It’s time to be a wingman.
If you’re doing some last-minute shopping for chicken wings to accompany your Super Bowl LVII feast and you’re not quite sure what flavor to select, don’t fret.
Chicken, in particular, has been a personal specialty of mine for an extensive time, and as someone who frequents Buffalo Wild Wings for major sporting events, my judgment might solve your wing crisis.
Ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles-Kansas City Chiefs showdown on Sunday, let’s rank the top five wing flavors being searched in the United States this week (according to Google Trends) from worst to best:
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5. Buffalo Chicken
Buffalo chicken is far from the worst wing flavor you could pick. But in this specific list, it unfortunately comes in last.
It comes down to a matter of preference, of course. If you prefer the amalgamation of tanginess and spice, look no further than the orange-red look of buffalo chicken.
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4. BBQ
Most people know what barbeque-flavored food tastes like. Depending on how you make it, it can taste thick and savory, and the texture of such wings is similar.
Variations of barbeque, such as sweet barbeque, exist and is a personal preference over the original taste, but it comes in fourth.
3. Teriyaki
Teriyaki is another flavor most might be familiar with. There’s a rich sweetness to it that meshes with saltiness.
It’s not surprising that teriyaki sauce contains soy sauce as a key ingredient, which helps bolster the taste to top the previous two flavors in this ranking.
2. Lemon Pepper
Lemon pepper brings uniqueness to the wing table that hasn’t yet emerged on this list. Based on the seasoning that combines salt, black pepper and lemon peels, it adds a distinct personality to wings.
The lemon zest gives the wing a bold citrus taste, the black pepper and salt form a crispy texture on the exterior to make it stand out. It might not be your thing if you’re not a citrus fan – it’s not exactly a sour feel – but it’s certainly one of the elites in the business.
1. Honey Garlic
Honey garlic is exactly how it reads: it fuses the pungent taste of garlic with the liquid sweetness of honey.
It also usually features soy and ginger to add to the flavor, and the honey prevents the wing from tasting dry. It’s not a household name compared to the likes of teriyaki and barbeque, but if you’re looking for a change of pace to impress your friends and family, mix it up with some honey garlic.
