Buffalo Thighs (and Wings)

Prep Time: 5 minutes                              Cook Time: 35 minutes                          Add to MyFitnessPal

Buffalo wings, a staple of taverns, parties, football games, and post-operative bariatric patients.

"What?" you might be wondering. "How can you say buffalo wings are a staple for bariatric patients? Aren't they terrible for you?" My answer is simple: NO! They're perfect for those of us, provided you make them right. The trick is to steam them before a full cook to create the same air pockets in the skin a deep fry would yield before broiling them to get that perfect crispy skin and succulent meat.

One thigh is the perfect serving size

Sometimes though, wings can be a little tedious, frustrating to pull apart, and downright expensive given the meat-to-bone ratio. It turns out that thighs can yield a very similar, if meatier, product. However, if you prefer to use wings, this recipe works just as well with wings as with thighs.

This is also a recipe you can stop partway through, freeze, and then pull out only what you need for a quick-dinner. I love to make up a large batch and then reheat one at a time.

Ingredients:
Chicken thighs, bone-in skin-on - 12
Cayanne chili sauce - 1/2 cup
Onion powder - 1 tbsp.
Worchestershire - 2 tbsp.
Salt - 1 tsp

Preparation:

Set a pot on the stove large enough to accommodate your thighs with about 3/4 of an inch of water - let this get to a full boil. While you're waiting, prepare you mise en place - it makes things FAR easier.

You can also scale this recipe up or down easily if you don't want to make a large batch

Place your chicken thighs into a steamer basket and steam, covered, for 15 minutes. Be sure not to overlap your chicken - this might mean you have to do it in batches, but if you can find stackable steamer baskets that's your best bet. While the thighs are steaming, turn on your broiler to high and place the rack in its second-lowest position.

The steaming is stage 1 to get that deep-fried texture

After 15 minutes, pull the chicken from the steamer and place, skin side down, on a foil lined baking sheet. Again, be sure to leave at least a small gap between each piece of chicken to allow the air to circulate fully.

To make the buffalo sauce, mix the remaining ingredients and brush about 1/3 over the chicken pieces. Broil for 15 minutes or until crisp but not quite burnt. You've got some leeway here as the bone-side is up and if you accidentally overdo it at this stage, you can't do much damage.

At this point, you have the option to save out and freeze some (or all) of the chicken for a quick reheat later. Just place whatever you want to freeze onto another baking sheet, brush with more of the sauce, allow them to cool, and pop them in the freezer until just frozen. Then place into a Ziploc bag for storage until you're ready to eat them. To reheat, just pop them under a broiler for 25 minutes on high.

Ready to freeze or finish

For any of the buffalo thighs you intend to consume or serve right away, pop them skin side up onto your foil-lined baking sheet, brush thoroughly with buffalo sauce and broil on high for 10 minutes until just browning. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (I love homemade ranch from my goats' milk) and enjoy!

Nutrition (per thigh, skin and all):
Calories: 202
Fat: 14 g
Protein: 16 g
Carbs: 1 g
Sodium: 515 mg