Chicken wings are one of my favorite game day appetizers but they can be a hassle to make. Try this Sous Vide method which requires a little extra prep, but results in absolutely tender and perfect wings and less day-of cooking time!
Cut wings into drumettes and flats. Separate them together and season all the chicken wings with salt and pepper.
Place all the drumettes in a bag and seal with a vacuum sealer or use the displacement method to seal the wings (see below). Do the same with the flats. Try to get the wings in a single layer so they cook evenly.
Heat your sous vide cooker to 165˚F. Place the wings in the circulating water bath and cook flats for 60 minutes and drumettes for 75 minutes.
When wings are cooked, remove them from the cooking bags and let dry. You can do this either by laying them out on a wire rack in the fridge for 4-5 hours or overnight, or placing the wings on some paper towels to dry off faster.
Note: If you store the bags in the fridge without draining them, the fat from the wings will congeal back on the wings, making them harder to finish.
Finishing the wings: There are two options to finish the wings:
Broiling: Place the wings in an even layer on a baking sheet and broil at high heat for 5 minutes. This will crisp up the wings although not as much as option two.
Frying: Heat fry oil to 350-375˚F and fry the chicken wings for 4 minutes per batch. They will be crispy and cooked through perfectly!
For the sauce, combine butter, tomato paste, hot sauce, and garlic powder and bring to a simmer in a medium pot over low heat. When wings are done finishing (fry or boil) transfer them right away to the sauce.
Serve wings immediately with blue cheese or ranch and veggies on the side.
Leftover wings store fine in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for a minute on high or bake them until warmed through.