Chicken Wings

September is National Chicken Month. So I thought that I would write a little diddy about one of my favorite snacks, chicken wings.

Wings were once the least desirable part of the bird. But because they were cheap, bars started using them in the 1980s to keep customers thirsty. The tang, spice and sodium in the wing sauce kept the tab open for beer-guzzling customers.

By 1990, restaurants began to capitalize on a product that was low-cost by increasing portion sizes and selling wings on the menu as meals. Today 13.5 billion wings are sold individually each year, according to the industry’s National Chicken Council.

Wings have become such a popular menu item, that the world’s biggest fast-food chain – McDonald’s, is planning a limited-time roll-out of its “Mighty Wings” starting Sept. 9. The bone-in wings, breaded and seasoned with cayenne and chili pepper, will be sold through November.

I love wings because they can be prepared so many ways. Baked, fried, broiled, grilled, marinated, caramelized … you name it!

Here are some of my favorite wing recipes:

Honey Sweet Chicken Wings

Wings Pacifica

Buffalo Chicken Wings