Dozen Big Hit Hot Wings Gf Recipe
House-rubbed jumbo bone-in wings tossed in Hot, Mild, BBQ, Spicy BBQ, Romano Garlic, Mango Habanero, Sweet Red Chili, Honey Bourbon or Kickin' Bourbon sauce; served with
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Ingredients
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Wings
House Rub
Sauces (choose one or offer multiple)
For Serving
Method
Wings
- 1
Prep the wings
Pat the 12 jumbo bone-in wings dry with paper towels. Drying removes surface moisture so the skin crisps. Place wings in a large bowl or on a rimmed sheet pan.
- 2
Apply baking powder & salt
In a small bowl combine 1 tbs baking powder, 1.5 tbs kosher salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle evenly over the wings, then toss with 2 tbs vegetable oil until wings are lightly coated. Rub the mixture into the skin so the baking powder and salt are distributed; this helps crisping without flour (keeps it GF).
House Rub
- 3
Make the house rub
In a small bowl combine smoked paprika (2 tbs), garlic powder (1 tbs), onion powder (1 tbs), brown sugar (1 tbs), cayenne pepper (1/2 tsp), dried thyme (1/2 tsp) and ground cumin (1/2 tsp). Mix thoroughly. Reserve about half the rub if you plan to finish wings after cooking; use the other half to lightly dust wings before cooking for extra flavor.
- 4
Season wings with rub
Toss the oiled, baking-powdered wings with about half of the house rub until evenly coated. Reserve the remaining rub to sprinkle on after saucing or to season unsauced wings for variety.
Sauces
- 5
General sauce note
Below are small-batch recipes for each listed sauce. Make only the sauces you want to serve. Each recipe yields roughly enough to toss a dozen wings (adjust up if offering multiple sauces). Keep all sauces warm in low heat or at room temperature; do not overboil (except where noted to cook off alcohol).
- 6
Hot (Buffalo) Sauce
In a small saucepan over low heat melt 2 tbs unsalted butter. Add 1/2 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce, 1 tsp white vinegar and 1/2 tsp honey (optional). Whisk until smooth and heated through — do not boil. Taste and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Keep warm.
- 7
Mild (Buffalo-style) Sauce
Combine 2 tbs unsalted butter and 1/2 cup mild hot sauce (or same hot sauce but reduce spice). Stir in 1 tsp honey. Warm gently until combined. Adjust sweetness or heat to preference.
- 8
BBQ Sauce (quick homemade GF)
In a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tbs brown sugar, 1 tbs apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp tamari (GF), 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and sauce is glossy; simmer 2–3 minutes, then remove from heat.
- 9
- 10
Romano Garlic
Melt 3 tbs unsalted butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese, 1/2 tsp lemon zest and 1 tbs chopped parsley. The residual heat will melt the cheese into a silky sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- 11
Mango Habanero
In a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup mango puree, 1/2 tsp finely minced habanero (or 1/2 tsp habanero sauce), 1 tbs lime juice and 1 tbs honey. Warm over low heat, stirring, for 2–3 minutes to marry flavors. Taste carefully for heat and balance; add a pinch of salt (1/4 tsp) if needed.
- 12
Sweet Red Chili
Use 3/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce (store-bought GF). Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat until it becomes loose and glossy. Optionally thin with 1 tsp water if too thick.
- 13
Honey Bourbon
In a small saucepan combine 2 tbs bourbon (optional; it will cook off), 3 tbs honey, 2 tbs ketchup, 1 tbs brown sugar, 1 tbs apple cider vinegar and 1 tbs butter. Warm over medium heat and simmer 2–3 minutes so alcohol aroma cooks off and sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and keep warm.
- 14
Kickin' Bourbon
Take 3/4 cup of the prepared Honey Bourbon sauce and stir in 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 tbs hot sauce. Warm gently, taste and adjust heat. Keep warm.
- 15
Finishing seasoning
Keep 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper on hand to adjust sauces or wings at the end. For Romano Garlic, additional grated Romano can be reserved for garnish.
Cook Wings
- 16
Preheat and arrange
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top. Arrange the seasoned wings in a single layer on the rack, skin side up, leaving a small space between pieces so air can circulate.
- 17
Roast
Roast wings at 425°F for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, flip wings and roast another 15–20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) and skin is deep golden and crisp. For extra crisping, switch oven to broil for 2–3 minutes while watching closely to avoid burning.
- 18
Rest briefly
Remove wings from oven and let rest 3 minutes. Resting lets juices redistribute before saucing.
Toss & Serve
- 19
Toss wings in sauce
Place cooked wings in a large mixing bowl. Pour approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup of your chosen warm sauce over the wings (adjust amount depending on how saucy you want them). Toss gently but thoroughly until wings are evenly coated. For Romano Garlic, combine wings with the garlic/cheese mixture and toss so warm butter melts into the cheese and coats the wings.
- 20
Alternate serving (dry-rubbed)
If you want some wings dry-rubbed, reserve 3–4 wings before saucing. Sprinkle the reserved house rub over those and serve alongside sauced wings for variety.
- 21
Plate and garnish
Arrange wings on a platter. Sprinkle chopped parsley (1 tbs) over sauced wings for color. Serve immediately with celery sticks (4 stalks), carrot sticks (2 carrots) and 1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side. If serving multiple sauces, label each sauce and place additional sauce in small bowls for dipping.
