Buffalo Chicken Strips

This weekend marks the exciting beginning of the 2009 football season for us Ohio State Buckeyes and one of the most popular places people go to watch the game and eat wings is BW3's. Most people like to eat their hot wings dunked in Blue Cheese Dressing. I think we all know these tasty little wings are near the bottom of the list for healthy chicken and somewhere around the top of the list for fattening chicken.

But what if we could get that Buffalo Wing flavor without the breading? Would it satisfy that craving for hot wings with Blue Cheese? Of course, it's not going to be exactly the same, but we thought it was worth a try.

These Buffalo Chicken Strips are designed for the grill, but they can certainly be made in the oven too. We're giving you a homemade Blue Cheese dressing recipe, but of course, you can always buy yours straight from the store. We'll tell you though - it takes no time at all to make if you're up for it....

Fire up the grill and try these out for the Labor Day weekend - we think you'll be surprised!


Buffalo Chicken Strips

For The Wing Sauce:
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
One Tablespoon Hot Sauce (Tabasco or Texas Pete)
One Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper or Chili Powder ( use your favorite)
One Teaspoon Paprika

For The Chicken:
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
One Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Prepare your grill.

To make the wing sauce, whisk the butter, oil, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne or chili powder, and paprika together.

Rinse the chicken breasts under cool water and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken breasts diagonally into 1/2-inch-wide strips and season with salt and pepper. Place the strips in a shallow dish or bowl and pour half the wing sauce over them, and toss to coat evenly.

Brush the grill grates lightly with oil. Place the chicken strips on the grill and grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the breast, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the grill and serve immediately with the Chunky Blue Cheese Dip, the remaining wing sauce, and of course, celery sticks!

Chunky Blue Cheese Dip
1/2 Cup Well-shaken Buttermilk
2/3 Cup Mayonnaise
One Teaspoon White Wine Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
4 Ounces Crumbled Blue Cheese
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Chives (optional)

Stir the buttermilk, mayo, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl. Stir in the blue cheese. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, stir in the chives and transfer the dip to a small serving bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.