An American institution shrouded in red-hot mythology, the Buffalo wings recipe that kicked off the game day and bar night staple is hard to pin down. According to one origin story, a proprietor of Anchor Bar in Buffalo invented hot wings sometime in the 1960s. Faced with hungry patrons and a fridge full of chicken wingettes, Teressa Bellissimo pan-fried them in melted butter and husband Frank’s cayenne pepper sauce (yes, that Frank), and voilà: Buffalo sauce. Others credit Wings n’ Things, another fixture of that city—around the same time, owner John Young is said to have started serving fried breaded chicken wings with mumbo sauce, a tangy Washington, DC, condiment. But those weren’t the first times someone cooked up crispy Buffalo wings; an 1857 menu from the city’s Clarendon Hotel included a fried chicken wings entrée (no word on whether the kitchen served it with ranch dressing or blue cheese dip).
Buffalo chicken wings recipes endure because they’re easy and adaptable: Sprinkle hot (or sweet) smoked paprika on the wings to give them an extra kick (or earthy sweetness). Coat boneless wings or drumettes in the spicy Buffalo wing sauce, or serve a whole chicken with the spicy-rich sauce on the side for dipping. Instead of the usual condiments, stir garlic powder or celery salt into Greek yogurt to serve as a cooling accompaniment. Not in the mood to deep-fry? This breading-free recipe offers an option to barbecue the wings, but you could also make an approximation in the air fryer or break out a sheet pan for oven-baked Buffalo wings. Reheat leftover cooked wings on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet in the oven, or eat them cold straight from the fridge while everyone else is focused on the Super Bowl.