Buffalo Chicken Wings: A Quick-and-Easy Football Game Snack

Whether is a college football, pro football or even high school football, nothing tastes better than chowing down on Buffalo-style chicken wings with a frosty beverage in your hand and good friends to talk to. Buffalo chicken wings are such a good snack that we Bills fans -- yes I am one -- seem to enjoy them more than the team's success on the field.

A Football Snack Destined for History
Back in 1964, Buffalo, N.Y. bartender Dominic Bellissimo asked his mother to make a snack for him and his friends. She deep-fried a few chicken wings, covered them with her secret sauce and served them up. The friends liked them so much, Buffalo Wings became a staple at their Anchor Bar. Within a year, every bar had copied the sensation. The snack became a natural for the football season just in time for the Buffalo Bills' run of two AFL Championships.

The Recipe

This football snack recipe for chicken wings is easy to make and takes only minutes. The Anchor Bar starts with 2 to 2.5-pounds (about 12-16 wings) of chicken wings and split in half and discard the wing tip. Then deep-fry them at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. You want your chicken wings slightly browned and crunchy. Drain and pat dry. You may also baked them on a greased cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 45 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce

Make the sauce while the wings cook. My favorite is to take a quarter cup of butter combined with one-quarter cup of Frank's Red Hot Sauce. You may use any hot sauce you prefer, however. Melt the butter, and add the hot sauce. It's ok to make too much, because you'll always want to have more wings later in the week when you watch the rest of the football games. Remember to sample the sauce while you make it so that your Buffalo Wing sauce isn't too mild or two hot. Add more butter if you like it creamier. Add more hot sauce if you like it hotter. I like to add a little flour, a teaspoon, to the sauce as a final step. This thickens the sauce and makes it cling to the buffalo chicken wings.

Variations

Buffalo chicken wings much such a great football snack because you are able to alter the sauce to make your creation perfect for whoever comes to the game. Because the sauce takes only a few minutes to prepare, you may want to try a couple of variations. Add a little vinegar for an extra burst of flavor to your chicken wings. Or add a chopped up clove of garlic. For a sweeter taste, try adding a little brown sugar. Friends of mine have experimented with curry powder as well. Just remember to sample your chicken wing sauce as you prepare it. You may want to experiment with barbecue sauces or jalapeño sauces as well. The possibilities are endless.