Match Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 24whole chicken wings (5 to 6 pounds)
• 3cups buttermilk
• 2tablespoons bottled hot sauce
• Wings Rub variation
• Wings Sauce variation
• Wings Dip variation
• Carrot and celery sticks

• Directions

  1. Place chicken wings, buttermilk, and hot sauce in a large resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Seal bag; turn to coat chicken. Marinate for 2 to 8 hours. Drain wings and pat dry; discard bag and marinade and place wings in new large resealable plastic bag.
  2. Sprinkle desired Wings Rub over chicken wings; seal bag. Shake bag to coat wings with seasonings. If desired, chill in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours.
  3. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above the pan. Place half of the chicken wings on grill rack over drip pan. Cover; grill for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill chicken as above.) Remove wings to a shallow baking pan. Keep warm in 300 degrees F oven while grilling remaining wings as above.
  4. To serve, in a very large bowl, toss wings with desired Wings Sauce to coat. Transfer wings to a serving bowl or platter with desired Wings Dip(s) and carrot and celery sticks.

  From the Test Kitchen

  WINGS RUBS:

  Savory: In a small bowl stir together 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, crushed, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.

  Cajun: In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon crushed dried thyme, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

  Chili: In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

  BBQ: In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons garlic salt, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dry mustard.

  WINGS SAUCES:

  Blue Buffalo: In a small saucepan heat 1 cup bottled cayenne pepper sauce (Frank's Red Hot®), 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder over medium heat until butter melts; cool. Stir in 1/4 cup finely crumbled blue cheese.

  Korean Heat: In a small saucepan, cook 1/2 cup Asian chili sauce (sriracha sauce), or Asian chili paste (sambal oelek); 1/3 cup packed brown sugar; 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons rice vinegar over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Off heat, stir in 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. Makes 1 cup.

  Louisiana Beer: In a small saucepan, cook 1/4 cup chopped onion and 1/4 cup copped red sweet pepper in 1 tablespoon hot vegetable oil over medium heat about 4 minutes or until tender. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup beer, 1/2 cup cold water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add to onion mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.

  Chimichurri: in a blender or food processor, puree 2 cups fresh flat-leaf Italian Parsley, 3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, and 4 cloves garlic. Pour into a container and stir in 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

  WINGS DIP:

  Fresh Chive Ranch: In a small bowl whisk together 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup buttermilk, 2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper.

  Blue Cheese Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup crumbled blue cheese (4 ounces), 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, and 1/4 teaspoon celery seed. Cover and chill up to 1 week. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

  Creamy Parmesan Dressing: In a small bowl, stir together 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried Italian seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.

  Wasabi Avocado Dip: In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup mashed avocado, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon wasabi paste, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, and 2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce (sriracha sauce).

  Tzatziki Dip: In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup seeded and chopped cucumber, 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon snipped fresh mint or dill weed, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add more lemon juice to taste, if desired.