Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Wings

Ingredients

SPICE RUB:

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder or dried minced onion
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried parsley

HONEY BUFFALO SAUCE:

• 3/4 cup hot sauce (Frank’s Original is what I always use)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 Tbsp molasses (optional but recommended)

WINGS:

• 4 lbs fresh chicken wings, patted dry

Instructions

• In a small mixing bowl, add rub ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly.  Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add chicken wings.  Sprinkle rub over the top and use hands to massage the rub into all the chicken wings.  I like to use nitrile gloves for this – easy clean up!
• In the empty rub mixing bowl, add sauce ingredients and whisk to combine well.  Pour over spiced wings and toss gently to coat.
• Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2 hours, or on LOW for 3-4 hours.

FOR STICKY GLAZE:

• Cook slow cooker recipe as directed above.  Line a baking sheet with 2 sheets of aluminum foil, then place an oven safe wire cooling rack on top.  Place cooked wings on cooling rack, then pour sauce from the slow cooker into a saucepan.  Add 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 2 Tbsp of water to a small bowl and whisk to combine well, then pour into sauce and whisk.  Cook over MED-HIGH heat until boiling, then reduce heat to MED-LOW and whisk as it cooks.  Cook about 5 minutes, or until thickened to desired consistency. 
• Brush wings with thickened sauce, then broil on HIGH for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce caramelizes a little.  Brush with more glaze and broil another 2 minutes.  Repeat this one more time and you should have perfectly sticky wings!