Penalty Free Chicken Wings for Game Day (2024)

Posted by Amelia Kermis, MPH CHES, Food Safety Education Staff, Food Safety and Inspection Service in Health and Safety

Jan 27, 2015

Penalty Free Chicken Wings for Game Day (1)

The star of most Super Bowl parties is the chicken wing, crispy and covered in a delicious sauce. If you are going to make wings for your Super Bowl party, follow these steps to make sure your dinner’s star player is safe to eat. You don’t want to get a penalty for giving your guests food poisoning.

Baking Your Wings
To start baking wings, preheat your oven to 400 °F. Meanwhile, place your wings in a rimmed baking sheet. To ensure maximum crispiness, do not crowd the wings and place them in a single layer.

After 30 minutes of cooking take out the pan, flip the wings and continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes. This will ensure both sides of the wings are crispy. Read on to learn how to properly take the internal temperature of a sample of your wings before your serve them. Taking the internal temperature is the only way to know if the wings are fully cooked and ready to eat.

Frying Your Wings
If you want to fry your wings, and are using a skillet, fill oil no more than 2 inches from the top of the skillet to allow space for the oil to rise. It is best if you have a candy or deep frying thermometer to ensure the oil reaches and stays at 375 °F. When your oil reaches that temperature you’re ready to cook.

Before frying, remove the chicken wings from the refrigerator and pat dry the wings to prevent oil splatter.

Make sure not to overcrowd the chicken wings as you place them in the fryer. If crowded, wings can turn out undercooked and increase the chances of giving your guests food poisoning.

While it is important to test the internal temperature of the chicken wings to ensure they are cooked, DO NOT test the temperature while the wings are submerged in oil. This will lead to an inaccurate temperature reading. To take the temperature of your wings, place them on a clean plate covered with paper towels.

Taking the Temperature
Whether you are frying or baking your wings, it’s important to take the internal temperature of multiple wings with a clean food thermometer. For an accurate reading, insert the meat thermometer into the thickest area of the wing being careful to avoid the bone.

If the wings are below the minimum safe internal temperature of 165 °F, return to the oven or submerge again in the hot oil.

After Cooking
Coat your delicious wings with a sauce of your choosing and remember to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Cooked food left out longer than 2 hours can rapidly grow bacteria making it unsafe to eat.

Category/Topic: Health and Safety

Penalty Free Chicken Wings for Game Day (2024)

FAQs

How long can chicken wings sit out at a party? ›

Unless the cooked chicken is kept warm, above 140°F, the general rule of thumb for cooked chicken is that it should not sit out on your kitchen table or buffet for more than two hours. Any cooked chicken left at room temperature for more than two hours should probably be thrown out.

How many chicken wings will be consumed on Super Sunday? ›

(NewsNation) — Americans are expected to eat 1.45 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday, the biggest eating day of the year behind Thanksgiving, according to the National Chicken Council. “Football is great.

How many wings can you get off a chicken? ›

Every chicken has only two wings. So at least 710 million chickens will have to endure horrific suffering at factory farms before ending up on grocery shelves or restaurant menus.

What to serve with wings on game day? ›

What to Serve with Chicken Wings: 15 Delicious Side Dishes
  • Onion Rings. You knew this one was coming. ...
  • Potato Wedges. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. ...
  • Veggies and Dip. Looking for something more on the refreshing side? ...
  • Saratoga Chips. ...
  • Coleslaw. ...
  • Pretzel Bites and Cheese. ...
  • Fresh Garden Salad. ...
  • Fries Your Way.
Apr 20, 2023

How do you keep chicken wings warm for a potluck? ›

If you're hosting a party, you know wings will be a winning appetizer—but one of the trickiest aspects of serving them is keeping them warm. If you want to prepare the wings and sauce in advance, preheat your oven to 160°F and keep the wings in the oven until party time, says Wichert.

How long can chicken wings sit in a hot car? ›

Per food safety guidelines, perishable foods such as chicken wings should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours, as bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses can rapidly grow in that time. Leaving food in a hot car can accelerate this process, making the food unsafe to consume.

How many chickens were killed for the Super Bowl 2024? ›

Given that each chicken has two wings, the amount of birds slaughtered just for Sunday's big game is a staggering seven hundred twenty-five million. America slaughters over 9 billion chickens for food each year, meaning almost a tenth of all chickens consumed annually will happen during a few hours.

Why do people eat chicken wings during the Super Bowl? ›

Because of its inexpensiveness and sharing ability for large groups, wings quickly intertwined with football and, over time, became a nationwide phenomenon especially beloved on Super Bowl weekend, per the council.

What is the most popular Super Bowl snack? ›

Tortilla chips took the top spot for the No. 1 must-have snack during a game day party, followed by cola, cheese dips and salsas.

Should you wash chicken wings? ›

USDA recommends against washing your raw poultry to help minimize the spread of bacteria; however, if you do wash your raw chicken wings, please remember to fully clean and sanitize surfaces that may have come in contact with raw juices, like your sink, countertop, cutting board and utensils.

How many chicken wings should 1 person eat? ›

Portion size is an easy way to eat better

A serving of chicken wings is 4.4 ounces, or about four wings.

What are the two types of chicken wings called? ›

Drums, or drumettes, resemble small chicken legs, with a single, main bone running through the middle. Flats, or wingettes, get their name because they're, well, flat. They have two smaller bones that run the length of the wing.

Are chicken wings healthy? ›

One skinless and boneless chicken wing contains 203 calories per 3.5 ounces, 30.5 grams of protein and 8.1 grams of fat which means 64% of the calories come from protein and 36% from fat. Wings can easily be a part of your healthy platter if not covered in rich sauces or breading.

What's a good side dish with chicken wings? ›

With recipes like crispy onion rings, creamy potato salad, and Korean corn cheese, they might just steal the show!
  • Perfect Thin and Crispy French Fries. ...
  • Classic Potato Salad. ...
  • Crispy Baked Potato Wedges. ...
  • 3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac and Cheese. ...
  • Classic Coleslaw. ...
  • Crispy Deep-Fried Jalapeño Poppers. ...
  • Foolproof Onion Rings.
Jan 27, 2023

How long can chicken sit out at a party? ›

It is not safe to eat raw or cooked chicken that has been sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours. Instead, you should discard it because otherwise, you're putting yourself at risk for food poisoning.

How long can food sit out at a party? ›

Food that is sitting out for a party or picnic should be chilled after two hours at typical room temperature. If it's above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) or more, food should not sit out for more than one hour. The key for food safety is to keep hot food hot and cold food cold.

How long can uncooked chicken wings sit out? ›

You can leave raw chicken out at room temperature for 2 hours maximum.

Are chicken wings ok to eat if left out overnight? ›

Cooked chicken left out overnight is most certainly not safe to eat. Cooked chicken left out of the fridge over 2 hours is dangerous and is no longer safe to eat – it must be discarded. To reduce exposure to bacteria, it's important to store chicken correctly when it's left out of the fridge.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Lilliana Bartoletti

Last Updated:

Views: 6102

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (53 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lilliana Bartoletti

Birthday: 1999-11-18

Address: 58866 Tricia Spurs, North Melvinberg, HI 91346-3774

Phone: +50616620367928

Job: Real-Estate Liaison

Hobby: Graffiti, Astronomy, Handball, Magic, Origami, Fashion, Foreign language learning

Introduction: My name is Lilliana Bartoletti, I am a adventurous, pleasant, shiny, beautiful, handsome, zealous, tasty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.