These classic wings are simply seasoned, pan-fried to perfection, and tossed in a luscious Buffalo sauce for a finger-licking good time.
That big football game that a lot of people care about is happening tomorrow. I’m not the biggest fan of football, but I will be watching it, no doubt, and enjoying the party. For me, game day is really all about the food (and drinks), and it features some of my favorites. We’re talking chips, all of the dips, sliders, sandwiches, and so much more! At the top of the list? Buffalo chicken wings. (Duh, Hutch, that’s why people are reading this right now.)
The first key component to great wings is the sauce, and for me, that means it starts with Frank’s RedHot. It truly is the standard-bearer when it comes to making Buffalo wings. (They also have a Buffalo sauce, but I go with the original hot sauce.) All you need to do is mix it with some butter and reduce it in a pan so it thickens up and will coat the wings nicely.
The other important aspect of a good Buffalo chicken wing is that it’s crispy. There are many people out there purporting that this can be accomplished in the oven, but all of the recipes I looked at take about an hour and still require some attention to temperature and flipping the wings. I say screw that nonsense and just fry the chicken.
Any high temperature oil can be used for this (canola, vegetable, corn, peanut, etc.), but if you happen to cook bacon at home, now is a particularly good time to use all the fat you’ve saved from cooking breakfast. I used a combination of bacon fat and vegetable oil to fry the chicken and am thanking my former self for saving all that bacon grease. (Not at all necessary, but a pro move if you eat pork and have access to it.)
Then all that’s left to do is combine the two together and BAM! You’ve got a perfect batch of Buffalo chicken wings.
So saucy!
One last question: are you team ranch or blue cheese?
Want some more chicken wing recipes? Check out these:
Whiskey Maple Chicken Wings
Baked Gochujang Chicken Wings
Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings
Jerk Chicken Wings
Buffalo Chicken Wings Recipe
These classic wings are simply seasoned, pan-fried to perfection, and tossed in a luscious Buffalo sauce for a finger-licking good time.
Ingredients
- oil or fat, for frying
- 2 pounds chicken wing parts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup Frank's RedHot
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ranch or blue cheese dressing, for serving
Instructions
- Fill a skillet with about 3/4-inch of oil and place it over medium heat. (I used a combination of vegetable oil and bacon fat.)
- Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with the salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, and toss to coat evenly.
- Check the temperature of the oil by gently lowering in a chicken wing. If it sounds like the 4th of July, it's too hot; if it barely makes any noise at all, it's not hot enough. You want there to be a moderate sizzle. (I don't use a fry thermometer, but it should be somewhere in the ballpark of 325˚F to 350˚F.)
- Once at the right temperature, fry the chicken wings in batches, flipping them over every few minutes, until golden all over, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack or tray layered with paper towels to drain.
- Meanwhile, put the hot sauce and butter in a pot over low heat and let reduce until the sauce has thickened a bit, about 10 minutes.
- Add the fried chicken wings and sauce to a bowl and toss to evenly coat. Serve with your choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
CHICKEN WINGS ARE LIFE I LOVE WING WINGS ARE #1