Crispy Restaurant-Style Chicken Wings (Printable)

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

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2.5 lbs chicken wings, separated at joint with wing 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, optional
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, 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

# How To Make It:

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 optimal flavor development.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder until fully combined.
03 - Remove wings from marinade, allowing excess buttermilk to drip away. Dredge each wing 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 before frying.
04 - Pour oil into a large heavy pot or deep fryer to a depth of 2 inches. Insert a thermometer and heat oil to 350°F.
05 - Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully add wings to hot oil. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack lined with paper towels.
06 - For Buffalo sauce, whisk together hot sauce, melted butter, and honey. For Thai sweet chili sauce, combine Thai sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and fish sauce if using. BBQ sauce requires no preparation.
07 - Divide fried wings into three portions. Toss each portion with its chosen sauce or serve sauces on the side for dipping. Garnish with fresh chives or scallions and serve with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The double coating technique creates a shatteringly crisp crust that stays crunchy even after tossing in sauce.
  • Three different sauce options mean you can please everyone at the table without making separate batches.
  • The buttermilk marinade keeps the meat incredibly juicy while adding a subtle tang that balances the richness.
  • These taste exactly like your favorite wing spot but cost a fraction of the price.
02 -
  • Do not skip the resting time after coating, those 10 minutes let the flour adhere properly so your coating doesn't slide off into the oil.
  • Overcrowding the pot drops the oil temperature drastically and you'll end up with soggy, greasy wings instead of crispy ones.
  • If you don't have buttermilk, mix 1 cup of regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes.
03 -
  • Pat the wings dry with paper towels after marinating and before coating, excess moisture prevents the flour from sticking properly.
  • Use a splatter screen over your pot to minimize the mess, hot oil has a way of finding every surface in your kitchen.
  • Let your oil come back up to temperature between batches, dropping the next batch into cool oil guarantees greasy wings.
  • Taste your coating mixture before you start, it should be well-seasoned because this is where most of your flavor lives.
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