The “Delicious” Frozen Wings I’m Making All Football Season (I’ll Never Buy Another Brand!)

Alexandra Foster
Alexandra FosterEditorial Assistant at The Kitchn
For the past 5+ years, I've worked in communications and managed companies' social media accounts. Before joining The Kitchn, I served as the Culinary Editorial Fellow for Food Network. My work has been published in Food Network, Whetstone Magazine, and NYU’s Bite Magazine. While working in the nonprofit world, I decided to further my education at New York University where I earned my MA in Food Studies. My aim is to highlight diverse voices in the food world through my storytelling. I am also passionate about ensuring that all people have access to food and have worked for the nonprofits Just Food and West Side Campaign Against Hunger advocating for food justice and food security. In my free time, I love trying new plant-based foods, listening to music or podcasts, going to concerts, and being in nature. I’ve also loved baking since I was a kid and find it very therapeutic, so I will jump on any chance I get to whip up a sweet treat.
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published Sep 11, 2024
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Photograph of grilled chicken wings covered in buffalo sauce on a serving plate with carrot sticks, celery sticks, and blue cheese dressing.
Credit: Kelli Foster

Football season is upon us, and while truth be told I’m not the biggest fan of the sport, I will happily partake in the game-day snacks. I’m talking wings, cheesy breadsticks, saucy dips, and restaurant-quality frozen pizza (of course). 

Since becoming a vegetarian eight years ago, wings are one of the foods I still crave. I distinctly remember attending a Super Bowl party and coming dangerously close to grabbing a wing as the sweet smell of honey BBQ sauce wafted through the air. In the end, self-control prevailed.

I’ve tried plant-based wings in the past, but none have been able to replicate the unmistakable meaty texture — some even contained bones made from actual pieces of wood. Hard pass. So when I heard that Blackbird, makers of some of my all-time favorite pizzas, recently launched a couple of new plant-based wings, I knew I had to be one of the first to sample them. 

Credit: Alexandra Foster

What You Should Know About Blackbird Texas BBQ Wings 

Blackbird got its start selling seitan, a wheat-based meat alternative, to local restaurants in New York City, and has since expanded into the grocery store freezer section. It successfully launched Buffalo and Korean BBQ plant-based wings in 2022, and this past June Blackbird added two new flavors to the mix: Texas BBQ and Thai Chili.

Blackbird’s wings are made with the chef-approved seitan and hand-battered in panko breadcrumbs (for an extra-crispy crunch) before freezing. The plant-based wings are naturally boneless, non-GMO, cholesterol-free, vegan, and kosher. Each box comes with its own sauce packet for you to slather on the wings after cooking. The Texas BBQ Wings sauce, my personal fave, contains tomato purée and paste, sugar, vinegar, molasses, salt, hickory smoke, and spices. 

Both flavors are available at MOM’s Organic Market in-store for $7.99 for a 12-ounce box, with plans to expand to more retailers later this year. You can also order them in bulk directly at Blackbird’s website.

Credit: Alexandra Foster

My Honest Review of Blackbird Texas BBQ Wings

I couldn’t wait to dig into these plant-based wings, and quickly preheated my air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to get the best results. I tore open the pack and was excited at just how much they looked like classic chicken wings. Per the instructions on the back, I set a timer for six minutes and defrosted the little packet of sauce in a cup of hot water while I waited patiently. 

I pulled them out and was actually bit … concerned; the wings were slightly golden-brown, similar to the color when they had gone in. I feared I’d undercooked them, but decided to trust the process and proceed with the next step. I added the wings and sauce to a bowl and got to shaking, mixing, and tossing until they were all perfectly coated. Then it was time to taste.

Credit: Alexandra Foster

I bit into one and was hit with an audible crunch — a welcome surprise! The wing was crispy and crunchy on the outside, sticky and saucy from the barbecue sauce, and had a tender and chewy inside. They weren’t hard or tough, like other brands I’ve tried. Some parts were more crispy, while others were more fatty and chewy, mimicking chicken pretty well. I could taste the panko breading, and the sweet and tangy barbecue sauce added a rich molasses flavor and a hint of smoke. 

These are undoubtedly the best plant-based wings I’ve had. I can’t wait to put a plate of these out for the next game (or movie night, let’s be honest). I’m sure they’ll be devoured by both non-meat-eaters and meat-eaters in no time. 

Find it in stores: Blackbird Texas BBQ Wings, $7.99 for a 12-ounce bag

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