Bourbon Cocoa Buffalo Wings Recipe

1. Prepare and dry wings

Pat the chicken wings very dry with paper towels. Remove excess moisture to help them crisp.

2. Season and coat

Toss the wings in a large bowl with kosher salt, black pepper, and baking powder until evenly coated. The baking powder helps make the skin crisp when cooked.

3. Cook the wings

Two options: - Oven (recommended): Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange wings on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, spaced so they don't touch. Roast 40–50 minutes, flipping once at 25 minutes, until skin is deep golden and crisp and internal temp reaches 165°F (74°C). - Frying: Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry wings in batches 8–10 minutes until crisp and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.

4. Sauté aromatics

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the minced shallot and cook 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

5. Flambé bourbon (optional) and build sauce

Carefully add the bourbon and allow it to reduce for 1–2 minutes; if you want to burn off alcohol, tilt pan to ignite briefly or cook until most alcohol evaporates. Stir in hot sauce, cocoa powder, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer for 2–3 minutes so flavors meld.

6. Adjust consistency

If sauce is too thick, whisk in hot water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a velvety, pourable consistency that will coat wings (about 1–2 tbsp). Taste and adjust salt, acidity (more vinegar), or heat (more hot sauce) as desired. Keep sauce warm over low heat.

7. Toss wings in sauce

Place cooked wings into a large, heatproof bowl. Pour most of the warm sauce over the wings (reserve about 2 tbsp for serving). Toss gently but thoroughly so each wing is evenly coated.

8. Make quick pickle

Combine white vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and peppercorns in a small saucepan and bring just to a simmer so sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat. Place sliced red onion in a jar or bowl and pour the hot brine over the onions. Let sit at least 20 minutes at room temperature (longer for more flavor). Refrigerate if holding longer than 2 hours.

9. Prepare gorgonzola

Crumble the Carr Valley Gorgonzola into small pieces. If you prefer a creamier drizzle, mix the crumbles with 1–2 tablespoons cream or milk to make a loose spoonable sauce; otherwise use crumbles as-is.

10. Arrange sauced wings on a platter or individual plates. Scatter pickled red onions over the wings. Crumble the gorgonzola evenly on top (or dot with spoonfuls of the loosened gorgonzola sauce). Drizzle any reserved bourbon-cocoa buffalo sauce over the top for extra gloss. Garnish with chopped parsley and an optional extra dash of hot sauce.

11. Serve immediately while wings are hot and crisp. Leftovers: refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days; reheat in a 400°F (200°C) oven to re-crisp and refresh sauce.