Fried Chicken Wings

If your ideal chicken wing is so crispy it “crunches” at first bite, then these fried chicken wings should be a must-have on your game day spread. While we love our baked buffalo wings, fried wings satisfy that craving for a salty, crunchy bite made for dipping (or tossing) in your favorite sauce. Coating our chicken in a seasoned flour mixture ensures that these wings are not only perfectly golden and crisp after frying, but extremely flavorful. Serve these at your Super Bowl party with an array of your favorite wing sauces so everyone can customize these crispy-yet-moist wings.

What People Are Saying:
"I thought that this recipe was very good when done correctly, I made them for the super bowl party and they were a hit!" -GreenFries

How To Make Fried Chicken Wings

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken Wings: The wings make a difference, but are also up to your tastes. Generally I recommend a classic mix of drums and flats, but if you prefer one over the other, go ahead and select just that. There are several steps that ensure your wings turn out perfectly moist and crispy, so be sure to continue to read below!
• Flour Mixture: This flour mixture is what ensures crispy, flavorful skin. While adding seasoning to your flour coating technically isn’t necessary, it will lead to a much more flavorful wing, whether you are planning on coating them in sauce after frying or not. I chose a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard powder, and cayenne for a slightly spicy, complex yet simple flavor base that isn’t overpowering so that it works well with whichever sauce you decide on.
• Vegetable Oil: I’m going with vegetable oil for frying here, but really any neutral oil with a high smoke point—like canola oil, peanut oil, or corn oil—will work.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

This first step of prepping the wings is integral to achieving a crispy skin. Space the wings out on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and pat them dry. Then season them well on both sides with salt and black pepper, and place them back on the rack. Transfer the whole sheet into the refrigerator and allow them to sit and cool for 1 hour. This will allow the salt to tighten the skin and trap the moisture inside so that after frying the skin will crisp up and the meat will stay juicy.

Prepare the simple flour coating by stirring together flour, spices, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl, then take turns coating each piece of chicken in the flour mixture.

Heat your oil to about 350°—if you don’t have a thermometer, a good way to test if the oil is ready is to sprinkle in a little bit of flour to see if the oil bubbles around it—and then, working in batches, add in the chicken and fry for about 8 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the chicken from the oil and set aside to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Serve warm with whatever sauces or coatings you desire.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• How do I achieve crispy skin on fried chicken wings? First: Refrigerate your wings for at least an hour after seasoning with salt and pepper to help develop flavor and make sure they get extra crispy. Second: Fry in batches to avoid crowding your pot.
• Should I boil my wings before frying? No need! Frying your chicken will not only get it perfectly crisp, but cooked-through by the time the exterior is a beautiful golden color.
• Should I season my wings before frying? For added flavor, we added a variety of spices to the flour mixture we coat our wings in before frying. While this isn't a mandatory step, especially if you're going to be saucing your wings after cooking, we think it makes a substantial difference in the flavor of the crispy skin—who doesn't want that? Feel free to swap any of our listed seasonings out for your favorites, or what you have on hand.
• Eliminate excess oil. Remove your wings from the oil with a slotted spoon, and let the excess oil drain on paper towels.

What To Serve With Fried Chicken Wings

While you can't go wrong with classic Buffalo sauce, your options don't stop there. Garlic-Parmesan is an ideal option if you're not a heat fan, or toss these wings in our spicy apricot glaze for a sweet-spicy combo. Whatever you do, don't forget the ranch dressing or blue cheese!

Looking for side ideas? After plating your celery and carrot sticks, feel free to add fried pickles, air fryer mozzarella sticks, or homemade French fries to your spread.

Storage

Any leftover chicken wings can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.