LOVE THEM CHICKEN WINGS!

I am on my second air fryer now.  My first was a Ninja 5-quart basket fryer which served me well for a few years.  Eventually the mesh in the bottom of the basket let loose from the sides of basket and it had to be put out of service.  These type of fryers work well for chicken wings as well.  You just need to stir the wings periodically to ensure even browning of the wings.  My current air fryer is the Ninja SP101 Digital Air Fry Countertop Oven with 8-in-1 Functionality.  Making wings in this bad boy is a walk in the park!

Follow my 50/50 Wings recipe below to get crispy juicy wings that will be the hit of the party!  Make sure you have some of our famous Bear Dog’s Kitchen All Purpose Rub on hand to season your 50/50 Wings ahead of cooking these up in your air fryer.

The Prep

Start with fresh chicken wings and make sure they are thawed out and relatively dry.  Now you can apply the rub directly to the wings one by one, flipping and repeating as you go but this takes a lot of time and wastes a lot of seasoning.  I recommend using a gallon size zip-loc bag to apply the rub.  You may need to do this in two batches but it’s still quicker and easier than applying rub to wings by shaking the seasoning directly onto the wings.

To use the zip-loc method, place about 3 tbsp. of the Bear Dog’s All Purpose Seasoning & Rub into the bottom of the one gallon zip-loc.  Now place about 1 pound of wings into the bag and seal up the bag leaving a good amount of air in the bag as well to make shaking and coating the wings easier.  Shake the bag pretty quickly for about 5 or 10 seconds or until the wings are nicely coated with the rub.

The 50/50 cook

My 50/50 Wings rely on 15 minutes of air frying followed by 15 minutes on bake to achieve a wonderful crispy exterior while maintaining a juicy wing on the inside.  To accomplish this simply set your air fryer on ‘Air Fry’ for 15 minutes at 395 F degrees.  Once pre-heated, slide the mesh rack of wings into the fryer with the catch pan underneath to catch the juices/drippings from the wings while they cook.

Once the 15 minutes has expired, using a tongs or a fork, flip the wings over to get ready for the next portion of the cook.  For the second half of the cook, set the air fryer on “Bake” and set to 395 F degrees, cook for another 15 minutes to finish the cook on your 50/50 Wings.

The Serve

Now that you 50/50 Wings are done cooking simply go ahead and serve these up however you love to eat your wings.  One of my favorite ways to eat these is to toss 6 or 8 wings in a bowl and drizzle with ranch dressing and Frank’s Extra RedHot.  Now I know that’s probably not for everyone.  Of course tossing some wings on a plate and serving dipping sauce on the side is always a good way to go as well.  Suggestions for sauces and sides include BBQ sauce, sweet & sour sauce, ranch dressing, hot sauces, even a little of your favorite jam or jelly!

50/50 Wings

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes 30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 431 calories 17 fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. chicken wings
• 1/4 cup Bear Dog's All Purpose Seasoning & Rub

Instructions

1. Make sure your chicken wings are thawed and relatively dry before cooking.
2. Toss the 1/4 cup of Bear Dog's All Purpose Seasoning & Rub into the bottom of a 1 gallon zip-loc bag.
3. Place the chicken wings into the zip-loc bag and seal the bag, leaving some air in the bag to aid in the shaking/mixing process.
4. Shake the bag to coat the wings in the rub.
5. Place the wings in a single layer on the air fryer mesh screen trying to leave a small space between each wing.
6. Pre-heat air fryer on 'Air Fry' setting and 395 degrees with the timer set to 15 minutes.
7. Once pre-heated, slide the mesh rack of wings into the fryer with the catch pan underneath to catch the juices/drippings from the wings while they cook.
8. Once the 15 minutes has expired, using a tongs or a fork, flip the wings over.
9. Set the air fryer on "Bake" this time staying at 395 degrees for another 15 minutes.
10. Remove wings at the end of this 15 minute "Bake' and serve with your favorite sauces!

The post 50/50 Wings first appeared on Bear Dog's Kitchen.

CHOP. ROAST. SIMMER. YUM.

I am using my new Recteq Bullseye wood pellet grill to roast up a pile of red peppers for this amazing red pepper soup.  I also highly recommend that you use an immersion blender to blend the soup at the end as it is much safer than trying to dump a pot of simmering soup into a blender!  Alternately you could use a potato masher to mash and do a rough blend of the soup, leaving it a bit chunkier.  It’ll still taste just as great.

