Crispy Restaurant-Style Chicken Wings (Printable)

Golden-brown wings with crispy coating, served with Buffalo, Thai sweet chili, or BBQ sauce. Ready in 45 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2.5 lbs chicken wings, separated at joint, wing tips removed

→ Marinade & 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 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 (Frank's RedHot or similar)
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 (optional)
21 - Celery sticks (optional)
22 - Blue cheese or ranch dressing (optional)

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, toss chicken wings with buttermilk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight for maximum flavor development.
02 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and baking powder until evenly combined.
03 - Remove wings from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Dredge each wing thoroughly in the flour mixture, pressing gently to ensure coating adheres. Place coated wings on a wire rack and let rest for 10 minutes.
04 - Fill a large heavy pot or deep fryer with oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat to 350°F using a thermometer to ensure accurate temperature.
05 - Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, fry wings for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Drain on a wire rack set over paper towels.
06 - For Buffalo sauce: whisk together hot sauce, melted butter, and honey. For Thai sauce: combine sweet chili sauce, lime juice, and fish sauce. For BBQ sauce: use directly as is.
07 - Divide fried wings into three portions. Toss each group with one 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 Suggestions:

01 -
  • The double coating method gives you that thick, crunchy shell you only find at good wing joints.
  • Three sauce options mean everyone at the table gets exactly what theyre craving without ordering separate meals.
  • Theyre honestly better than most restaurant wings and cost half as much when youre feeding a crowd.
02 -
  • Letting the coated wings rest before frying makes the difference between a coating that sticks and one that slides off in the oil.
  • Frying in batches keeps the oil temperature steady, which is the only way to get truly crispy wings.
  • If your wings are browning too fast but still feel soft, your oil is too hot, drop the heat by 10 degrees and give them more time.
03 -
  • Use a thermometer to monitor your oil temperature, it's the single most important tool for consistent results.
  • If you want to prep ahead, marinate the wings the night before and coat them an hour before frying so you're not rushing.
  • Save any leftover buttermilk marinade for fried chicken tenders or pork chops, the flavors work beautifully on anything you're frying.
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