Sticky Maple Bacon Bourbon Chicken Wings

People. You must make this recipe. It's so easy and is, hands down, the best new recipe I've tested in years. Both the hubs and I loved this!

Because I've lived in the northeast for most of my life, college football meant absolutely nothing to me. That is, until I moved south. It wasn't until our second fall in Alabama in 2009 that we got "bit by the SEC bug." 

Hook line and sinker these two "Yankees," a term I don't usually like to use given our hatred for a certain baseball team but hey, started to say Roll Tide wherever we went. 

Roll Tide Roll!

Bandwagon fans? You betcha! Houndstooth and crimson is my favorite...but we truly enjoy watching all college football now. (I also need to note that I also follow the Louisville Cardinals since Lorenzo Mauldin is a friend from my days working at Family's First in ATL. Look him up. He's one to follow with an AMAZING story)

So how does one celebrate the start of college football season? Wings is a good start. 

Week one we went out to watch at a restaurant. Today we made wings. The best way I can describe these is they are a perfect caramelized sweetness combined with a touch of salty smokiness from the bacon (and bits of bacon cling to the wings). All is good.

If a recipe starts out with "cook the bacon"
it's gonna be good.

Ok so here it is!

6 slices of thick-cut bacon - I cut about 1/2 inch pieces (and then cut those in half)

4 cloves garlic, pressed in a garlic press (for prep put in a bowl with a little EVOO and cracked black pepper)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup maple syrup (please, for this New Englander, use real maple syrup. Not Mrs. Butterworths!)

1/4 cup bourbon or whisky (I used Evan Williams)
2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 TBS brown sugar

2 pound s of chicken wings
salt and pepper

You can make the sauce ahead:

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and cook the bacon until nearly crisp. I usually take a pair of tongs and dab the grease with a piece of paper towel as I cook. Add the garlic and cook for until the garlic is lightly browned, 30 seconds or so (watch this like a hawk - garlic will burn super fast and then you need to start over.)
2. Whisk in the ketchup, maple syrup, bourbon, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer the sauce for about 1-2 minutes. It should be slightly thickened (will thicken more as it cools) Set aside. When it isn't piping hot taste it and then salt/pepper as needed.
3.  Set aside (and put about 1/4 cup in a separate bowl)

Then cook the wings:

I use frozen wings, already separated and have figured out the optimal way to bake these but feel free to use thawed wings and bake or fry however you'd prefer to cook your wings! Here is how to bake ff you are using frozen wings:

1. Heat oven to 400.
2. Line a sheet pan with foil and place a wire rack on top
3. Place the wings on the wire rack and bake for 30 minuts
4. After 30 minutes salt and pepper the wings, flip them over and salt/pepper again.
5. Bake for 20 more minutes.
6. After 20 minutes lightly brush each wing using the separated 1/4 cup of sauce. 
7. Bake for another 10 minutes.
8. Warm the maple-bourbon sauce, toss the wings in the sauce and serve. We enjoyed these with some tator tots! 

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was posted on "Best Recipe Box" - a great recipe resource site! I have interacted with these folks and found them to be incredibly responsive and helpful. So I encourage you to visit the site to look around for other recipes - you won't regret it! www.bestrecipebox.com

"I want BACON!!!" - Fenway P. George