To Start

You will want to wash your peppers and remove the seeds and soft webbing from the inside…  Chop the red peppers into large chunks and drizzle with olive oil and hit with some salt and pepper to prepare these for the grill.

Ready for the grill!

Smoke Roasted Red Peppers

At 500 degrees F the red peppers will take about 20 minutes to roast.  I recommend you keep an eye on this process so that they don’t get overly charred.  Turn them over and rearrange as needed to get an even cook on all the peppers.  To roast these in your oven the process is very similar.  Follow the directions for broiling for whatever type of oven you have.  Typically this is placing the peppers 5 – 6 inches away from the broiler element and setting the oven to broil at 400 to 500 degrees.  The key is to keep an eye on things and adjust as necessary.

Roasted red peppers on the Recteq Bullseye wood pellet grill

Soup It Up

While the peppers are roasting peel and chop the onion, carrots and celery, no bigger than about a 1/2 inch chop.

Next, heat up a stock pot on med-high on the stove with a tbsp. of olive oil and cook the chopped onion, carrots and celery until they start to soften.

Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic, basil and thyme giving a few more stirs until the garlic, basil and thyme is thoroughly combined.

Add the vegetable stock, crushed tomatoes and the roasted red peppers. Stir thoroughly.

Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 40 minutes remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to blend the ingredients to a nice soup like consistency.

Serving Options

This red pepper soup is great for those following a Keto diet or any low carb diet.  For other Keto friendly options you can check out my Keto friendly recipes as well!

I like to top with some fresh ricotta however you may want to experiment with other flavors…  Sour cream, creme fraiche, grated parmesan or croutons are all great options as well!

Smoke Roasted Red Pepper Ricotta Soup

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Serves: 6 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 50 minutes 50 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 6 fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt & pepper (to taste)
• Garlic powder (to taste)
• 5 red bell peppers
• Large onion (yellow or white)
• 4 stalks celery
• 4 large carrots
• 3 garlic cloves
• ~5 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (plain, no Italian spices added)

Instructions

1.  Cut red peppers in half and rinse while removing seeds and soft spines inside.
2. Cut in half again to prep them for roasting.
3. Drizzle prepped peppers with 1 tbsp. olive oil and hit them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Fire up smoker to 500 degrees and once it has reached temperature place the peppers on the grill surface and shut the lid. (Alternately roast these in your oven on broil about 4 or 6 inches under your broiler element)
5. While the peppers are roasting peel and chop the onion, carrots and celery.  These should be fairly small so they cook through easily, no bigger than about a 1/2 inch chop.
6. Heat a 5 quart stock pot on med-high on the stove with a tbsp. of olive oil, once heated toss in the onion, carrots and celery.  Cook until vegetables start to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and add 3 garlic cloves by running them through a garlic press.  Alternately chop garlic finely if you don't have a garlic press.
8. Rip up the ~5 fresh basil leaves and 1 tbsp. of fresh thyme and add to the pot.  Note: don't include the woody stalks the thyme comes on.  Simply rub a handful of the thyme between your hands to release the thyme leaves from the stalks.
9. Reduce heat to medium and return the pot to the heat stirring often until the garlic, basil and thyme is thoroughly combined.
10. Add 4 cups of vegetable stock, 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and the roasted red peppers. Stir thoroughly.
11. Once the mixture starts to boil immediately reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
12. After 40 minutes remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
13. Use an immersion blender to blend the ingredients to a nice soup like consistency.  Note, it will still have some texture which is just fine.
14. Serve up in your favorite soup bowl and top with a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese.  You can also toss on a few chopped chives for nice contrast of color.

The post Smoke Roasted Red Pepper Ricotta Soup first appeared on Bear Dog's Kitchen.

POUND. CUT. COAT. FRY.

Let’s face it, eating healthy can be a pain.  We eat low carb as a life style choice and occasionally go full Keto to supercharge results.  It doesn’t take long to get some cravings for something a little less healthy.  These chicken tenders dipped in some ranch, hot sauce, or no sugar added BBQ sauce is a great way to stay low carb and feel like your cheating!

