I knew I was onto something when my husband, one of the world’s most critical, and perhaps most experienced, Buffalo wing eaters, reviewed these as “Excellent wings!” That’s just the response I was going for and it is especially meaningful when you see how their numbers stack up against the ones he’s used to eating. The secret to keeping them crispy and flavorful without the saturated fat and calories is to par-boil, then broil the chicken instead of frying it, and use a touch of oil and broth in the tongue-tingling sauce in place of the usual load of butter.–Ellie Krieger

LC Little White Lies Note

Low-fat wings may seem to be something of an oxymoron. We realize that. Yet no one needs to know that this broiled Buffalo wings recipe contains no butter. And seeing as the results still draw on the requisite hot sauce and an über cheesy, über easy blue cheese dip, you and your guests may not miss the butter. Whatever you choose, whether to tell the truth or commit a little white lie, don’t forget the beer. And the napkins.

Five broiled buffalo wings on a piece of parchment on a wooden board with a bowl of carrot and celery sticks.

Broiled Buffalo Wings

5 / 3 votes
We know it’s hard to believe but these Buffalo sauce chicken wings are actually broiled, not fried, to a perfectly crisp finish and don’t contain any butter in the sauce. Lip-smackingly lovely is what we think. Have another. We won’t tell.
David Leite
CourseSnacks
CuisineAmerican
Servings4 servings
Calories276 kcal
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time40 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds chicken wings, split at the joint
  • 1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce, preferably Frank’s Red Hot, plus more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
  • 3 large ribs celery, cut into sticks
  • 1 recipe Blue cheese dip

Instructions 

  • Preheat the broiler. Place the wings in a large pot and fill the pot with water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then continue to boil for 10 minutes. Drain.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cayenne pepper sauce, lemon juice, and broth.
  • Move the wings to a broiler pan and broil 5 to 6 inches from the flame, until the skin begins to blister and brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the wings over and broil until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more.
  • Place the wings on a baking sheet, drizzle with the reserved sauce, and toss well to coat. Place the baking sheet under the broiler for 1 minute to heat the wings and sauce together.
  • Serve the broiled Buffalo wings with extra hot sauce on the side, celery sticks, and the blue cheese dip.

Video

Comfort Food Fix

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 portionCalories: 276 kcalCarbohydrates: 1 gProtein: 23 gFat: 20 gSaturated Fat: 6 gMonounsaturated Fat: 8 gTrans Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 94 mgSodium: 534 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 1 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2011 Ellie Krieger. Photo © 2011 bbivirys. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

EVERYONE LOVED THESE WINGS. No one even believed they were a healthier version! All I could find at the market were chicken drumettes — they looked like tiny, finger-sized chicken legs. The butcher said they would work the same. The recipe came together so quick and easy.

The only thing I did differently was line my broiler pan with aluminum foil. When I took my wings out to toss in the sauce, I did this in a different bowl, rather than in the pan with all the grease. I removed the foil to get rid of the pan grease and put down a new sheet, then poured the wings back onto the pan and returned them to the oven. I broiled the wings on each side for four to five minutes more (she did not say each side, but I thought mine needed it).

The wings, or drumettes, were perfectly browned. My teenage boys thought this was the best recipe I have tested! We’re not big Greek yogurt fans, but I had some blue cheese dressing we used instead. On a scale of 1 – 10, this was a 12!

Excellent wings, as described. These wings were incredibly easy to make. I didn’t have a “broiler pan,” as requested in the recipe, so I used a cast-iron grill pan. The grill pan worked incredibly well, as the extra fat from the skin of the wings dripped off. I suggest trying this method if you own this type of grill pan.

I ended up dipping each wing into the sauce instead of drizzling the sauce over the wings. I did find the sauce to be rather thin, and it didn’t stick to the wings as a fattier, butter-laced sauce would, but it was packed with flavor. I liked the heat the Frank’s Red Hot provided and the ever-so-slight tang from the lemon juice. I recommend serving the remaining sauce with the wings, and I also recommend broiling the wings a little longer than the recipe suggests. Delicious. Thanks, Ellie Krieger!

I loved this recipe. Boiling the wings before they go into the oven helps to render out some of the extra fat. I think it also helps to make a moist, tender wing as well. Watch the wings very carefully once they’re under the broiler, because when they begin to brown, it happens quite quickly.

Instead of drizzling the wings with the sauce, I put the wings into the bowl of sauce and tossed them well — that ensured that each wing had a nice coating of sauce. I broiled them for about a minute on each side once they were sauced.

I think that next time I make these, I will leave out the chicken broth, as that addition seemed to make a thinner sauce than I like. Serve with straight up extra Frank’s Red Hot and the Blue Cheese Dip. Excellent!

I was skeptical of a “healthier” Buffalo wing, but this really does fit the bill. It is a little more labor-intensive than just frying them, but the results are worth it. I prepared the wings both sauced and without (naked). The sauce is very flavorful, and I think I prefer it to the butter-heavy version.

The wings were really great with celery and carrot sticks and made a great Saturday night treat for dinner. Since we aren’t very fond of blue cheese, we made both a ranch and creamy cucumber sauce for the veggies. If you want a better wing this might be the one for you.

Are you expecting company last minute and want a fun appetizer that will not take too long? These broiled buffalo wings would be perfect. They are easy enough to make, and the wings came out nice and juicy.

Now, in my mind, these are “baby” spicy, so if you are as we are at our household, add some fresh, thinly sliced hot chile peppers to kick it up a bit. Even my daughters were able to eat them. Of course, I did not know how spicy the wings would be, so I actually doubled the recipe and made one batch with Frank’s Red Hot as per the recipe and another with barbecue sauce. You can still make them all at the same time, using different baking sheets when the sauce is over them. I must admit, I liked the barbecue sauce ones just as much. Although the blue cheese dip was awesome. I must say though, letting it sit a tad DOES help. Not sure why.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Great recipe. I broiled them for a longer period of time for better crisping and tossed them in some new hot sauce at the end (instead of just drizzling the remainder sauce).

  2. 5 stars
    Most delicious dish ever. I prepared it today and it is extremely quick and easy to make. The blue cheese dip is also very delicious and yummy. Thanks a lot for your great share with full explanation about this recipe.

    1. Hi there Baked Chicken Wings, so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Very appropriate name, I might add.