On the Mount Rushmore of all-American comfort food, chicken wings deserve top billing alongsidebarbecue,burgers, andpizza.
I’m referring, of course, to boneless wings.
The anatomy of a boneless wing is somewhat murky.
Photo: Buffalo Wild Wings/Facebook. Design: Eat This, Not That!
For this taste test, I recently sampled six different boneless varieties from six major chains in Oklahoma City.
Here are the results, ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the best boneless wings overall.
Zaxby’s
Alas, poor Zaxby’s.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
I had heard such pleasant things about this chain, which I had never visited until now.
Unfortunately, having sampled its boneless wings, I probably won’t be visiting again anytime soon.
An order of 10 wings cost me $11.29.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
In smell and appearance, you might practically taste the sticky sweetness before even taking a bite.
The taste:Once a bite is taken, all the woes are confirmed.
They’re as tangy-sweet as I feared, with the added audacity of being overcooked and rubbery.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
It felt like eating General Tso’s chicken with my bare hands.
In this case, the sauce I chose for the sake of uniformity, was Honey BBQ.
An order of eight cost me $4.99.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
On the up side, my expectations were completely met.
The saddest looking of the bunch, these nuggets arrived looking meager and haphazard, with seriously uneven saucing.
Some morsels were slathered in it, while others were completely dry.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
Regardless of sauce level, they just look like weird pieces of mystery meat.
The taste:Considering the sauce disparity from nugget to nugget, each bite was a different journey.
Those that were devoid of sauce weren’t sweet at least, but they were definitely bland and boring.
Photo: Matt Kiroauc, Eat This, Not That!
A minimum order of 10 cost me $13.29.
Not a high bar to clear, unfortunately, but noteworthy nonetheless.
Without being too scorching, they pack a punch.
I had heard glowing praise, but I’d also heard damning mockery.
So, as I ordered my boneless wingsanew menu additionthis yearI wasn’t sure what to expect.
An order of six wings cost me $5.99.
The look:I must say, these looked the least wing-like of all the boneless wings.
The taste:Fortunately, Popeyes boneless wings taste more like how they smell than how they look.
And by that, I mean delicious.
Sure, they look nothing like wings, boneless or not, but they’re still a great snack.
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Not exactly wow-inducing, but still an improvement over preconceived notions.
That sauce, too, exuded an appetite-whetting aroma that was deep, dark, and smoky.
The taste:Like General Tso’s chickenbut this time, in a good way.
The honey barbecue sauce was impressively balanced with just the right hint of heat juxtaposed by sweetness.
An order of six cost me $9.49.
They’re plump, clearly well-seasoned, and the sauce looks balanced and even.
The taste:Just like how these looked like actual wings, they tasted the part too.
They’re spicy without being overwhelming, providing more of a smoky smolder.