To Start

If you don’t have a meat tenderizer you can use a rolling pin to pound the chicken, this is what I used before I purchased a meat tenderizer.  The chicken tenders will truly be more tender if you take the time to do this step.  To tenderize, take a section of parchment paper at least a couple feet long.  Place the chicken breasts on one half of the parchment paper and fold the other half over the top of the breasts.  With the flat side of the meat tenderizer pound the chicken evenly until thinned nicely, probably leaving it about 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick.

Next

Next simply cut these tenderized chicken breasts to the size you would like them for serving / dipping.

To Cook

I pan fry these in a cast iron skillet.  A non-stick teflon pan will work fine too…

Dip each chicken tender in the egg and then into the dry ingredients coating thoroughly then place into the fry pan.

Paying attention to the first tenders placed into the pan, after about 2 or 3 minutes start checking the bottom side for browning.  Once well browned turn them over, working through all the tenders as they brown up.

The second side might cook a bit faster now that everything is heated up, including the chicken tenders.  Once the second side is well browned remove from pan and serve.  If you’re not confident on whether they are properly cooked through; use an instant read thermometer placed into the center of the biggest chicken tenders and make sure you reach 165 F before removing from the pan.

If you’re on a keto meal plan these have about 3 grams of carbs per serving (1/4 lb.) Don’t forget to check out my other Keto Friendly recipes!

Pan-fried Chicken Tenders

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes 25 minutes

Nutrition facts: 215 calories 15 fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken breast (or chicken tenderloins)
• 1 egg
• DRY INGREDIENTS:
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup canned parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. chili pepper (I use Chipotle Chili Pepper for an extra kick of heat)

Instructions

1. Trim any excess fat or skin so you have clean chicken breast.
2. Tenderize and pound thin: Place chicken breasts in parchment paper, pull enough off the roll to put the chicken on one end and fold the rest over the top of the chicken.  With a tenderizer mallet (smooth surface side) pound the chicken until thinned about in half (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick).
3. Slice chicken into the size of tenders you want to eat, I do about 1 inch wide by 2 - 4 inches long.
4. In one bowl break and whisk the egg.
5. In another bowl add the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until well blended.
6. In a cast iron skillet add 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil and bring up to a med-high heat.
7. Dip each tender in the egg and then into the dry ingredients coating thoroughly then place into the fry pan.
8. Paying attention to the first tenders placed into the pan, after about 2 or 3 minutes start checking the bottom side for browning.  Once well browned turn them over, working through all the tenders as they brown up.
9. The second side might cook a bit faster now that everything is heated up, including the tenders.  Once the second side is well browned remove from pan and serve.  If you're not confident on whether they are properly cooked through; use an instant read thermometer placed into the center of the biggest tenders and make sure you reach 165 F before removing from the pan.

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. I use Frank's Extra Red Hot and Ranch primarily, which are keto friendly as well. There are a lot of low carb options out there now, like Sweet Baby Ray's No Sugar Added barbeque sauce and G Hughes' Smokehouse Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce.

The post Pan-fried Chicken Tenders first appeared on Bear Dog's Kitchen.

GO PACK!

My smoker is a Green Mountain Grill.  Sometimes just called a GMG.  It is the GMG Daniel Boone model that I have had since 2014. You can see their latest models here.  It’s been a good smoker for me and cranked out a lot of smoked meat, from brisket to whole chicken to pork butt (also called pork shoulder), which is the pork used to make delicious pulled pork.  Check out my Smoked Pulled Pork recipe too!

On game day just fire up the smoker, toss some thawed chicken wings in a gallon size ziploc with some of your favorite chicken wing rub, or grab some of my Bear Dog’s Kitchen All Purpose Seasoning & Rub to make life even easier, toss to coat the wings with rub and throw them on the smoker until fully cooked!  It’s that easy!

I have a favorite spice mix that I’ve bottled and shared with the world called Bear Dog’s Kitchen All Purpose Seasoning & Rub.   It can be purchased in my store on this site.  My all purpose rub is a great way to go and highly recommended but there are also lots of options when it comes to flavoring wings.  That’s the fun part of cooking.  Think about different flavor profiles you like and pick spices to match.  For instance Asian/Oriental spices, lemon pepper, bar-b-que, or even honey garlic.  Brush a little honey or bar-b-que sauce on each wing near the end and leave on the smoker for 15-20 minutes to set the sauce.  If you experiment you will sometimes fail but I guarantee you will also occasionally win and invent your new favorite recipe!

