Buffalo Chicken Wings – Crispy Fried Wings in Fiery Butter Sauce

About This Recipe

Buffalo wings are one of America's greatest culinary inventions — deep-fried chicken wings coated in a sauce of cayenne-based hot sauce and melted butter, served with blue cheese or ranch dressing and celery sticks. They were invented in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, and have since become one of the most consumed snacks in the United States, particularly on Super Bowl Sunday when an estimated 1.4 billion wings are eaten. The technique is deceptively simple but requires two critical steps: the wings must be properly dried before frying (moisture is the enemy of crispy skin), and the hot sauce must be made properly — Frank's RedHot and unsalted butter in the right ratio create a sauce that is simultaneously spicy, buttery, tangy, and coating without being greasy. The temperature of the oil matters too: too cool and the wings absorb oil; too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks. For home cooking, baked or air-fried wings can achieve excellent results. But for the definitive version — shatteringly crispy, glossy with sauce — deep frying is the answer. Serve with cold blue cheese dressing and celery, and cold American lager.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.2 kgchicken wings(split into drums and flats)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspbaking powder(for crispiness)
• 1 tspgarlic powder
• 80 mlFrank's RedHot or similar cayenne hot sauce
• 60 gunsalted butter
• 1 tspwhite vinegar
• 1/4 tspcayenne pepper(for extra heat, optional)
• vegetable oil(for deep frying)
• blue cheese dressing and celery sticks(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry the wings

   Pat wings completely dry with paper towels. Toss with salt, baking powder and garlic powder. Spread on a rack and refrigerate uncovered at least 1 hour (overnight is better).

   Baking powder on the skin is the professional trick for ultra-crispy wings — it alters the pH of the skin surface to promote better browning.

2. 2

   Make the buffalo sauce

   Melt butter in a small pan. Add hot sauce, vinegar and cayenne. Whisk until combined. Keep warm.

3. 3

   Deep fry

   Heat oil to 180°C. Fry wings in batches 12–15 minutes until golden, crispy and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.

4. 4

   Toss in sauce

   Transfer wings immediately to a large bowl. Pour sauce over and toss vigorously to coat every surface. Serve at once.

Variations

• •

  Honey garlic wings: replace hot sauce with a mix of honey, soy sauce and minced garlic.

• •

  Oven method: bake at 230°C on a rack for 45–50 minutes, flipping once, for a lower-fat version.

Storage

Wings must be eaten immediately after saucing. Plain fried wings keep 3 days — sauce just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions