Crispy Restaurant-Style Chicken Wings (Print Version)

Perfectly seasoned, golden-fried wings served with Buffalo, Thai sweet chili, or BBQ sauce for any occasion.

# Ingredients List:

→ Chicken

01 - 2.5 lbs chicken wings, separated at joints, wing tips removed

→ Marinade & Coating

02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
05 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
09 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
10 - 1/2 cup cornstarch
11 - 1 teaspoon baking powder

→ For Frying

12 - Sunflower or peanut oil for deep frying

→ Buffalo Sauce

13 - 1/3 cup hot sauce
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
15 - 1 teaspoon honey

→ Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

16 - 1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
17 - 1 tablespoon lime juice
18 - 1 teaspoon fish sauce, optional

→ BBQ Sauce

19 - 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

→ Garnish

20 - Fresh chives or scallions, sliced
21 - Celery sticks
22 - Blue cheese or ranch dressing

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, combine chicken wings with buttermilk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight for optimal flavor development.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder until thoroughly combined.
03 - Remove wings from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Dredge each wing thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing gently to ensure coating adheres. Place coated wings on a wire rack and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
04 - Fill a heavy pot or deep fryer with oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 350°F, using a thermometer to verify temperature accuracy.
05 - Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, fry wings for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy exterior forms. Transfer to a wire rack positioned over paper towels to drain excess oil.
06 - For Buffalo sauce, whisk together hot sauce, melted butter, and honey until combined. For Thai sauce, mix sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and fish sauce. BBQ sauce may be used directly from the container.
07 - Divide fried wings into three portions. Toss each portion with desired sauce or serve sauces on the side for dipping. Garnish with fresh chives or scallions. Serve alongside celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The buttermilk marinade keeps the meat juicy even when the outside shatters into perfect crunch.
  • Three sauce options mean everyone at the table gets exactly what they crave without you making three separate recipes.
02 -
  • If you skip the resting step after coating, the flour will fall off in clumps the second the wings hit the oil.
  • Overcrowding the pot drops the oil temperature fast, which means greasy wings instead of crispy ones, so fry in batches even if it takes longer.
03 -
  • Pat the wings completely dry after marinating and before coating, any extra moisture will make the flour gummy and prevent a crisp crust.
  • Add a tablespoon of the marinade into the flour mixture and rub it in with your fingers to create craggy bits that fry up extra crunchy.
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