Chewy or crispy, seasoned simply or slathered in sauce, chicken wings are among the most versatile and delicious appetizers around, and a hands-down favorite for sports-viewing parties. In fact, Americans will eat a record 1.4 billion chicken wings for Super Bowl LIV, according to the National Chicken Council. “To put that in perspective,” they explain, “if Kansas City Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid ate three wings per minute, it would take him about 900 years to eat 1.4 billion wings.” 

Okay; we’ve got an obligation to eat wings, people! If we leave the eating to the coach, he could send the game into serious overtime. 

Fortunately, chicken wings recipes tend to be almost as easy to make as they are to eat. Since the most difficult task may be deciding which recipe to choose, we’ve put together this handy collection of wing recipes that runs the gamut from popular Buffalo to pickleback (not a team position, but a recipe involving pickle juice!). May the best wing win.

Quick tips for chicken wings

You'll want to keep three points in mind when you're shopping for wings and planning the right amount for your party.

• Wing-onomics. While chicken wing prices tend to rise seasonally in Q1, stores like Costco often have a good price on big bags of individually frozen wings, which makes it easy to stock up and use them as you need them. 

• Look for party wings. For easy cooking and eating, party wings (also known as wing sections) are already separated at the joints into drumettes and wingettes (aka flats), with the wing tips removed. 

• Cook the right amount. Plan on 6 to 8 party wing pieces (about 1 pound) per person, less if you’re serving additional snacks.

Buffalo chicken wings 

Classic Buffalo wings are deep-fried before getting coated with butter and hot sauce, but for a party we like to take things a little easier and bake chicken wings.

Easy Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

Easy Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings by Yummly

Baking powder is the secret ingredient that gives these baked chicken wings their delightful crunch. Just coat the wings in baking powder, salt, and a little oil; bake until browned and crispy; then toss in melted butter and hot sauce. Serve blue cheese dip for dunking if you like.

Cauliflower Wings

Cauliflower Wings by Evolve Vegan

If “everything but the chicken” sounds like certain guests’ description of the perfect Buffalo wings, you might want to try these vegan wings made with cauliflower. Before baking, florets get coated in chickpea flour with spices and nutritional yeast for an umami flavor boost. Then they're coated in hot Buffalo sauce and broiled for a little color. Serve with vegan ranch dip to really impress your plant-based guests.

Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings

Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings by Cooking and Beer

Roll-up your sleeves and grab the napkins, because things are sure to get messy with a batch of these hot wings. Made with buttermilk, sriracha, and two more kinds of hot sauce, these wings are first refrigerated overnight before being baked. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce for a spicier version of the Buffalo wing game day appetizer.

Asian chicken wings

A little sweet and a little salty, wings seasoned with Asian flavors are sure to be crowd-pleasers.

Sweet Asian Sticky Wings

Sweet Asian Sticky Wings by Yummly

Similar to one of the previous chicken recipes, these crispy baked chicken wings are coated with baking powder before they go onto a baking sheet in the oven. For the finishing touch, you drizzle them with a concentrated glaze made with equal parts soy sauce, honey, and brown sugar, plus plenty of fresh ginger.

Sticky Thai Chicken Wings

Sticky Thai Chicken Wings by How Sweet It Is

Sweet chili sauce with coconut milk, peanut butter, garlic, and ginger? Sign us up! Brown the wings on the stove and coat them with the spicy-sweet sauce, then transfer them to the oven. A cast-iron skillet works beautifully here.

Chinese Chicken Wings

Chinese Chicken Wings by Food52

Though Chinese fried chicken wings are traditional, this extra-easy no-frying recipe has a big fan base on Yummly. Marinate the wings in soy sauce, honey, lemon juice, and lots of garlic powder, then bake until just a little burned.

Barbecued chicken wings

The best barbecued chicken is all about the sauce, and with these first two recipes, you can reach for your favorite ready-made brand or simmer up a sauce yourself. But "barbecued" also means cooked over a grill, so we've got an option for that, too.

