It was the day after Super Bowl LVII. I awoke to hazy memories of Rihanna, funny commercials and something about a sports game before thoughts of leftovers took over. (Some of us are only here for the food, OK?) I peeked in my fridge and saw a whole bag of uncooked wings we hadn't gotten to at the party. I always outsource cooking the wings and these babies were left by some serious wing-loving friends. This had just turned into a case of finders keepers and I decided I was going to experiment. Dear friends, your poultry sacrifice was not in vain. I went so far down the hot-wing rabbit hole I ended up on the other side with a vision of cannabis-infused (ahem), pot wings.

I discovered the foundation of the perfect wing starts with the right cooking method. You can roast in an oven, you can deep fat fry, you can barbecue, sure, but for me, an air fryer is best. It creates the perfect contrast of juicy interior and crisp exterior with no oil necessary, making them maybe not healthy, but certainly a tad healthier than traditional frying, and in half the time as cooking in a traditional oven. Next is the sauce — finding a balance of flavors between the heat, the acid, and any sweetness is vital. Of all the iterations I've experimented with, my favorites turned out to be regular old Buffalo wings and honey-lime chipotle wings made from the Oh So Heavy Buffalo and Chipotle sauces from local brand Huck's Humboldt Hotties. And the last component: infused butter.

For those of us who love edibles, savory infusions are a nice reprieve from gummies day in and day out. When I don't have homemade canna-butter on hand, I head to a local dispensary for a jar of Heavenly Sweet, which does the trick just fine. I typically use about 30 milligrams of THC-infused canna-butter for a 2-pound batch of wings to be shared by two people. Add more or less, depending on your tolerance. When you're done digging in, do yourself a favor and grab some crusty bread to soak up any extra sauce. Or just lick the plate, I promise I won't tell your mother.

Infused Honey-Lime Chipotle Wings

If you prefer to use infused honey, you can skip the canna-butter and use regular butter.

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken wings

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ teaspoon granulated garlic

½ cup honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Chipotle hot sauce, to taste

1 lime (zest and juice)

2 tablespoons butter (mix of regular and your preferred dose of infused canna-butter)

Heat an air fryer to 400 F and set the timer to 18 minutes. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel, then season generously with salt and pepper. Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 18 minutes, turning halfway through. While the chicken cooks, prepare the sauce.

Measure your preferred dose of cannabis-infused butter. Add enough regular butter to reach 2 tablespoons total. (Use regular butter only if using infused honey.) Melt the honey, brown sugar and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking frequently. Add the lime zest and juice, garlic and chipotle hot sauce, whisking until fully incorporated. Let simmer until the sauce thickens, then remove from heat.

Remove the wings to a large bowl. Pour the sauce directly over the wings, then toss to evenly coat. Place the wings back into the air fryer for 2 to 3 minutes to caramelize the glaze. Serve immediately on a plate, then use a spatula to scrape the remaining sauce in the bowl over the wings — we don't want to waste all that infused goodness.

Infused Buffalo Wings

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken wings

Salt and pepper, to taste

¾ cup Buffalo sauce

3 tablespoons butter (mix of regular and your preferred dose of infused canna-butter)

Heat an air fryer to 400 F and set the timer to 18 minutes. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel, then season generously with salt and pepper. Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 18 minutes, turning halfway through. While the chicken cooks, prepare the sauce.

Measure your preferred dose of cannabis-infused butter. Add enough regular butter to reach 3 tablespoons total. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the Buffalo sauce and whisk until heated through and fully incorporated. Remove from heat.

Place the wings to a large bowl and pour the sauce directly over them, then toss to evenly coat. Serve with carrot and celery sticks and your favorite ranch or bleu cheese sauce. Pro-tip: Have some crusty bread on hand — it's perfect for sopping up any leftover bits of sauce to make all those milligrams count.

Jessica Ashley Silva (she/her) is a technical and corporate writer living in Humboldt County, California. Her freelance writing covers the tastes and sights of California's North Coast. She's an avid foodie and forager of mushrooms who loves exploring forests, falls and rivers up and down the Pacific Northwest.