The Big Mistake That's Making Your Boneless Wings Dry
Chicken wings are an American staple. Whether you're washing them down with a beer or splitting two plates with friends, you know they're a reliable option whenever you're in a fix. Not only are they cheap, but they're also yummy and easy to eat by hand. Guess what? The National Chicken Council's 2019 Chicken Wing Report predicted something rather interesting: Americans would devour nearly 1.4 billion wings on Super Bowl Sunday by themselves, which would have averaged to four wings for every person in the country. No kidding! That is seriously a lot of chicken wings!
Chicken wings are obviously popular and when made properly are without a doubt lip-smackingly delicious. But what if you try to make them by yourself at home and they're disappointingly dry and hard to eat? Do you simply scarf down your less than perfect meals or give up and order in? Wait, not so fast. There's hope yet!
You need to cook them just right
The thing about boneless wings is you can actually get them done faster than the typical ones but if not done right, you'll find yourself regretting your choice as you much on absolutely dry, insipid wings. As per Smithsonian, the reason for that is applicable to different kinds of meat. Tough connective tissue surrounds the portion of meat that most people eat: the muscle. The cooking process turns that tissue into jelly-like sacs that make the meat moist. But as soon as the temperature gets to a particular point, the water inside the muscle tends to boil and pop the sacs, causing your meat to have a dry spell.
When we consider meat like the general chicken wings, the formula is slightly different because it has a layer of fat and skin that offers protection and keeps the meat juicy. However, boneless wings are at a distinct disadvantage. While there's a certain amount of protection from the breading, the chicken breast meat in the wing ultimately is fighting the battle on its own because there's minimal fat involved. So what you can do is stick to an optimal temperature (165 degrees Fahrenheit) that will give you the results you've been craving!