Why it works: Chicken and garlic are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,850 recipes. Both carry 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine, which smells roasted, nutty. The science ↓
Buffalo Wings with Red-Hot Honey Glaze
Ingredients
Directions
Start baking
Place chicken wings in a 12 x 16 pan, in one layer.
Bake at 350°F in an oven for 40 minutes, basting now and again with the juices in the pan.
Season and glaze
Combine the honey glaze with all ingredients except garlic powder, salt, and pepper, in a glass jar and stir to blend.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Continue baking chicken and basting with glaze for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and deeply colored.
Serve
Serve with your favorite blue cheese dressing, if desired.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Honey | 1 tbsp (21g) | 64 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Sauce | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Chicken + garlictop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,850 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).
-
Pepper + garlictop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,090 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Honey + vinegartop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,586 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Vinegar + garlictop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,115 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chicken wings
- Provide the main protein, and their skin crisps and browns as it bakes.
- Honey
- Adds sweetness and helps the glaze caramelize to a deep color in the oven.
- Barbecue sauce
- Adds sugars and savory flavor that thicken and darken on the wings as they bake.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the sweet, rich glaze.
- Cayenne pepper
- Adds heat that gives the glaze its spicy kick.
The step that matters
Basting with the glaze during the final 30 minutes. The glaze contains honey and barbecue sauce, which are high in sugar. Added late, it caramelizes into a glossy coating without scorching, while the chicken finishes cooking through.
Swap the garlic
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, sauce, honey, vinegar, pepper):
- Tarragonfits about as well
- Garlicthe original
- Gingerfits about as well
- Rosemaryfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, sauce, honey, vinegar, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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