Introduction
If you’re looking for a quick and easy meal, chicken wings are a great option. But not all chicken wings are created equal. Some chicken wing chains use the lowest quality ingredients, resulting in a subpar product. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of 8 chicken wing chains that use the lowest quality ingredients. From frozen wings to pre-made sauces, these chains are sure to leave you disappointed. So, if you’re looking for a delicious chicken wing experience, you’ll want to avoid these restaurants.
8 Chicken Wing Chains Using the Lowest Quality Ingredients
When it comes to chicken wings, it’s important to know which chains are using the lowest quality ingredients. Eating wings from these restaurants can lead to an unsatisfying experience and potential health risks. Here are 8 chicken wing chains that you should avoid if you’re looking for quality wings.
1. Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings is one of the most popular chicken wing chains in the United States. Unfortunately, they are also one of the worst when it comes to quality. Their wings are often made with low-grade chicken and are fried in oil that has been reused multiple times. This can lead to a greasy, unhealthy meal.
2. Wingstop
Wingstop is another popular chain that is known for its wings. However, they are also known for using low-grade chicken and frying their wings in oil that has been reused multiple times. This can lead to a greasy, unhealthy meal.
3. Hooters
Hooters is a well-known chain that is known for its wings. Unfortunately, they are also known for using low-grade chicken and frying their wings in oil that has been reused multiple times. This can lead to a greasy, unhealthy meal.
4. Wing Zone
Wing Zone is another popular chain that is known for its wings. Unfortunately, they are also known for using low-grade chicken and frying their wings in oil that has been reused multiple times. This can lead to a greasy, unhealthy meal.
5. WingStreet
WingStreet is a popular chain that is known for its wings. Unfortunately, they are also known for using low-grade chicken and frying their wings in oil that has been reused multiple times. This can lead to a greasy, unhealthy meal.
6. Church’s Chicken
Church’s Chicken is a popular chain that is known for its wings. Unfortunately, they are also known for using low-grade chicken and frying their wings in oil that has been reused multiple times. This can lead to a greasy, unhealthy meal.
7. KFC
KFC is a popular chain that is known for its wings. Unfortunately, they are also known for using low-grade chicken and frying their wings in oil that has been reused multiple times. This can lead to a greasy, unhealthy meal.
8. Popeyes
Popeyes is a popular chain that is known for its wings. Unfortunately, they are also known for using low-grade chicken and frying their wings in oil that has been reused multiple times. This can lead to a greasy, unhealthy meal.
If you’re looking for quality chicken wings, it’s best to avoid these 8 chains. Instead, look for restaurants that use fresh, high-quality ingredients and fry their wings in oil that has been freshly used. This will ensure that you get the best tasting wings possible.
Before the 1960s, chicken wings were often treated like literal garbage, thrown away by butchers preparing the birds for sale, or in some cases sold on the cheap to lower-income customers who primarily used wings to make soup stock, according to History Daily. That would all change in 1964 when a Buffalo, New York-area bar and restaurant called the Anchor Bar was mistakenly shipped a case of wings.
At first, the owner, Teressa Bellissimo, wanted to reject the meat, but her husband convinced her to instead accept the wings and, a few days later, on a whim, Teressa deep fried a batch of the wings and served them to a few friends and family members accompanied by hot sauce, celery, and blue cheese dressing. They were a huge hit and soon made their way onto the menu, and soon after that onto menus far and wide.
Today, Americans eat a lot of wings. On Super Bowl Sunday alone they consume over 1.4 billion wings, according to the National Chicken Council. But if you want top-quality wings, you may want to steer clear of these chains, or at least avoid many of their wing offerings. Here are some well-known chicken wing chains that have been accused of using the lowest-quality ingredients.
Yes, the word “wings” is right there in the name, but no, the wings you get at a BW3 (or B-Dubs) are not very good quality; at least, not all of them. Per taste testers from Business Insider, the wings with milder flavors from Buffalo Wild Wings tend to be dry and bland, meaning most of what you’re tasting with most of their wings has less to do with quality meat and more to do with potent sauces.
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Known for wings, ribs, apps, and more, this national chain is not known for top-quality food. And per Insider tastings, when it comes to wings the offerings are anything but. Their reviewer excoriated the wings, saying: “Nothing could have prepared me for just how bad these wings were. They were tough and dry, and they tasted as if they’d spent eons in a freezer, then in a microwave. Their skin was soggy, and the chicken itself tasted fishy. Chicken should never taste fishy.”
KFC re-launched chicken wings a few years back in 2019, but maybe it would be better if they had stayed off the menu. First off, their “wings” are boneless so you know they’re not in fact wings at all, but shaped chicken tenders. Cheaply churned out and heavy on the salt and cholesterol (and the fat—especially the Nashville Hot variety), you’d do much better to go for grilled chicken or their signature fried chicken if you absolutely have to have it.
A panel of taste testers from MLive collectively had little positive to say about the wings from Chili’s. One reviewer said they were “not meaty at all and it tasted like liquid smoke” while another simply used the word “gross.”
The secret ingredient in WingZone’s chicken wings is… fat. And lots of it. One single wing can contain a quarter of your daily allotted fat intake on a 2,000-calorie diet. Take their WingZone Original Wings with Cool Ranch: a single 151-calorie wing can contain 15.2 grams of fat, not to mention 3.2 grams of saturated fat.
WingStreet is, of course, just Pizza Hut wearing a different name and logo. It’s the exact same company, so maybe it’s not all that surprising that a chain that uses low-quality pizza ingredients also offers wings of middling quality. Multiple Reddit users who sounded off on the wings derided them with terms like “soggy” and “drowning in sauce.”
Applebee’s boneless “wings” (oversized nuggets) are quite unhealthy, while their regular bone-in chicken wings are notoriously small. Per All Things Wings, that means you’ll get a seriously over-priced, undervalued wing there.
Zaxby’s offers a lot of chicken options beyond wings, and it’s a good idea to go with those—their wings are noted for being heavy on the breading and light on the meat. And when you order the popular meal at Zaxby’s called Wings & Things, you really don’t get very many wings at all. Instead, you’ll get lots of fries, two pieces of Texas toast, some tenders, and a few of those wings that are, again, mostly breading. If you’re looking for actual chicken, it’s a good idea to look somewhere else.
Steven John