Even if you’re not into the action on the field come time for the Super Bowl, chances are high that you’ll join the fan club for the snacks. Whether the lineup includes nachos, pigs in a blanket, or a dip-a-palooza, count us in. Of course, a sports-viewing party isn’t official until the wings swoop in.
For this reason, we drafted all of the elements to create your complete guide to Chicken Wing Champions some years back. This includes all of our greatest tips (you’re missing out if you haven’t dunked wings in tahini) and instant upgrades (turns out, ketchup is what your wing recipe has been missing). We even baked, air-fried, and deep-fried our way through our five most popular Buffalo chicken wing recipes to find our favorite party snack.
While those Restaurant-Style Buffalo Chicken Wings are “exceptional,” and a “10/10,” according to one home cook’s review (we concur), this competition is due for a rematch with another contender added to the mix: Camila’s Honey Chicken Wingettes.
The 5-Ingredient Wings Matthew McConaughey and His Kids Love
So who’s Camila? That’s Camila Alves McConaughey, the Brazilian-American model, designer, and philanthropist who co-owns a tequila brand—and shares three children—with her husband, Matthew McConaughey.
Over the last several months, we’ve learned that Matthew is rarely, if ever, “Dazed and Confused” in terms of his feelings about food. When he falls in love with a recipe, he goes all in—making his signature tuna salad recipe every Sunday, confirming that he could “easily shovel down” plates full of King Ranch Chicken Casserole, and admitting to mixing up a “wheelbarrow full” of his top-secret spice blend to share with friends each holiday season.
When it comes to easy, game day food, there’s only one recipe that has his heart: Camila’s baked chicken wings.
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
During a chat with our friends at “Southern Living”, avid home cook Camila explained that she frequently tests recipes for her website, Women of Today, with Matthew, their three kiddos, and Matthew’s mom, “Ma Mac,” as the “lucky guinea pigs.”
The recipe they request most is Camila’s No-Mayo Coleslaw, which went viral on social media when she first shared it. “I don’t know anything it doesn’t go with,” Matthew tells Camila after taking a bite in a video she shared to accompany the crunchy side dish.
While it’s true the slaw is a family favorite, Matthew pressed his partner in the conversation with “Southern Living,” asking, “Yeah, but what’s the one we really like?” Camila tipped her cap to the Honey Chicken Wingettes. Matthew agreed, adding that their sons, Levi, 17, and Livingston, 13, frequently compete to see how many of the spice-rubbed wings they can eat.
Get the Recipe: Honey Chicken Wingettes
Tips for Making Camila’s Honey Chicken Wingettes
After peeking at the recipe, we discovered several features that make them soar above the snack competition:
- The wings are baked instead of fried, which lowers the intimidation factor and makes cleanup easier.
- There are only 5 ingredients: lemons, garlic, honey, paprika, and the chicken wings.
- Prep time is only 10 minutes.
- According to Camila, they’re endlessly customizable: “Most kids like this recipe pretty simple, but you can always add more spices and extra seasoning depending on your kids’ taste buds.”
Camila shares a few hints to ace this recipe, which we’re happy to have in our back pocket as we tie on our aprons and prepare for the next game day:
- Marinate the wings in a rub made with lemon juice, paprika, chopped garlic, olive oil, and sea salt for at least 2 hours for the most flavorful, tender results.
- Position the wings skin side down on a sheet pan first to crisp them.
- Drizzle the honey over the wings just before a final blast under the broiler. At this point, she advises, “Watch these wings like a hawk! You don’t want them to burn.”
Before the next game tips off, we’re heading to the kitchen to try this McConaughey family-approved chicken wing recipe. Note to self: make a double batch in case any wing-eating competitions arise.
