Crispy Fried Chicken Wings (Printable)

Crispy buttermilk-marinated wings with three signature sauces: Buffalo, Thai sweet chili, and classic BBQ.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2.5 lbs chicken wings, separated at joint with 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
09 - 1.5 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, combine chicken wings with buttermilk, salt, black 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 maximum 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 buttermilk to drip off. Working in batches, dredge each wing thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing gently to ensure proper adhesion. Place coated wings on a wire rack and allow to rest for 10 minutes before frying.
04 - Fill a large heavy pot or deep fryer with sunflower or peanut oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 350°F, monitoring temperature with a thermometer.
05 - Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, fry wings for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy throughout. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer fried wings to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain excess oil.
06 - For Buffalo sauce, whisk together hot sauce, melted butter, and honey until combined. For Thai Sweet Chili sauce, combine sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and fish sauce in a bowl. For BBQ sauce, use as-is from the jar.
07 - Divide fried wings into three portions. Toss each portion with one sauce variety, or arrange all sauces on the side for individual dipping preference. Garnish with fresh chives or scallions. Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttermilk marinade keeps the meat juicy even under that shatteringly crisp coating.
  • Three sauce options mean everyone at the table gets exactly what they crave without compromise.
  • These wings taste like they came from your favorite wing spot, but you control the heat, the seasoning, and the glory.
  • Leftover wings reheat beautifully in a hot oven, staying crispy for next day snacking.
02 -
  • Let the coated wings rest before frying or the breading will slide right off in the oil, I learned this the messy way.
  • Do not skip the wire rack for draining, paper towels alone make the bottoms soggy and ruin all your hard work.
  • If the oil temperature drops below 165 degrees Celsius, pull the wings out and let the oil reheat before continuing or you will end up with greasy wings.
03 -
  • Pat the wings dry before marinating if you want the buttermilk to really stick and penetrate the meat.
  • Use a splatter screen over the pot while frying to keep your stovetop clean without trapping steam that would soften the coating.
  • Taste your sauces before tossing the wings, it is much easier to adjust seasoning in the bowl than on the plate.
  • If you do not have buttermilk, mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes, it works just as well.
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