Football season has officially kicked off in the United States and few things go better with first downs and touchdowns than a heaping plate of chicken wings. Once a throw-away part of the chicken, wings are now a cherished American staple that you’re bound to find at nearly any tailgate or watch party. They’re so ingrained in football culture that Super Bowl Sunday is known as the biggest wing-eating day of the year with Americans eating an estimated 1.45 billion flats and drums during last year’s event, according to the National Chicken Council.
The chicken wing phenomenon has gained such popularity that even pizza joints have jumped on the trend. La Nova Pizza in Buffalo, N.Y., is cited as the first to add the specialty to its menu in the 1990s, and other major chains followed suit not long after. It so happens that pairing saucy slices with a little bit of protein is a winning combination. Established pizzerias also have a lucky head start in this area since chicken wings can often be baked in the same oven where they make their pies.
Three of America’s top pizza chains—Domino’s, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut—have been cookin’ up wings for decades, and I recently sampled them all to see if they’re all they’re cracked up to be. Let’s find out which brand fumbled their recipe versus the wings that are bound to score during your next game day. Here’s how each chain ranked from my least favorite to the overall best.
Domino’s
Nutrition:
Hot Buffalo Wings (Per 8 Pieces)
Calories: 520
Fat: 40 g (Saturated Fat: 10 g)
Sodium: 3,040 mg
Carbs: 18 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 30 g
Alongside its long list of specialty pizzas famously delivered in 30 minutes or less, Domino’s has also been slinging wings since 1994–making it the first major pizza chain to peddle the poultry parts. But, the drums and flats that consumers nibble on today aren’t quite the same as they were during this initial launch. The wings have gone through several batches of upgrades. “We totally redesigned the wing, from fat content to texture, to preparation and sauces,” former Domino’s CMO Art D’Elia reportedly told inveestors in 2020.
Now, the wing lineup includes boneless wings in addition to the traditional bone-in kind. These are offered in flavors of hot buffalo, honey BBQ, plain, sweet mango habanero, and garlic parmesan. Domino’s also debuted something called specialty chicken in 2014 which is essentially chicken chunks covered in pizza toppings, but that’s a story for a different day. I went ahead and kept things classic with an eight-count order of the traditional hot Buffalo wings—a flavor I sampled from each chain—and a separate order of the sweet mango habanero for a sweet and spicy treat. Both eight-piece orders cost me $9.99 each.
The look: The Buffalo style in particular came abysmally sauced—more like plain wings that were haphazardly drizzled with bright red hot sauce at the last minute. The mango habanero fared better, coated in a light brown honey-like glaze. But, all the wings, both flats and drums alike, were veritable small fries compared to other meaty options I’ve encountered in the past.
The taste: Following the poor presentation, it was just a domino effect of one negative after another, hinting that another round of wing revamps may be in this chain’s future. The first thing I noticed was inevitably the thin and unoriginal vinegar-based Buffalo sauce which tastes like it could be a one-to-one combination of Frank’s Red Hot and Tabasco. I was actually happy for a moment that there wasn’t more doused on the wings. That is, until I realized the chicken itself was even more unsavory. Akin to chicken nuggets with bones in them, the breading made each piece mushy and there wasn’t enough real meat on each to make all the hassle and mess worth it. Sticky sweet with a tolerable spice level, the mango habanero sauce was admittedly a high point, yet not enough to cover up the countless other “fowl”-ups.
Papa Johns
Nutrition:
Buffalo Wings (Per 8 Pieces)
Calories: 840
Fat: 58 g (Saturated Fat: 15 g)
Sodium: 2,920 mg
Carbs: 8 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 67 g
Better ingredients. Better wings? Papa Johns threw its own hat in the chicken ring in 2004, the same year the pizza chain celebrated its 20th birthday. At the launch, Papa Johns founder and CEO John Schnatter announced, “We’re delivering another quality product to our consumers by offering a better side item to complement our better pizza.” Meanwhile, early advertisements promoted the wings with catchy phrases like “It don’t mean a thing if you ain’t got that (Papa John’s) wing!”
