Robert Irvine's Go-To Flavors For Tasty Wings - Exclusive
It's that time of the year — for chicken wings, that is. According to Reader's Digest, roughly 1.5 billion chicken wings were eaten on Super Bowl Sunday in 2021, which is a wild amount of wings by anyone's standards. Tasting Table turned to an expert to discuss this ever-so-popular game-day snack, and during our exclusive interview at the Sun Wine and Food Fest, Robert Irvine shared his favorite flavors for wings that will accommodate party guests with a variety of different taste palates.
When we asked about the best wing seasonings, the "Restaurant: Impossible" star answered, "It depends on the wing. Wings come in different sizes — big, small, medium. I prefer the smaller wings because they're more flavorful." According to Irvine, tinier wings — being naturally more compact — pack a more intense taste, especially with the addition of seasonings. Of course, given the sheer amount of flavor options out there, it's hard to choose just one. Irvine told us some of his favorites and the way he prefers to serve them to keep his game-day guests happy.
Irvine turns to three favorites
Robert Irvine's go-to wing flavors are garlic pepper, fajita, and smokey rotisserie, but when it comes to serving them at a party, he always places the sauce on the side rather than drenching the wing itself. "I never coat the wings, because I want you to coat the wings the way you want them, so we'll have the wing sauce on the side," he told us. The food personality explained that the fajita seasoning consists of a dry powder mix, whereas garlic pepper includes only three seasonings: garlic powder, black pepper, and parsley flakes. As for smokey rotisserie chicken wings, the exact seasonings are up to the cook, but the recipe could include some salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Despite Irvine's top three flavors sounding delicious, buffalo wings, barbecue chicken wings, and honey soy chicken wings are also incredibly popular variations in the United States. But no matter how you're serving them, the celebrity chef agrees that fried wings "are the best — end of story. You fry them, get them crispy, and finish it in the oven," he said.
New episodes of "Restaurant: Impossible" air Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Food Network. Keep up with Robert Irvine's latest projects on his Instagram page. For more information about the Sun Wine and Food Fest, visit Mohegan Sun's website.