I figured it was finally time to throw some wings in the slow cooker and see what came out. I bet you can guess. Tender deliciousness, of course. I mean, they were cooked in a slow cooker! The result was a batch of wings just threatening to fall off the bone. But boy, were they ugly. Half the fun of eating wings is a crispy skin, and obviously you can't achieve that in a wet environment.
The trick is lifting them carefully from the crock, setting them onto a rack, and then saucing them up and sliding them under a hot broiler. That skin will crisp up in no time, and all you have to do is give it a couple of sauces and a couple of turns. Minimal finishing work for such amazing results.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the majority of my wings in the future are probably going to come from my slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Sweet 'n Tangy Glazed Chicken Wings
Tender, slow-cooked chicken wings glazed in a sweet and tangy sauce made from cola, vinegar, and chipotle chiles. Perfect game day eats!
by
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 to 6 hours
Keywords: slow-cooker appetizer entree dairy-free nut-free soy-free chicken Super Bowl game day tailgating American
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
- 3 pounds chicken wings
- 24 ounces (2 cans or bottles) cola, divided
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced or pureed chipotles en adobo
Instructions
Cut the tips off the wings (discard or reserve for making stock). Cut the remaining wing at the joint to separate the flats and drumettes; place in slow cooker.
Pour 12 ounces (1 can or bottle) of the cola over the wings, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.
In the meantime, whisk the remaining ingredients together in a medium-sized pot; boil until reduced to about 1 cup, 15-20 minutes. Reserve the sauce.
Preheat the broiler. Line a tray that will fit under the broiler with foil; set a rack on top of the foil. Lift the wings carefully out of the slow cooker and place on the prepared tray; discard liquid in slow cooker.
Brush the wings with a good coating of the sauce and broil until the skin has crisped and caramelized in spots, 10-12 minutes. Flip and brush with remaining sauce; place back under broiler for another 5 minutes or until the sauce still looks slightly "messy". Flip and brush one last time, return to oven for 3-5 minutes.
Serve immediately with remaining sauce, if desired.
-sauce adapted from "50 Wings" insert in Food Network Magazine Jan/Feb 2013
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When January rolls around, and season-ending football parties abound, I start craving chicken wings. Around here, it's come to be known as "my yearly craving" (though I'll happily eat them anytime of the year). What better way to satisfy my craving than to enjoy a week-long festival of ALL THINGS CHICKEN WINGS! Join me this week as I share a simple tutorial on how to break down whole chicken wings, introduce different cooking methods, and of course share new recipes so you can put those skills to use. I even have a few friends dropping by with their own chicken wing guest posts! This, my friends, is the start of a yearly tradition—welcome to #wingweek!
Follow Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez's board WINGS! All wings, all the time. on Pinterest.
