Come Sunday around 5:30 p.m., die-hard football fans and those of us drawn to Super Bowl hoopla will gather for hearty handheld snacks, knowing the food is as much fun as the game and the show surrounding it.
Super Bowl Sunday is synonymous with wings. Lots of them: the classic spicy Buffalo, plus Asian, Italian and Mexican variations. Wings are easy to eat, easy to share and easy to prep ahead so that the cook can actually enjoy the game (or at least the halftime show).
The best wings achieve that combo of perfectly crisp and juicy under a finger-licking glaze. While bars rely on a deep fryer, that’s just too much fuss and mess for most of us. But there are a few hacks that will make your wings rival those from a neighborhood bar. (Check out our list of favorite wings in the Twin Cities.)
First, be sure to dry them out before cooking. When you get the wings home, unwrap them, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and place them on a wire rack set in a sheet pan and refrigerate. This allows air to circulate around the wings so they dry evenly (the sheet pan catches the drips).
Next? Mayo works magic. The vinegar in mayo helps tenderize the meat; the fat and egg seals in flavor and helps create a golden-brown crust, and the fat prevents the chicken from drying out while evenly distributing the flavors. Because mayo is thicker than butter or oil, it sticks to the meat and won’t run off as it cooks. Mayo works wonders by itself, but it is even a better sauce when mixed with Sriracha or a favorite hot sauce for kick.
How did chicken wings become the iconic Super Bowl food? While serving wings wasn’t new, the saucy, spicy Buffalo version originated in the 1960s at two different bars in the city, Young’s and the Anchor Bar, and quickly caught on.
In the 1980s, when boneless, skinless chicken breasts became all the rage, bars and restaurants found wings to be cheaper and more plentiful. Their popularity spread quickly as technology made it possible to broadcast sporting events live to any bar in the country, and football was the most popular. The wing trend was further bolstered by the Buffalo Bills' multiple Super Bowl appearances in the 1990s.
The National Chicken Council estimated that Americans ate 1.42 billion wings while watching last year’s big game between Kansas City and San Francisco, and that the majority of Americans prefer bone-in wings to boneless.
