Incredibly easy Buffalo wings

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Boneless Buffalo Wings with Spicy Blue Cheese Dip
Boneless Buffalo Wings with Spicy Blue Cheese Dip

When it comes to watching the Super Bowl, I'm all about appetizers. So when I planned my Super Bowl party menu this year, the only hard part was deciding which of my favorites to make. Boneless Buffalo Wings with Spicy Blue Cheese Dip (see recipe below) made the cut without question.

Not only are they incredibly easy to make, they're boneless so I don't have to worry about our dog sneaking discarded bones off the coffee table during the game. EatingWell's version is made with healthy white-meat chicken tenders dredged in seasoned whole-wheat flour and cornmeal, then pan-fried in just a small amount of oil and drizzled with a tangy hot pepper sauce.

More awesome appetizer recipes for watching the big game:

Southwestern Layered Bean Dip: Plenty of black beans, salsa and chopped fresh vegetables mean a healthy amount of dietary fiber in this Tex-Mex layered dip. We use reduced-fat sour cream along with full-fat (and full-flavored) cheese to make the dip lighter without compromising great taste. Be sure to have lots of baked tortilla chips on hand when you serve it.

Hot Artichoke-Parmesan Spread: The healthy update of this classic dip delivers all of the rich flavor with far less of the usual fat. Serve with pita crisps or toasted slices of French bread.

Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks: Our oven-baked zucchini sticks taste every bit as good as their deep-fried brethren with only a fraction of the fat and calories. Serve with a side of your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.


Boneless Buffalo Wings with Spicy Blue Cheese Dip

Spicy Blue Cheese Dip
2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Wings & Vegetables
3 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk (see Tip, below)
3 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot, divided
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided
2 pounds chicken tenders (see Ingredient note, below)
6 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
6 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 cups carrot sticks
2 cups celery sticks

1. To prepare dip: Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, 1 tablespoon vinegar and c1/4 teaspoon ayenne in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. To prepare wings: Whisk buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a large bowl until combined. Add chicken; toss to coat. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, whisk flour and cornmeal in a shallow dish. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl; set aside.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll in the flour mixture until evenly coated. (Discard remaining marinade and flour mixture.) Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon cayenne.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, placing each piece in a little oil. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Transfer to the platter. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved hot sauce mixture. Serve with carrots, celery and Spicy Blue Cheese Dip.

Makes 8 servings (2 "wings," 1/2 cup vegetables & 2 tablespoons dip each).
Per serving: 256 calories; 10 g fat (4 g sat, 4 g mono); 83 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 2 g fiber; 353 mg sodium; 248 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (120% daily value).

Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make "sour milk": mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Ingredient note: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion.



By Carolyn Malcoun

When associate editor Carolyn Malcoun came to Vermont to attend New England Culinary Institute, she knew she didn't want to work in a restaurant but knew that she wanted to do something in the food industry. Luckily she discovered EatingWell, where she's able to combine her love of food and writing.



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