Unbreaded wings, also known as naked wings or traditional wings, are simply chicken wings that have not been breaded or battered before being fried or baked. The term “naked wings” refers to the fact that the wings are cooked without any coating or breading, resulting in a crispier skin and allowing more of the chicken flavor to come through.
Common Names for Unbreaded Chicken Wings
Some common names for unbreaded chicken wings include:
- Naked wings
- Traditional wings
- Plain wings
- Dry wings
- Naked buffalo wings
While simply calling them “chicken wings” would be accurate, using terms like naked or traditional help differentiate them from breaded boneless or bone-in chicken wings.
How Unbreaded Wings are Prepared
Preparing unbreaded wings is simple. The raw chicken wings are seasoned or marinated as desired, then cooked. Common preparations include:
- Seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, etc. before baking or frying
- Marinating in a spicy hot sauce before baking to make buffalo wings
- Tossing cooked plain wings in a sticky sauce like barbecue, teriyaki, or honey garlic
Without a crispy breading, naked wings will have a crispy skin when cooked properly. The meat will be juicy and tender if not overcooked. The seasoning or sauce coating provides plenty of flavor.
Advantages of Unbreaded Wings
There are several reasons why some people prefer naked wings over breaded:
- Allows you to better taste the chicken and seasoning
- Skin gets crispy from direct contact with oil or oven heat
- No carb or gluten coating, so can be lower calorie
- Easier to eat than heavily breaded wings
- Perceived as more natural or traditional
The crisp skin and pronounced chicken flavor make naked wings a favorite appetizer for many wing enthusiasts and chicken wing restaurants.
Disadvantages of Unbreaded Wings
There are also a few potential drawbacks to plain naked wings compared to breaded:
- Less crunchy texture than breaded wings
- Can dry out more easily if overcooked
- Boneless wings don’t hold together as well
- Requires more active cooking time vs oven baking frozen breaded wings
- Need to prepare dipping sauces vs having sauce in the breading
Despite those disadvantages, many people simply prefer the taste and crunch of a classic naked wing.
Serving Tips
Here are some tips for serving great naked wings:
- Fry or bake them until the skin is browned and crispy
- Toss in sauce after cooking for maximum coating and crisping
- Serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping
- Provide wet naps for easy clean-up
- You can deep fry, shallow fry, bake or grill plain wings
Aside from sauces and dips, naked wings also go great with crunchy celery and carrot sticks, ranch dip, and cool, refreshing beverages.
Popular Sauces and Flavors
While naked wings are delicious on their own, sauces and rubs add even more flavor. Popular options include:
- Buffalo – cayenne pepper hot sauce + butter
- BBQ – sweet, tangy, often with molasses or ketchup
- Teriyaki – sweet soy glaze
- Garlic Parmesan – garlic butter + parmesan
- Mango Habanero – fruity hot sauce
- Lemon Pepper – lemon, pepper, herbs
- Cajun – spicy Cajun seasoning
- Jamaican Jerk – spicy and aromatic
The sauce possibilities are endless! Match flavors like honey mustard, ranch, tangy barbecue with naked wings.
Where to Enjoy Unbreaded Wings
You can find amazing naked wings in many restaurants including:
- Chicken wing restaurants and bars
- Pubs/sports bars
- Pizzerias
- Food trucks
- BBQ joints
- Make them at home! Easy to prepare.
Check out wing-specific chains like Buffalo Wild Wings or Wingstop for a huge naked wing selection. Many pizza places like Domino’s also serve sauced naked wings.
In Summary
Unbreaded wings, also called naked or traditional wings, focus on crispy fried or baked chicken skin and juicy meat with seasoning and sauce flavors. Breading isn’t necessary when the wings are cooked correctly. Naked wings highlight the chicken and sauce flavors. While breaded boneless and bone-in wings are also popular, naked wings are a classic appetizer choice from restaurants to sports bars to home kitchens.
