Crispy Restaurant-Style Chicken Wings (Printable)

Golden-fried wings with buttermilk marinade, served with three signature sauces. Crispy, flavorful perfection.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2.5 lbs chicken wings, separated at joint, 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
09 - 1 1/2 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

→ BBQ Sauce

19 - 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

→ Garnish

20 - Fresh chives or scallions, sliced
21 - Celery sticks
22 - Blue cheese or ranch dressing

# Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, combine chicken wings with buttermilk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Toss until wings are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight for optimal flavor development.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and baking powder until evenly combined.
03 - Remove marinated wings from refrigerator and allow excess buttermilk to drip off. Dredge each wing thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing firmly to ensure coating adheres. Arrange coated wings on a wire rack and let rest for 10 minutes to set the coating.
04 - Fill a large heavy pot or deep fryer with sunflower or peanut oil to a depth of 2 inches. Insert a thermometer and heat oil to 350°F.
05 - Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, carefully place wings into hot oil. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until golden brown and crispy throughout. Transfer fried wings to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain excess oil.
06 - For Buffalo sauce, whisk together hot sauce, melted butter, and honey. For Thai sweet chili sauce, combine sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and fish sauce. BBQ sauce may be used as purchased.
07 - Divide fried wings into three portions. Toss each portion with one sauce variety, or arrange wings on a platter with sauces served alongside for dipping. Garnish with sliced chives or scallions and serve with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The double coating with cornstarch and flour gives you that shatteringly crispy shell you only thought restaurants could achieve.
  • Three sauce options mean everyone at the table gets exactly what they crave without compromise.
  • The buttermilk soak tenderizes the meat and builds flavor layers you can actually taste through the crunch.
  • Frying at home costs half what delivery does and tastes twice as good when they come straight from the oil.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd the pot or the oil temperature will drop and your wings will absorb grease instead of crisping up.
  • Let the coated wings rest for 10 minutes before frying or the breading will fall off in patches and float around the oil.
  • Use a thermometer every single time because guessing the oil temperature is how you end up with raw centers or charred outsides.
  • If you skip the cornstarch, the coating will still be good but it won't have that glassy crunch that makes people ask what you did differently.
03 -
  • Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels before you marinate them so the buttermilk actually sticks instead of sliding off.
  • Fry one test wing first to check your oil temperature and timing before you commit the whole batch.
  • If you're making all three sauces, keep them warm in separate small pots on low heat so they coat the wings smoothly instead of clumping.
  • Always fry with the lid off and keep a splatter screen nearby because moisture trapped under a lid will ruin the crispiness.
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