Crockpot Buffalo Hot Wings
Crockpot hot wings buffalo style give you tender, saucy wings without a deep fryer. The slow cooker cooks the meat through, and a short stint under the broiler crisps the skin. Set them out in the cooker and they stay warm for the whole party.
8
servings15
minutes4
hoursChicken wings cook slowly in a seasoned rub, then get tossed in buffalo sauce and broiled until the edges blister. Serve with ranch or blue cheese and celery.
Ingredients
3 lb chicken wings, split into drums and flats, tips removed
1 tbsp baking powder, aluminum-free
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cayenne, optional
Celery sticks and carrot sticks, for serving
Ranch or blue cheese dressing, for serving
Directions
- Pat the wings very dry with paper towels. Dry wings crisp up much better under the broiler.
- Combine the baking powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss the wings in the mixture until evenly coated.
- Crumple a long sheet of foil into a loose ring and set it in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. This lifts the wings out of their fat.
- Pile the wings on and around the foil ring in loose layers. Do not add any liquid.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is tender and reaches at least 175°F near the bone.
- Whisk the hot sauce, melted butter, vinegar, honey and optional cayenne in a large bowl.
- Heat the broiler to high and line a rimmed sheet pan with foil. Set a wire rack on top if you have one.
- Lift the wings out with tongs, leaving the fat behind, and arrange them in a single layer. Broil for 5 to 8 minutes, flipping once, until blistered.
- Toss the hot wings in the buffalo sauce until fully coated.
- Serve right away with celery, carrots and dressing, or return them to the cooker on WARM.
Notes
- For a milder wing, use two parts butter to one part hot sauce. For extra heat, add a pinch of ground cayenne to the rub. Leftover wings keep in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes on a rack to crisp the skin again. Freeze unsauced for up to 3 months.
Why wings work in a slow cooker
Wings have a lot of skin and connective tissue. Fried, they crisp fast but need a pot of oil. In the slow cooker, they cook in their own fat until the meat is soft and falls from the bone, and the baking powder in the rub dries the skin so it can brown later.
The final broil is not optional. A slow cooker cannot make crisp skin on its own because the steam softens it. Five minutes under high heat fixes that and caramelizes the sauce at the edges, so the wings taste fried without the mess. That makes this a good plan for big parties. The wings cook unattended, the oven stays free, and only the last ten minutes need your attention.
Ingredient notes
Chicken wings: Buy them already split into drums and flats if you can. Whole wings are harder to coat and to eat. Remove the tips or save them for stock.
Baking powder: This is the secret to crisp skin. Make sure it is aluminum-free, or the wings can taste metallic.
Hot sauce: Use a classic cayenne pepper sauce with a thin pourable texture. Thick, sweet chili sauces make a different dish.
Butter: Real butter gives the sauce its rich, rounded flavor. Margarine splits more easily.
Vinegar: A spoonful brightens the sauce so it tastes tangy and not just hot.
Tips for crisp, saucy wings
Dry the wings first: The most common mistake is putting damp wings in the pot. Water on the skin means steam, which means soft skin, even after broiling. Pat them dry and let them sit on paper towels for 10 minutes.
Lift them off the fat: The foil ring keeps the wings from stewing in grease. If you skip it, pour off the fat halfway through cooking.
Sauce at the end: Toss in the sauce after broiling. Sauce added before the broiler burns, and added to the cooker it makes the wings soggy. One more thing to watch is the broiler itself. Wings go from blistered to burnt in under a minute, so stay close and flip them as soon as the tops are browned.
Swaps and variations
For a garlic parmesan wing, toss in melted butter, minced garlic and grated parmesan instead of hot sauce. For a sweet and spicy version, use honey and sriracha. For a lighter plate, skip the butter and thin the hot sauce with a little water.
Using a frozen wing straight from the bag does not work. The wings stay too cool for too long and release water that ruins the texture, so thaw them first. If you like a dry wing, skip the sauce and toss with lemon pepper seasoning and a little melted butter after broiling. A touch of smoked paprika in the sauce adds a grilled flavor.
What to serve with wings
Put out a tray of celery and carrot sticks with a cool ranch or blue cheese dip, and plenty of napkins. Pair them with mac and cheese bites, potato skins or a pot of chili for a full game day spread. Keep the cooker on WARM so the wings stay hot between rounds.
Storing and reheating
Store cooled wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep extra sauce on the side if you can, since saucy wings soften as they sit.
Reheat on a rack in a 400°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway, so the skin crisps. The microwave works in a pinch but leaves the skin soft. Freeze plain cooked wings for up to 3 months and sauce them after reheating. Keep a small bowl of the leftover sauce for dunking, and never reuse sauce that has touched raw chicken.
Crockpot Buffalo Hot Wings at a glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 4 hours
- Servings: 8 servings
- Ingredients: 13, led by chicken wings, baking powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika
Tips for Crockpot Buffalo Hot Wings
For a milder wing, use two parts butter to one part hot sauce. For extra heat, add a pinch of ground cayenne to the rub. Leftover wings keep in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes on a rack to crisp the skin again. Freeze unsauced for up to 3 months.
Crockpot Buffalo Hot Wings FAQ
How long does Crockpot Buffalo Hot Wings take?
Crockpot Buffalo Hot Wings takes 4 hours of cooking after 15 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot Buffalo Hot Wings serve?
This recipe makes 8 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot Buffalo Hot Wings?
13 ingredients, led by chicken wings, baking powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
