Winging It: Spicy Pickle Wings from Golden Chick

Bottom Line: The Spicy Pickle Wings from Golden Chick offer an interesting twist on the pickle trend, though they could use more heat.

As followers of this site will know, Texas-based Golden Chick is one of my favorite chicken slingers. But I don’t make it there as often as I would like seeing as there are so many other spicy chicken items out there that I am sampling because the restaurant industry continues to lean heavily on poultry as the primary protein it adds a kick to. Golden Chick has had its Spicy Pickle Wings on the menu for a while, but I only recently got a chance to stop by and give them a try.

These are their standard bone-in wings, amped up with a “tangy kick of Spicy Pickle flavor.” You can get a six-piece order with a roll for $5.99 in my area, or make it a combo with a side and a drink for $9.99.

I will say that the wings I got were on the small side, but they still had a decent amount of meat. The crust is nice and craggily and delivers some crunch. They are cooked well and not greasy at all, with the meat remaining plenty tender and flavorful. The seasoning delivers some pickle taste, but not too much, and very little in the way of pucker. It has more of a citrusy flavor than the typical dill pickle taste, and there is a little bit of sweetness as well. Overall, I enjoyed it as a nice variation from the dill pickle trend that is getting overused these days.

Heat-wise, these bring only a slight tinge of a burn, barely reaching Mild on my scale. Adding some of the Wicked seasoning might help, but that could overpower the flavor. They do offer Texas Pete hot sauce, which goes well with the wings, but it would have been better if the seasoning itself had more of a kick.

Golden Chick doesn’t list nutrition information specifically for these wings, but their regular wings come in at about 44 calories each, so these should be in roughly the same range. That puts a six-piece order at around 264 calories, which isn’t bad for drive-thru fare. Of course, you have to factor in the roll (160 calories), because there’s no way you’re going to Golden Chick without getting at least one of those (I’ll take a dozen, please). If you go with mashed potatoes (79 calories), cole slaw (134 calories), or mac & cheese (160 calories), the sides aren’t too bad. But if you add fries (272 calories) or their oh-so-good fried okra (317 calories), you start creeping up that calorie count pretty quickly.

These wings are a limited-time item, and I believe I caught them toward the end of their run. If you’re looking for more heat, you’re better off sticking with their always-reliable Wicked Wings. Still, the Spicy Pickle version makes for a nice change of pace, and I’d order them again if they’re on the menu the next time I stop by.  You can check for a Golden Chick location near you at their website.