National Chicken Wing Day

It doesn’t seem to matter where in the world a person goes, chicken wings are finding themselves onto every conceivable menu all around the globe!

In fact, there seem to be as many variations on this theme as there are cuisines to go with them. From parmesan garlic crispy wings to honey barbecue wings with a soft rich breading, there is no limit to what these delicious bits of bird flesh can make better!

Celebrating National Chicken Wing Day is for just about anyone, from the adventurous person who loves getting creative with their cuisine to the one who likes everything done the most basic and best way.

No matter what the personal preference is, National Chicken Wing Day can be loads of fun for anyone!

History of National Chicken Wing Day

According to the National Chicken Council in the USA, deep fried chicken wings are not a new thing. They have been part of southern cooking for generations. However, the idea for cooking the wings in a spicy hot sauce came about more than 50 years ago.

In 1964, bar co-owner, Teresa Belissimo, was trying to make a late night snack for her son and his friends at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. She cooked up some leftover chicken wings in hot sauce. They were so loved that the bar put them on the menu the very next day. They were served with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks in order to cut the heat. And the rest, as they say, is history!

Cooking chicken wings in hot sauce caught on with restaurateurs around the United States. Bar owners found that selling the cheap chicken wings with a spicy sauce would increase their beer sales, making it a win-win for everyone involved.

In 1990, even McDonald’s got on board when they introduced hot wings in some of their stores. KFC followed right behind, then Domino’s Pizza came along. The trajectory continued as each place made their own adaptations to the recipe, with breading or spices or some other adjustment.

Many places continue to call these chicken wings “Buffalo Wings” as a nod to the city of the original invention. But, rest assured, these have nothing to do with the animal of the same name, and no buffalo (winged or otherwise) are harmed in the making of this delicious dish.

The Mayor of Buffalo, New York in the United States called for Chicken Wing Day to be started in 1977, and the celebration has grown into an international event since then.

How to Celebrate National Chicken Wing Day

It’s time to enjoy and celebrate National Chicken Wing Day with these ideas:

Eat Some Chicken Wings!

It should make everyone quite happy to hear that the best way to observe National Chicken Wing Day is simply by eating a ton of chicken wings! Go out to a favorite restaurant or bar that sells chicken wings and enjoy a bucket full. Have everyone get together at one of the growing numbers of stores and chains that carry these sometimes mouth-searing treats, and eat them out of business!

Make Chicken Wings at Home

Get a bunch of friends together and challenge each of them to come up with a unique and interesting variation on this versatile food. Try these ideas for an National Chicken Wing Day celebration.

Chicken Wings can be prepared in a number of ways, though they are traditionally fried. But what are traditions for if not breaking? The most popular of all wings, the Buffalo Wing, sets the standard for this delicious treat: breaded, then fried, and finally tossed in a delicious spicy sauce.

But baking and even slow cooking wings have become popular methods of preparation.

Get Creative with Chicken Wings

Don’t be afraid to try new things, there’s not really such a thing as a bad chicken wing! Different styles will offer a great start to that National Chicken Wing Day celebration, and serve as a fantastic base for many others to come.

Hawaiian Lime Chicken wings are a great base for any recipe, just change what they are tossed in after the fry, and voila, a new creation!

Cooking Mexican? Then soak them in a chili sauce and light that mouth afire. Preparing Italian? Parmesan Garlic wings would be perfect–and this is just the beginning.

With such variety available, it’s unsurprising that they have become so popular as a snack food for everything from celebrating huge sports events, to birthday parties, and even weddings. It’s so easy to coordinate this dish with anything else you happen to be serving!