3 Best Chicken Wings Recipes You Can Made at Home

Chicken wing makes great appetizers and side dishes and is one of the most popular dishes during game nights. Crispy chicken wings tossed in sweet and spicy buffalo sauce can really change the entire experience of a family gathering or a football night.

Here in this article, we will describe three different methods of making crispy, hot, juicy, and delicious chicken wings. These recipes are easy to follow and only require a few ingredients that everyone has in their kitchen. We will also share tips on how to ensure crispiness every time you make chicken wings.

3 Best Chicken Wings Recipe

There are various methods of making chicken wings but the most popular methods are baking, deep frying, and using a buttermilk batter. All of these methods are described below in detail. 

Baked Chicken Wings Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 chicken wings
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Olive oil
• Buffalo wing sauce

Cooking Process

Step 1

Cut the tips off of the chicken wings and separate the flat and the drumette. Wash them well and pat them dry with a paper towel. Lightly season them with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Mix all the ingredients other than olive oil in a bowl thoroughly and make a homogenous mixture of flour. 

Step 3

Put the flour mixture and the chicken wings in a ziplock bag and shake vigorously. Take out the wings and refrigerate them for 15 minutes on a baking sheet.

Step 4

Repeat step 3 after bringing out the chicken wings to coat the wings a second time.

Step 5

Arrange the wings on a baking sheet and drizzle olive oil on top of them. Set the oven at 430 F or 220 C and bake each side for about 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Step 6

Toss the chicken wings in buffalo sauce or other preferred sauce and serve the chicken wings.

Notes

The access fats that will stick to the baking tray should be scrapped off and stored because they can be later used in other cookings.

Fried Chicken Wings Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 chicken wings
• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• Vegetable oil, as much as necessary for deep frying
• Buffalo wing sauce

Cooking Process 

Step 1

Cut the tips off of the chicken wings and separate the flat and the drumette. Wash them well and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Step 2

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and separate the mixture into two equal portions in two bowls.

Step 3

Crack and mix the eggs in a separate bowl.

Step 4

Lightly coat the wings in the flour mixture, dip them in the egg mixture, and then coat them with the flour mixture again. Have separate bowls for the first coating and the second coating. Coat every inch of the wings and place them on a baking sheet or plate.

Step 5

Heat vegetable oil to 375 F or 190 C. Test the temperature by slowly submerging a piece of the batter and if it immediately starts bubbling and comes to the top then you can be sure that the oil is heated enough.

Step 6

Slowly put the coated wings in the oil and fry for about 10-12 minutes or until they show a golden brown color.

Step 7

Put the chicken wings in a large bowl and coat them in buffalo or other preferred sauce.

Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Wings Recipe

Ingredients

For the Buttermilk Mixture

• 2 lbs chicken wings
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups Buttermilk

For the Flour Mixture

• 1 and ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

You will also need vegetable oil to fry the chicken wings.

Cooking process

Step 1

Mix the meat with the buttermilk mixture in a ziplock back and keep it in the fridge for at least two hours and ideally overnight.

Step 2

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Step 3

Put the buttermilk-covered chicken wings on a wired rack to get the excess buttermilk mixture to drip out from the meat.

Step 4

Coat the wings in the flour mixture to cover every inch and put them on a baking sheet.

Step 5

Heat vegetable oil to  375 F or 190 C and slowly release the chicken wings in the hot oil. Cook them for about 10-12 minutes or until they form a golden brown color.

Step 6

Place the chicken wings in a bowl and toss them with your preferred sauce such as buffalo sauce.

Are Wings Better Fried or Baked?

Fried chicken wings taste better than baked chicken wings but at the same time, baked chicken wings are healthier compared to fried chicken wings. Fried chicken wings taste better not only because it is crispier but also because the batter gets fried very quickly and creates a seal that traps in all the moisture and flavor of the chicken. This flavor spreads throughout the inside of the chicken as it can not get out from the meat.

Deep-fried chicken wings may taste better than baked chicken wings but the taste comes with a cost. Vegetable oils are not ideal for the human body, and deep frying chicken wings leave a lot of fat in the chicken wings that can increase the cholesterol level and even cause cardiovascular diseases.

Deep frying can be avoided by using an air fryer. Do not consume deep-fried foods on a regular basis as it will increase your chances of obesity and chronic illnesses.

How to Get Flavor Into Chicken Wings?

There are a few methods that you can use to make sure that the flavors get locked deep within the meat when you are making chicken wings.

Lightly Scoring the Meat With a Knife

You can use a knife to lightly score on the chicken wings but be extra cautious to not cut too deep as it will cause the meat to come apart from the bone. Lightly scoring the meat will result in the spices getting deep in the meat and it will add more flavor to the chicken wings.

Baking Powder

Baking powder makes the chicken wings crispier but it also helps to pull out moisture from the inside and inject the spices deep in the meat. Using a little bit of baking powder with the flour is an effective method to get the flavor into the chicken wings.

Marinating the Wings Beforehand

Marinating the chicken wings at least two hours before cooking and ideally overnight is the best-known method to ensure that all of the flavors get inside the meat. Marination is key to flavor so make sure to marinate for a good amount of time.

Seasoning the Flour Properly

The flour that you will use to dust or coat the meat should also be seasoned with salt and pepper. This will ensure that the flavors get into the meat properly when you cook them. You should not only rely on using spices in the batter and on the meat but also season the flour well.