Winger’s restaurant copycat sticky fingers are a family favorite! Air fry or bake your favorite chicken strips, and coat them in an easy homemade winger’s original amazing sauce for the perfect combination of sweet and spicy on top of a crisp cool salad.
This recipe was inspired by my favorite salad at a Wingers Restaurant & Alehouse. The restaurant chain has locations in Idaho, Utah, Nevada & Oregon, so if you can’t visit in person or you don’t want to spend $14 for a salad you can may your own at home. Check out this post where I show you how to air fry chicken fingers and turn them into these finger-licking sticky fingers.
Other copycat recipes you may like: Crunchwrap Suprems, Air Fried Beijing Beef, Better Than Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana, & Nashville Hot Chicken.
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Ingredients
To make your own version of Winger’s original sticky finger sauce you’ll need just a few pantry staple ingredients:
Sauce:
- Butter
- Water
- Brown Sugar
- Franks Red Hot Original Hot Sauce
Salad:
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Craisins or dried cranberries
- Ranch dressing
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
To get started bake or air fry your favorite chicken fingers or chicken nuggets according to the package directions.
Make The Sticky Finger Sauce.
In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.
When the butter is completely melted add Frank’s hot sauce, brown sugar, and water.
Whisk all of the ingredients together until the brown sugar dissolves and the sauce starts to simmer.
Continue to whisk while it’s simmering over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.
Reduce to low heat.
Continue to simmer on low until the sauce has reduced just slightly into a sticky consistency and remove it from the heat.
Allow the winger’s sauce to cool and thicken up for about 5-8 minutes.
When the crispy chicken strips are fully cooked use tongs or a spatula to place them in the sticky sauce one or two at a time.
Flip them over to coat them completely with the warm sauce.
Chop chicken strips into bite-sized pieces and serve on chopped romaine lettuce with tomatoes, cheese, and dried cranberries.
Top with ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Substitutions
- Lettuce – instead of romaine try an Asian-style chop salad or baby spinach
- Sandwich – don’t feel like a salad? Use copycat winger’s sticky fingers topped with cheese on a toasted bun.
- Wrap – Wrap chicken, lettuce, shredded cheese, and ranch in a whole wheat tortilla for an easy lunch on the go.
- Chicken Wings- use this wing sauce for any kind of chicken you can think of, bone-in chicken wings, Just Bare chicken chunks, popcorn chicken, or grilled chicken.
Variations
- Creamy Amazing Sauce – use the remaining sauce and mix it with ranch dressing for an amazing dipping sauce or dressing.
- Deluxe – add avocado, cucumber slices, & sliced carrots for an even healthier veggie-packed salad.
- Kid-friendly – leave off the freakin’ amazing sauce and serve the kid chicken tenders and air fryer french fries.
- Spicy– the amount of brown sugar you add will determine how sweet or spicy your sauce will be. If you want more heat try using Frank’s buffalo sauce instead of the original.
See the full copycat recipe here.
Equipment
Use a half sheet pan or air fry basket with a drip tray to bake or air fry the chicken until it’s nice and crispy. When making the sauce use a silicone spatula and a small saucepan.
Storage
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to two days. To reheat place on a microwave-safe dish and cook for 1-1 ½ minutes or until chicken is fully warmed through.
Top tip
Double or even triple this sauce recipe to make larger quantities of chicken to feed a crowd. Place cooked chicken strips in a baking pan and pour sauce directly over the chicken and toss to coat. Cover with foil and take them with you to your next potluck or super bowl party.
Sticky Finger Salad (Winger's Copycat recipe)
Air fry or bake your favorite chicken strips, and toss them in an easy homemade winger's original amazing sauce for the perfect combination of sweet and spicy on top of a crisp cool salad.
Ingredients
- 6 Frozen Breaded Chicken Tenders (about two medium tenders per person)
- 1 Tbsp. Butter
- ¼ Cup Franks Original Red Hot Sauce (don't substitute it has to be Franks)
- ½ Cup. Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Water
Salad
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Dried Cranberries (craisins)
- Ranch Dressing
Instructions
- Bake or air fry your favorite chicken fingers or chicken nuggets according to the package directions.
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.
- When the butter is completely melted add Frank's hot sauce, brown sugar, and water.
- Whisk all of the ingredients together until the brown sugar dissolves and the sauce starts to simmer.
- Continue to whisk while it’s simmering over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce to low heat.
- Continue to simmer on low until the sauce has reduced just slightly into a sticky consistency and remove it from the heat.
- Allow the winger's sauce to cool and thicken up for about 5-8 minutes.
- When the crispy chicken strips are fully cooked use tongs or a spatula to place them in the sticky sauce one or two at a time.
- Flip them over to coat them completely with the warm sauce.
- Chop chicken strips into bite-sized pieces.
- Serve on chopped romaine lettuce with tomatoes, cheese, dried cranberries, and ranch dressing.
Notes
The amount of brown sugar you add will determine how sweet or spicy your sauce will be. Adjust the brown sugar according to your level of desired spice. If you want more heat try using Frank's buffalo sauce instead of the original hot sauce.
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Combine the winger’s freakin’ amazing sauce recipe with ranch to make the signature creamy amazing sauce for salads, sandwiches, and wraps.
Instead of hand-breading your own chicken tenders and baking or frying them use a premade crispy chicken tender from the store and cote them in a homemade amazing sauce.
Any
Never heard of this, but this seems to be a great appetizer! am going to make it soon to spice up my salad bowl!
jimmy clare
i would like some please
Tee
I’ve made this recipe for a girl’s night gathering. It was a huge hit! Will use again.
Susan Whited
This looks delicious! I love anything with craisins! And the variations are helpful for spicing things up!
Jaz
Yum! I’m east coast so I’ve never heard of wingers but this looks great. I love a good crispy chicken salad.
Fransic verso
This is a lovely recipe, never tried it before. I like to try new salad from time to time.