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Snack Β· Dinner Β· Chicken

Fried Buffalo Wings

The original bar-style wing: fried unbreaded until crackly, then tossed in butter and hot sauce. Fry in small batches with a thermometer, and follow the frying safety steps.

⏱ 55 min (15 min prep, 40 min cooking) 🍽 Serves 6 · about 8 wing pieces freezer friendly gluten free

In our collection Big game day: menu and shopping list β†’

πŸ“… Add to my plan

ContainsMilk. Check the labels on what you buy; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 6 servings
  • 4 lb Chicken wings, flats and drumettes, tips removed, patted very dry
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 quart Vegetable oil (soybean), or peanut or canola oil, for frying

  • Buffalo sauce

  • Β½ cup Hot sauce, a cayenne pepper sauce
  • 5 tbsp Butter, unsalted
  • 1 tsp Honey

Make it yourself

Make the butter yourself β†’

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

Steps

You’ll need: large, heavy, deep pot or Dutch oven (at least 5 quarts), deep-fry thermometer, spider or slotted spoon, sheet pan with a wire rack, food thermometer, a lid or sheet pan that covers the pot, large bowl.

  1. Frying safety: use a deep, heavy pot with plenty of room above the oil, clip on a deep-fry thermometer, and never leave hot oil alone. Keep a lid or sheet pan beside the stove; if the oil catches fire, turn off the burner and slide the lid over it. Never pour water on a grease fire. Keep children well back from the stove.
  2. Pat the wings very dry; water makes hot oil spatter. Sprinkle with the salt.
  3. Pour oil into the pot to a depth of about 2 inches, keeping at least 3 to 4 inches of room above it. Heat over medium to 375Β°F, watching the thermometer. If the oil starts to smoke, turn off the heat.
  4. Lower about a third of the wings into the oil gently with the spider, away from you. Fry 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until deep golden and crisp. Adjust the heat to keep the oil near 350 to 375Β°F.
  5. Lift the wings onto the rack to drain. Let the oil come back to 375Β°F before the next batch.
  6. Check a few of the biggest wings with a food thermometer, not touching bone: they are safe at 165Β°F (USDA). Wings get more tender and render more fat if you keep going, up to about 175 to 185Β°F.
  7. Melt the butter with the hot sauce and honey and toss the wings in a clean bowl. Turn off the burner and let the oil cool completely, for hours, before straining or throwing it away (in a sealed container, not down the drain).

🌑 Safe temperaturesChicken wings 165°F. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer (USDA). More on food safety.

Make aheadMake the sauce ahead. Fry just before serving; wings keep crisp on a rack in a 200Β°F oven for 30 minutes.
❄️ FreezerFreeze fried, unsauced wings up to 3 months; reheat at 400Β°F to 165Β°F.
β†Ί LeftoversRefrigerate within 2 hours; eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat on a rack at 400Β°F to 165Β°F.
πŸ§’ With kidsFrying is a grown-up job. Kids can make the celery sticks and the dip, and toss the cooked wings in sauce, away from the stove.
Baked swapFor less mess and no hot oil, make the crispy baked wings instead.
Peanut allergy swapMany people with peanut allergies avoid peanut oil; fry in canola or vegetable oil and tell your guests.

Goes well with

πŸ§€ Homemade Blue Cheese DipπŸ«• Stovetop Queso DipπŸ” Sheet-Pan Cheeseburger Sliders

Good to know

Table salt vs. kosher salt vs. sea salt Cooking Fats Compared Salted vs. unsalted butter For babies and toddlers Food Safety Basics

An original Teddy Rook Book recipe, written for our Big game day party collection; safety steps follow USDA. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.