Forget Ordering Out For Super Bowl LX: These 3-Ingredient Wings Have You Covered

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When we found out how many chicken wings are actually eaten during the Super Bowl, our flabbers were officially gasted. Laying out a spread of delectable finger foods is a big game tradition on par with placing silly prop bets and actually watching the commercials for once, and chicken wings just may be the brightest star on your table. If you are planning a Super Bowl party and are mindboggled by the high cost or inconvenience of ordering wings for a crowd from your favorite restaurant, let us be the first to tell you that making your own wings at home is both easier and tastier than you'd ever expect, even if you've never tried it before. All you need are cut and prepped frozen chicken wings, BBQ sauce, and maple syrup (either genuine or artificial works here).

We've previously covered the hack of adding chocolate to BBQ sauce for a luscious, rich flavor note ... well, maple syrup works in a similar way, bringing a complex sweetness to balance the rich, salty nature of BBQ wings. Combined with your favorite bottled BBQ sauce, the maple syrup makes a glaze that, when tossed with the wings and cooked in a 425-degree Fahrenheit oven for around an hour, coats the meat in sticky deliciousness comparable to any sauced wings selling at steep takeout prices. Pro-tip: after baking, broil the wings on each side for about five minutes to ensure that the sauce chars a little bit.

If you're truly a chicken wing novice, you might be surprised to learn that wings are very forgiving when it comes to switching up preparation methods based on your resources and time available. Seeking the crispiest wings? If you have a nonstick roaster with a flat rack, you can ensure the air circulation that your chicken needs to toast up beautifully. But don't feel like you have to spend money on excess kitchen equipment. Your countertop air fryer can also go a long way towards producing perfect Super Bowl wings, especially if you aren't trying to prepare a ton at one time. Provided you take time to dab all the excess moisture off your wings with a paper towel before glazing them, your air fryer can produce the same results in 20 minutes that it takes an hour+ for your oven to pull off.

Now, if time is not of the essence, you can engage in a prep step that experienced home cooks love, and brine your wings before cooking them. Simply pull together your brine of choice — the internet is a goldmine for these recipes — and let your wings marinate in the brine for anywhere from several hours to a full day ahead of cooking. After brining, bake the wings naked and sauce them in your BBQ-maple glaze once cooked, then broil as usual. If you are a grillsmith and don't mind venturing into what could be a nippy Super Bowl Sunday in February, you could also sauce and grill your wings. The cooking method is much less important than the flavor. Your guests might just find these wings so delicious that they don't actually care who wins the football game.