Papa started out by whipping up flavors of Spicy Buffalo and Mild Chipotle Barbecue. Today, there are four sauce options including standard Buffalo, BBQ, honey chipotle, and garlic parmesan. Plus, you have the option to go without sauce on oven-baked traditional or boneless wings. I went back to the pizzeria’s roots with 6-count orders (though 8, 16, and 24-counts are also available) of the buffalo and BBQ for $7.49 each. I also noticed an option to have them cooked “well-done” (what I assume to be crispier) but held off for now.
The look: Slightly larger than Domino’s but not by much and sauced in the same lazy manner. Both sauces appear to carry a thicker consistency, however, and the Buffalo sauce in particular appears more promising in a brighter, more opaque hue. A nice char also stands out on the wings themselves, which is slightly surprising given the chain’s oven-baked cooking method.
The taste: Not bad, not outstanding. I am actually a big fan of Papa Johns pizza, so was really hoping for these wings to fly high. But alas, they are fairly standard on all fronts. The Buffalo sauce is a bit bland. It’s certainly viscous, comparable to Sriracha, and packs some heat—the accompanying side of ranch was appreciated—yet lacks a defined hot pepper flavor. The BBQ, on the other hand, is also thickset and tastes like it could have been squeezed from a Sweet Baby Ray’s bottle. The wings themselves are not too shabby with a crisped texture that I would choose any day over the sogginess of Domino’s offering. However, I was still dreaming of plumper wings where the chicken inside really has a chance to crow.
Pizza Hut
Nutrition:
Buffalo Medium Traditional Bone-In Wings (Per 6 Pieces)
Calories: 590
Fat: 28 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 2,230 mg
Carbs: 29 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 55 g
At the Hut, the company’s wing journey is a little different. The 66-year-old chain officially dipped its toes into the world of chicken wings in 1995. However, it wasn’t until 2003 that it really dove in headfirst with the launch of its sub-brand called WingStreet. This new entity was born in Dallas and has since grown to over 1,000 locations. Pizza Hut exec Lisken Lawler explained to Nation’s Restaurant News that WingStreet was started as a separate concept because the chain “wanted to show customers [it has] top-quality wings that are the best in the marketplace.” The wings are also said to stand out because they are deep-fried on-site.
Through Pizza Hut, and subsequently WingStreet, customers can enjoy traditional wings in 6, 12, or 18 counts or boneless wings in 8, 16, or 24 counts. Sauce options include mild Buffalo, medium Buffalo, burnin’ hot Buffalo, garlic parmesan, honey BBQ, sweet chili, and spicy garlic. It is also the only pizza chain on this list to offer dry rubs including Cajun style or lemon pepper, and, of course, you always have the option to go naked. Two 6-piece counts of traditional wings in medium Buffalo and spicy garlic sauce made up my own order and I paid $9.99 for both.
The look: Noticeably larger than the rest–not quite double the size but pretty dang close. I also have to commend WingStreet as these wings are flawlessly coated and glossy, with a look similar to orange chicken. It was difficult to tell the two flavors apart. But, if you look closely, you can tell the buffalo wings (on the left) have a slightly oranger shade compared to the garlic (on the right).
The taste: Comparable to wings I’ve had from real wing-focused joints and therefore miles ahead of Domino’s and Papa Johns in the pecking order. The beefier size allowed me to actually taste the juiciness of the chicken beneath all the other fuss and feathers. The breading was well-applied and not soggy or overbearing, albeit not as crispy as I thought it might be from the frying process. The top-notch quality of the poultry is what really won me over. But, the sauces are something to squawk about as well. More of a thicker hot sauce rather than a creamy Buffalo, the standard medium offers gusto and zest. The spicy garlic, while not overly garlicky, was seasoned and salty with a sneaky spice that hits you on the back end. These tasty WingStreet wings are a touch more expensive than its competitors, but ultimately, you get what you pay for.