5-Ingredient Honey-BBQ Baked Chicken Wings

5-Ingredient Honey-BBQ Baked Chicken Wings by Yummly

No time to spare before the big game? Toss wings in a large bowl with store-bought barbecue sauce and a couple of additional seasonings, and bake! A foil-lined pan makes for easy clean-up.

Oven Barbecued Chicken Wings

Oven Barbecued Chicken Wings by Steamy Kitchen

If you have a little extra time, you’ll be well-rewarded for simmering up your own homemade sauce from peach preserves, tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, and bourbon. Bake the wings with paprika, thyme, and plenty of black pepper, and glaze them with the sauce at the end.

Honey Chipotle Wings

Honey Chipotle Wings by The Meatwave

If you’re a grill master, pay attention. These tasty honey chipotle wings cook over the fire, giving them that nice, sizzling char you take pride in. Prepared with chipotles in adobo sauce, lime juice, and soy sauce, they've got the salty and spicy element going, while honey cools them just enough so they can be enjoyed by any crowd.

Instant Pot, air fryer, and slow cooker chicken wings

Put your favorite equipment to work to help you get your wings to the table in a hurry—or slowly, if that works better for your schedule.

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Wings

Instant Pot BBQ Chicken Wings by Crunchy Creamy Sweet

Coated in a spicy-sweet rub, chicken wings cook in the Instant Pot in only 5 minutes, plus time for a natural pressure release on your multi-cooker. Once you turn them in barbecue sauce and pass them under the broiler, they’re ready to serve.

Air Fryer Chicken Wings

Air Fryer Chicken Wings by Best Recipe Box

Beautifully crispy wings seasoned only with salt and pepper cook up perfectly in the air fryer without any added oil, and they're ready in just 30 to 35 minutes cooking time!

Slow Cooker Sticky Wings

Slow Cooker Sticky Wings by Tracey's Culinary Adventures

If you’re planning a party large enough to feed a football team, you’ll need to squeeze out every last minute you can. These spicy sticky wings can be prepared the day before in the slow cooker, then finished in the broiler just minutes before kick-off.

Healthy chicken wings

Does “healthy” translates to “special diet” for some of your guests? We’ve got options!

5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Honey-Dijon Chicken Wings   

 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Honey-Dijon Chicken Wings by Fit SlowCooker Queen

Honey and mustard is always a crowd-pleasing flavor combination (especially when you add rosemary for good measure), and sweetened without refined sugar, the wings are Paleo diet-friendly.

Soy Free Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Soy Free Teriyaki Chicken Wings by OCD Kitchen

Made without soy sauce, these gluten-free teriyaki wings come with a secret ingredient: pomegranate juice. The pomegranate juice gives an extra layer of sweet-tartness that your guests will love but may not be able to pinpoint.

Crispy Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings

Crispy Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings by The Wicked Noodle

Know someone on a low-carb or keto diet? Chicken wings baked with oil, butter, and plenty of lemon pepper seasoning will be a hit, and the recipe takes about 5 minutes tops to prep.

Surprising chicken wings

Is your idea of the perfect appetizer one that gets your guests talking? You've come to the right place.

Baked Margarita Chicken Wings

Baked Margarita Chicken Wings by Healthy. Delicious.

With a finger-licking sauce made from limes, honey, and tequila (they’re called margarita wings for a reason!), these are the best wings for when you're craving a bit of sunshine. Serve with a side of chips and guacamole or nacho cheese dip for the perfect Mexican-inspired spread.

Root Beer Wings

Root Beer Wings by Dishes and Dust Bunnies

This sweet, tangy wing recipe has a sauce made with your favorite root beer, brown sugar, and chili powder. First bake the wings in a moderate oven, then crank up the broiler for an extra-crispy outer skin.

Pickleback Wings

Pickleback Wings  by Rouses Market

While a pickleback generally refers to drinking a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice, there’s no reason you can’t mix things up a bit. This recipe takes you straight to the dill pickle brine as a marinade for the wings. Because you can’t get too much of a good thing, the baked wings are served with pickle slices and a sprinkling of fresh dill. If you're thinking of a whiskey chaser, you’d be in keeping with the theme—but feel free to opt for a beer instead; it's a long game.