Chicken Wing Alternative Recipes

The National Chicken Council released a report that said the demand for wings this year is at “an all-time high” due to decreased wing production caused by the high cost of corn and feed prices.

Due to this, the estimated number of wings to be consumed during Super Bowl weekend is 1.23 billion wing segments, which is 12.3 million, or around 1%, less than last year.

So just in case you can’t find any chicken wings at your local store, how can you still get that savory, spicy goodness you crave???

Here are three buffalo chicken recipes, with a few healthy touches, that might just be better than the traditional classic that inspired them:

Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

8 medium chicken drumsticks (about 2 pounds total)

2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons of cooking oil

1/2 cup of chopped onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 cup of chicken broth

2 – 4 tablespoons of bottled hot pepper sauce

Celery sticks

1/4 cup blue cheese salad dressing

Directions

1. Skin chicken. In a plastic or paper bag combine flour and paprika. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, shaking to coat well. In a 10-inch skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium heat about 10 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, turning to brown evenly. Remove chicken; set aside.

2. In drippings in skillet cook onion and garlic about 5 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Combine chicken broth and hot pepper sauce; stir into skillet. (Avoid inhaling fumes caused by cooking the hot pepper sauce.) Return chicken to skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink.

3. Transfer chicken to platter. Skim fat from sauce, if necessary. To serve, spoon some of the sauce over chicken; pass remaining sauce. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition

Per serving: Calories, 444, Fat, total (g) 30, chol. (mg) 112, sat. fat (g) 7, carb. (g) 11, pro. (g) 32, sodium (mg) 488, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Prep Time
: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 4 ounces)

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower

1/3 cup hot sauce

2 tablespoons melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet, and transfer to oven. In a medium bowl, stir together blue cheese and 1/2 cup buttermilk. Season dip with salt and pepper, and set aside.

2. Place flour and remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk in separate medium bowls; season with salt and pepper. Set out another rimmed baking sheet alongside. Dip chicken in buttermilk (allowing excess to drip off), then in flour (shaking off excess); place on sheet.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Working in batches, fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to rack in oven to keep warm.

4. In a large bowl, stir together hot sauce and melted butter. Add chicken, and toss to coat. Serve tenders with blue-cheese dip.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 16

Ingredients

2 lbs Chicken, Ground

2 Tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon of butter

2 Egg whites

2 Tablespoons of parsley, dried

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 Onions, minced

3 Garlic cloves

1 Cup buffalo chicken wing sauce or hot sauce

1 Cup blue cheese sauce

Carrot sticks

Celery sticks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken with the onion, garlic and parsley, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Flatten out the meat in the bowl and score it into four portions using the side of your hand. Shape each portion into four balls, for a total of 16 balls (four balls per portion).

3. Arrange the meatballs on a nonstick sheet pan and drizzle them with olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

4. While the meatballs are baking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the hot sauce and whisk to combine. Toss the baked meatballs in the hot sauce to coat.

5. Transfer the meatballs to a serving platter and spike each one with a toothpick or serving fork. Place the bleu cheese dressing in a small serving bowl and garnish with the remaining scallions. Serve the meatballs with the bleu cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks alongside.

Nutrition Facts

Per 1 meatball: Calories 102.2; Total Fat 6.1 g; Saturated Fat 2.0 g; Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g; Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g; Cholesterol 67.5 mg; Sodium 435.5 mg; Potassium 40.9 mg; Total Carbohydrate 2.3 g; Dietary Fiber 0.6 g; Sugars 0.1 g; Protein 10.6 g