Slow Cooker Chicken Wings
Tender chicken wings slow-cooked in a sweet and spicy Buffalo sauce, then crisped under the broiler.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chicken wings separated into drumettes and flats, 1.8 kg
- 1 ½ cups Buffalo-style hot sauce plus more for brushing, 360 ml
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 55 g
- ½ medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
For Serving
- Celery sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the Buffalo sauce, brown sugar, chopped onion, and minced garlic.
- Place the chicken wings in the basin of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the wings and stir well to ensure all the wings are evenly coated.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler element and preheat the broiler to HIGH. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
- Using tongs, carefully transfer the cooked wings from the slow cooker to the prepared baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer. Discard the remaining liquid in the slow cooker.
- Brush the tops of the wings with additional Buffalo sauce.
- Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until the sauce is bubbly and the skin begins to crisp and brown in spots. Flip the wings, brush with more sauce, and broil for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Confirm the wings have reached a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) with a meat thermometer. Serve immediately with celery, carrots, and dressing.
Notes
Food Safety: Always cook poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) as measured with a food thermometer.
For best results, pat the wings dry with a paper towel after removing them from the slow cooker and before broiling. This helps the skin get crispier.
You can cook wings from frozen. If using frozen wings, cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours.
This recipe is designed for a 6-quart slow cooker. If using a smaller model, you may need to reduce the amount of wings.