The 3-Ingredient Chicken Wing Sauce To Memorize For Game Day

It's game day and you need a sticky, savory, and sweet marinade for chicken wings that's scrumptious, hassle-free and doesn't come with a list of ingredients that's longer than your arm. We've got you covered with a 3-ingredient chicken wing sauce that's super easy to memorize and takes seconds to whip up by combining a bottle of store-bought barbecue sauce and teriyaki sauce with a cup of maple syrup.

Simply mix this trio of flavor-packed ingredients together before pouring your sweet and savory elixir over a large portion of chicken wings (around 20-25 wings). There should be enough liquid to cover them when placed in a shallow baking tray (or you can marinade them in a zip seal bag overnight and decant them into your baking dish prior to oven-roasting them). It's important to spread your chicken wings out in a single layer and turn them over a couple of times as they cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit to encourage the marinade to evaporate and thicken. Once your wings are tender, turn up the heat to encourage them to crisp up (if there's still a lot of liquid in the dish, remove half. You can either discard it or cook it down in a pan to use it as a drizzle or dipping sauce). With a little monitoring, the sauce should have reached the perfect sweet spot where it's developed a sticky texture that clings to the wings.

This no-fuss chicken wing sauce works so well because each ingredient brings something original to the flavor table. Barbecue sauce has heaps of smoky aroma and a depth of color, the teriyaki sauce is packed with umami soy, and the maple syrup provides that characteristic stickiness that all the best chicken wings possess. All three ingredients have an inherent sweetness, and it's this sugary element that helps them caramelize and develop a flavor-packed exterior and succulent center as the sauce condenses.

While using store-bought sauces is the easiest option, you can make your own sweet and tangy BBQ sauce, or teriyaki sauce with a handful of pantry ingredients. However, you can also deck out your store-bought stash with chili flakes, garlic powder, smoked paprika, or dried herbs to create a personalized blend in seconds.

If you prefer chicken wings that have a crispier exterior, consider finishing them off on the barbecue by threading them onto a chicken wing grilling tool, or placing them in an air fryer. The hot air circulating around the chamber will evenly crisp up the skin on the wings, lending it a satisfying crunch and inviting, golden brown color. Wondering whether flats or drums are better for delectable dipping? It has to be the drums because they have a convenient little handle for a mess-free dunk.