steps to this one are. In case you're suffering from a mild case of amnesia brought on from the delicious sauces above: combine over medium-low heat and simmer until reduced (which is about 15 minutes).
What are some of your favorite homemade wing sauces? Sound off in the comments!
