Crispy Fried Chicken Wings (Printer View)

Golden crispy wings with buttermilk marinade, served with Buffalo, Thai sweet chili, or classic BBQ sauce.

# What you'll need:

→ Chicken

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

→ Marinade and 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
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

→ BBQ Sauce

19 - 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

→ Garnish

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

# Method:

01 - In a large bowl, combine chicken wings with buttermilk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight for optimal flavor development.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder until well combined.
03 - Remove marinated wings from refrigerator and allow excess buttermilk to drain. Working with one wing at a time, dredge thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing gently to ensure coating adheres. Arrange coated wings on a wire rack and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
04 - Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer with sunflower or peanut oil to a depth of 2 inches. Insert a thermometer and heat oil to 350°F, maintaining temperature throughout frying.
05 - Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully lower coated wings into hot oil. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until golden brown and crispy. Transfer fried wings 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 emulsified. For Thai sweet chili sauce: combine sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and fish sauce. For BBQ sauce: use preferred variety as prepared.
07 - Divide fried wings into three portions. Toss each portion with one sauce variety, or arrange wings on serving platter with sauces offered for individual dipping. Garnish with sliced chives or scallions and accompany with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttermilk marinade makes wings so tender inside that they practically melt against the bone while the coating stays impossibly crispy.
  • Three sauce options mean you're never bored and can win over different crowds in one batch.
  • Once you nail the oil temperature, you'll realize you've been making mediocre wings your whole life.
02 -
  • Oil temperature is non-negotiable; I learned this the hard way when a batch turned out greasy because my thermometer was off by just 10 degrees.
  • Letting the coated wings rest before frying actually makes the coating adhere better and fry crispier, which sounds counterintuitive but it works every single time.
03 -
  • Double-fry for maximum crispiness: fry once at 150°C for 7 minutes, let cool, then finish at 190°C for 2-3 minutes, which creates a shell so crunchy it's almost absurd.
  • If you don't have buttermilk, mix regular milk with lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes; it works in a pinch and honestly tastes almost identical.
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