Smoker Wings

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Serves: 1 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes 45 minutes

Nutrition facts: 360 calories 12.6 fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 1 package thawed chicken wings (usually about 2 pounds)
• SPICE MIX:
• 6 tbsp. Bear Dog's Kitchen All Purpose Seasoning & Rub
• or make a rub by combining:
• 2 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1-1/2 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1-1/2 tbsp. black pepper
• OPTIONAL SAUCES (shown here):
• Frank's Extra Red Hot
• Ranch Dressing

Instructions

1. Start smoker and set to 275 F.
2. Make sure wings are thawed and somewhat dry.  If necessary pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Add Bear Dog's Kitchen All Purpose Seasoning & Rub to a gallon size ziploc bag or add all the individual spices if making your own rub.
4. Shake bag to combine spice mix if making your own rub.
5. Add wings to bag and shake until wings are evenly coated with the spice mix.
6. Once smoker is up to temp arrange wings allowing plenty of space between them to allow smoke and heat to circulate around them.
7. After 30 or 40 minutes start checking internal temp with an instant read thermometer.  Check temp in the thickest part of one of the biggest wings.
8. Once internal temp reaches 165 F remove wings from smoker.
9. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce(s).

 

Notes

I used Frank's Extra Red Hot and Ranch, my favorite sauce combo, but other great choices are bleu cheese dressing, your favorite bar-b-que sauce or even sweet and sour sauce (maybe add Chinese five spice to the spice mix for this one). Also, if you don't have gallon size ziplocs you can mix the spices in a small bowl with a fork and place the wings in a large bowl, sprinkle the spice mix over the wings, stir, sprinkle, stir, sprinkle, repeat until fully coated.

The post Smoker Wings first appeared on Bear Dog's Kitchen.

PAIRS WELL WITH A STRONG RED WINE. JUST SAYIN’…

I like to pair blackened salmon with pan fried asparagus and a strong red wine like Shiraz.  Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon also works well!

To Start

Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and celery salt (optional) in a small bowl and combine well.  I like to stir with a fork until spices are fully blended.  Alternately you can buy pre-made blackening seasoning if you wish.  Old Bay makes a blackening seasoning that we have used before we started making our own by blending the spices ourselves.

Sprinkle the spice mix on the salmon filets coating both sides liberally.

The Cook

Add the butter and olive oil to a small frying pan and place the burner on a medium – medium high temperature.

Once the butter and oil gets hot (butter starts to bubble a bit) roll the pan around a bit to combine the oil and butter.

Place the filets in the pan and cook for 3 – 4 minutes.

Check if well browned/blackened to your liking and turn them over.

The second side usually will cook faster due to the filets being hotter and the burner and pan being at full temp so check after about three minutes.  Cook until blackened to your liking.

Remove from heat and serve!

This meal is super keto friendly.  Be sure to check out my entire Keto Friendly section here!

Blackened Salmon

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Serves: 2 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes 10 minutes

Nutrition facts: 224 calories 13 fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• (2) 5 oz. salmon filets
• 1 tsp. butter
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• spice rub:
• 1 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. celery salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and celery salt (optional) in a small bowl and combine well. I like to stir with a fork until spices are fully blended.
2. Sprinkle the spice mix on the salmon filets coating both sides liberally.
3. Add the butter and olive oil to a small frying pan and place the burner on a medium - medium high temperature.
4. Once the butter and oil gets hot (butter starts to bubble a bit) roll the pan around a bit to combine the oil and butter.
5. Place the filets in the pan and cook for 3 - 4 minutes.
6. Check if well browned/blackened to your liking and turn them over.
7. The second side usually will cook faster due to the filets being hotter and the burner and pan being at full temp so check after about three minutes.  Cook until blackened to your liking.
8. Remove from heat and serve!

Notes

If your salmon filets are quite thick you may want to reduce to a slightly lower heat setting and cook longer on each side. This will allow the salmon to cook through to the middle without over blackening the outside. Salmon is done when it feels firm to the touch and flakes easily. (Note for comparison how the salmon is soft and flexible when raw) If you prefer a more definitive way, use and instant read thermometer and cook to an internal temp of 145 F.

The post Blackened Salmon first appeared on Bear Dog's Kitchen.