I have a confession to make. I actually HATE Halloween.
I hate dressing up.
I hate having all that temptation (read: bite size chocolate bars I end up eating 20 of) in the house.
I hate anything scary, or gruesome.
I’m not a fan of fake blood
AND, I’m super not into how on Halloween everyone seems to think they can turn any profession into something “sexy.” ie. Sexy nurse, sexy cop, sexy prison inmate… REALLY??
But, as a mom I have embraced the Halloween season with as much joy as I could muster for my kids. I decorate the house with fun – not scary Halloween decor and make cute bags of goodies for the dwindling numbers of trick or treaters.
On a side note, one thing I DO love about Halloween is seeing all the littles dressed up – parents following closely behind, carrying pillow cases filled with candy.
Our kids are older now – with two in university, they do their parties and costumes on their own and trick or treating with mom and dad has long gone by the wayside. Many of our Halloween traditions have faded away, but one remains. Every year I make Halloween BAT WINGS as our meal.
When the kids were younger, Halloween Bat Wings were REALLY bat wings. And the kids delighted in telling friends who might be coming over for this special dinner, that they were in for a treat. I think I got away with the “bat wing” thing for a number of years before they caught on.
No matter if you have trick or treaters anxious to go out on the candy hunt, or if you need to give the older ones something vaguely nutritious before they head out with their friends, these bat wings are always a hit.
Baked, not fried these wings are easy and fast to make.
If you wish, you can join the crazy trend of turning these wings black with food colouring. Not a fan myself, I have never jumped on this – but have at it if you want to be ultra authentic! I have heard a couple teaspoons of black food colouring and about 12 hour of marinating does the trick.
Older kids love having something “Halloweeny” for dinner and it always made me feel that I was making a small contribution to Halloween fun.
Give this recipe for Halloween Bat Wings a try on Halloween night – it is truly “spooktacular!”
Halloween Bat Wings
Ingredients
3 lbs “bat wings” a.k.a. full sized chicken wings – not the little cut up wings that you would get on “wing Wednesdays!”
3/4 cup pineapple juice
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato sauce
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp hot sauce (you can adjust to taste, but this amount is not spicy) just gives a little more flavour
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 – 2 tsp black food colouring (very optional!!)
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
If you have black sesame seeds in your kitchen – add these – they make your wings EXTRA spooky!!
Combine the pineapple juice, brown sugar, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and (if using) black food coloring in your choice of dish for marinating. I like to use old zip lock bags for this type of thing. First, it saves getting a bowl dirty, and second it really coats the wings nicely with the marinade.
Add the chicken wings
Marinate for 1 hour to overnight in the fridge. If you can make these on the 30th before you go to bed, you have one thing already ticked off your list for Halloween day!
Preheat oven to 400ºF
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
Remove wings from marinade and place them in a single layer on prepared baking sheets.
Bake chicken 30 minutes. While chicken is baking, combine the honey and apple cider vinegar to make a nice glaze. I like the consistency to be a little on the thicker side, so judge accordingly with your measurements.
Remove the wings from the oven and brush with your glaze.
Return the pans of chicken to the oven for 10 minutes.
Serve with black rice (extra spooky) and a salad.
An easy and fun Halloween dinner for sure
No matter your feelings on the 31st – we’ve got you covered for dinner. And we know dessert is not a problem, right?
Looking for another spooktacular recipe? Check out our healthy Sweet Potato Soup
One thought on “Halloween Bat Wings”