The Delicious Sauce You Never Thought To Use For Wings

Americans like their chicken wings. The numbers tell it all. Per the New York Post, if you're among those who shun a plant-based diet and are compelled by Chick-fil-A's "Eat mor chikin" slogan, you probably fit the profile of the average American who will end up nibbling on close to 18,000 during the course of your lifetime. 

Then there's the eye-popping number of chicken wings Americans eat on Super Bowl Sunday. Ahead of the 2022 Super Bowl, the National Chicken Council put out a press release estimating that football fans would consume 1.42 billion wings on that day alone.

What is it about these two- (maybe three-) bite-size pieces of chicken that gets our taste buds going? Maybe it's the variety they offer: plain, spicy buffalo style, sweet and mild, baked, or crispy and deep fried, chicken wings can be prepared in a number of ways and dipped into whatever sauce makes your mouth happy. But there's one sauce you've probably never used on chicken wings, and it features a popular soda brand.    

According to the blog Your Cup of Cake, Dr Pepper can be a sweet addition when you're making a sweet BBQ sauce for your chicken wings. In fact, it will have you licking your fingers and your mouth. 

What's so delish about this sauce? Epicurious notes that the soft drink gives BBQ sauce an "edge," adding a new depth of sweetness that works well with the Worcestershire sauce and vinegar flavors. 

And if you don't want to make your a homemade barbecue sauce or simply don't have time to, no problem. Stubb's makes a Dr Pepper barbecue sauce as a nod to its Texan roots, per McCormick. So, the next time you are making up your chicken wings for an NBA Championship game, the World Series, or even the upcoming World Cup in November, you might want to consider switching up your sauces and adding this Dr Pepper condiment to your menu.