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Stop frying your wings! 🍗🔥 In this episode of Dinner DeeAs, Chef Janice Carte (founder of Tiny Spoon Chef) proves you can get restaurant-quality "Buffalo Two Ways" right in your home oven.
What’s on the Menu:
- The "Stupid Good" Baked Wings: Janice reveals her game-changing secret ingredient—baking powder—and a 24-hour fridge hack that results in wings so crispy, you’ll swear they were deep-fried.
- Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Meatballs: A brilliant twist on the classic! Learn how to tuck a ranch-style cream cheese filling inside a juicy chicken meatball for a perfect one-bite wonder.
- Shaved Celery & Fennel Salad: The ultimate palate cleanser! Swap those soggy celery sticks for a bright, citrusy ribbon salad with roasted pistachios.
- Homemade Herby Ranch: A yogurt-based "Satan’s Cheese" (blue cheese) alternative that is zesty, fresh, and light.
Chef Janice’s Pro-Tips:
- The "Love & Hug" Method: How to properly form meatballs around a soft filling so they don't burst in the oven.
- Smoke Points: Why avocado oil is Janice’s "go-to" for high-heat 450°F roasting.
- The Portion Scoop: Why every home cook needs this one tool for consistency and "eye-appeal."
Click here to download a printable copy of the recipes below.
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Janice’s "Stupid Good" Baked Buffalo Wings
The secret here is the 24-hour "fridge nap" and the baking powder, which alters the pH of the skin to create a deep-fried crunch without the oil.
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken wings (flats & drums)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese (finely grated with a Microplane)
- 2 tsp baking powder (crucial for crispiness)
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 ½ tsp ancho chili powder
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne
- 1 stick butter
- ½ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Directions
- The Dry Rub: In a large bowl, toss the wings with salt, baking powder, Parmesan, and all spices. Toss to coat really, really well until the wings are fully encrusted.
- The Fridge Nap: Place wings on a sheet pan lined with a metal rack. Pro Tip: Lightly oil the rack with a high-heat oil like avocado oil to prevent sticking at high temps.
- Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours. This dries out the skin for maximum crunch.
- The Bake: Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake for 20 minutes, flip, and bake for another 15–20 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Toss in the melted butter and hot sauce mixture just before serving to maintain the crunch.
Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
All the flavors of a wing platter rolled into one juicy, "ranch-stuffed" bite.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb ground chicken
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko
- 1 tsp salt
- lemon zest
- 1 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup each minced onion, celery, carrot
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh dill
- ½ tsp fresh chives
- ½ tsp fresh parsley
Directions
- The Base: Sauté onion, carrot, and celery in butter until transparent. Add garlic for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool completely before mixing with ground chicken, egg, panko, salt, and lemon zest.
- The Filling: Mix softened cream cheese with the herbs and spices. It should be firm enough to scoop.
- The Assembly: Use a portion scoop for consistency. Flatten a scoop of chicken, place 1 tsp of filling in the center, and "hug" the meat around it to seal fully.
- Firm Up: Chill the formed meatballs in the fridge for 30 minutes to help them keep their shape and keep the cheese inside.
- The Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F and bake for 20 minutes. Toss in buffalo sauce (see recipe above) and serve.
Herby Yogurt Ranch
A bright, creamy alternative to "Satan's Cheese" (blue cheese).
Ingredients
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp fresh lemon juice + zest
- 1 tsp fresh dill, ½ tsp each chives and parsley (finely chopped)
Directions
- Whisk all ingredients together.
- Let the dressing sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. This allows the dried and fresh spices to "hydrate" and meld with the yogurt.
Crunchy Ribbon Salad & Vinaigrette
A refreshing foil to the heat of the buffalo sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 medium fennel bulb (thinly sliced, plus fronds for garnish)
- 3 medium carrots (peeled into ribbons)
- 3 ribs celery (peeled into ribbons or thinly sliced on a bias)
- ⅓ cup roasted pistachios (roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice + zest
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- salt/pepper
Directions
- Use a vegetable peeler to create long, elegant ribbons of carrot and celery. Slice the fennel paper-thin.
- For the dressing, whisk the Dijon, honey, and lemon first (natural emulsifiers), then slowly stream in the olive oil.
- Toss the vegetables with the dressing right before eating to keep them "firm and crunchy." Top with pistachios and fennel fronds.
To grab more recipes from Dinner DeeAs, click here.