A Buffalo Chicken Recipe So Tasty, You Won't Believe It's Healthy
While a basket of wings from the pub sounds like an ideal meal to have, you don't have to always head out to get crispy buffalo chicken! This buffalo chicken recipe will teach you how to get that same delicious taste by making them right at home.
This recipe is incredibly easy to follow, and it doesn't always have to go with buffalo sauce. If you would rather a barbecue chicken, or even feel like attempting one of these chicken marinade ideas, you can use the same recipe as well! Just swap out the buffalo sauce (a mixture of hot sauce and butter) for whatever else you desire.
Looking for crispier buffalo chicken?
You don't always have to deep fry chicken to get it crispy. Did you know you can easily get a nice, crispy wing from baking it in the oven? The trick is to place a rack on top of a baking sheet, which will separate the chicken from the juices while baking. The juices will drip onto the rack, getting the skin nice and crispy. No need to fry it in oil to get that crispy texture!
How is this buffalo chicken recipe healthy?
For one thing, the chicken isn't deep-fried. It's baked in an oven instead of boiling in oil, making it much lighter in terms of fat content. This chicken also isn't breaded, which can be common for other buffalo chicken recipes or restaurant dishes. Lastly, the buffalo sauce is made with butter and no extra thickeners. This may sound strange, but most buffalo chicken recipes call for a sauce that is mixed with hot sauce (like Frank's Red Hot) and melted butter.
How do I make it less (or more) spicy?
Everyone has a different preference in terms of spicy or mild chicken, so to get it to your perfect consistency, you have to play around with the hot sauce and butter ratio. I would consider my recipe to sit between a mild and a medium buffalo sauce. If you want it to be mild, I would add another tablespoon of butter. Want it spicier? Only use one tablespoon of butter instead of two.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1 pound of chicken thighs, legs, or wings
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup hot sauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil and the garlic salt.
- Place the chicken on a baking sheet. Brush the olive oil mixture onto the chicken.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the skins are crispy and the internal temperature of the chicken is at 165 degrees.
- While the chicken is baking, melt the butter and mix it with the hot sauce.
- Move the cooked chicken to a large bowl and mix with the buffalo sauce mixture. Serve with a side of blue cheese and celery sticks.
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