I’m not even gonna be humble about it, boos. I legit make the best buffalo wings evah! I fry them up until extra crisp, then drench them in as much spicy homemade buffalo sauce as they can take. We ain’t doing no soggy, flavorless wings over here. I serve my buffalo wings with some celery and a big ol’ bowl of ranch, and that’s all these babies need.
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How to Make Buffalo Wings
These step-by-step photos show how to make crispy buffalo chicken wings, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Best Buffalo Wings Recipe
1. Marinate the chicken wings in buttermilk
Let the wings soak so they tenderize and pick up flavor before breading.
2. Whisk flour, cornstarch, and seasonings for the coating
Mix well so the flour mixture is evenly seasoned throughout.
3. Coat each wing in the seasoned flour
Dredge thoroughly, place on a baking sheet, and rest until the coating looks dry and adhered.
4. Fry the wings until extra crispy
Transfer to paper towels briefly to drain excess oil before saucing.
5. Whisk together the hot sauce and melted butter for the buffalo sauce
Warm slightly in the microwave so the sauce is smooth and easy to toss with the wings.
6. Toss the fried wings in your homemade buffalo sauce
Coat thoroughly. If not serving immediately, place in the oven to keep warm.
PRO TIP: Test your oil, boos. That’s the secret to crispy buffalo chicken wings. Big Mama always tossed a tiny bit of flour in the oil, and if it began to fry and sizzle, the oil was ready. We are also looking for a temperature of around 350-375 F.
Full Buffalo Wings Recipe
Buffalo Wings Recipe
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Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 1 pound disjointed chicken wings
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- oil for frying
For the Sauce:
- ⅔ cup Frank’s hot wing sauce
- ½ cup melted salted butter
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Add chicken wings to buttermilk and let marinate for at least 2-3 hours.
- While chicken marinates, add flour, cornstarch, seasoned salt, paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder to a paper bag and shake well to evenly distribute flavors.
- Dip each piece of chicken into seasoned flour thoroughly coating each piece then add piece to baking sheet to rest.
- Finish coating all chicken and let sit for 10-15 minutes until coating has set.
- While coating sets, add 2 1/2-3 inches of oil to a medium sized deep pot or deep fryer and heat over medium high heat. Also turn on oven to 275 degrees.
- This is my test for knowing when the oil is ready: Big Mama always tossed a tiny bit of flour in the oil and if it began to fry and sizzle, the oil was ready.
- Fry all pieces until golden brown and place on paper towels to drain for only 1 minute per wing before tossing in sauce.
For the Sauce
- Whisk together hot sauce and melted butter and heat in microwave to make sure it is hot.
- Add half of sauce to another large bowl and carefully toss several wings in sauce until completely covered. Add more sauce if you like them really saucy like me then serve immediately.
- Celery and ranch or blue cheese is a nice complement.
- If not serving immediately, place in the oven to keep warm.
Notes
How to Store
- Fridge: Buffalo wings are always best fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep any extra buffalo sauce in a separate airtight container in the fridge too.
- Freezer: Let the wings cool completely, then freeze them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. You can freeze leftover buffalo sauce separately as well if you’ve got extra. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm the wings in a 325°F oven or air fryer until heated through and crisp again. I don’t recommend the microwave unless you’re fine with softer skin. Toss with extra warmed buffalo sauce before serving if needed.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Take the time to soak. Give the wings a good 2-3 hours in the buttermilk. Longer is even better.
- Let your chicken rest after breading it. This is something I do whenever I fry chicken. It helps it stick like glue and not fall off when frying.
- Add enough oil to the pot. The wings should be fully submerged with space to cook evenly.
- Fry in batches and NEVER overcrowd the pot. That’s how you get them crispy instead of greasy.
- Adjust the seasoning to your taste. Add more heat or keep it mild, depending on how you like your buffalo wings.
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I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Serving Ideas
- Game Day Spread: Get these buffalo hot wings on the table with grit cakes, steak nachos, elote corn dogs, pepperoni pizza, and bacon-wrapped smokies.
- Classic Wing Sides: Serve them with sweet potato fries, regular fries, coleslaw, mac and cheese (great for soothing the heat of the buffalo sauce), or onion rings.
- Party App Favorites: Add these wings to a snack table with caramel popcorn, fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, grape jelly meatballs, or elote dip.
- Southern Comfort Combo: Pair them with potato salad, fried okra, vinegar coleslaw, collard greens, or cornbread if you wanna turn wing night into a full meal.
Recipe Help
BBQ, honey mustard, garlic parmesan, or sweet chili.
You can soak, bread, and fry the wings up to 24 hours ahead. Store them in the fridge without sauce. Reheat in a 325°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or in the air fryer until crisp, then toss in warmed buffalo sauce right before serving.
Yep! Bake them on a wire rack over a baking sheet at 425°F for about 45 to 50 minutes, flipping halfway through, until cooked through.
Air fry them at 400°F for about 18 to 22 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crisp and cooked through. Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the basket.
More Wing Recipes
- Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
- Honey BBQ Wings
- Lemon Pepper Wings
- Pomegranate Honey Wings
- Smothered Turkey Wings
- Baked Turkey Wings
This post was originally published August 2015. It has been updated with new images and content.
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The wings looks soo good! Can someone please tell me why do we need to turn on the oven in Step 5?
I was wondering the same thing
In case you aren’t eating right away, to keep warm, from my understanding
To keep warm if not immediately eating
Buffalo sauce is something I can eat with anything and if it’s crispy too – you’ll need to keep me from eating it all on my own!
Yum! Just in time for football season! Love how crispy they are. 🙂
Mmm, those wings look so good!
Girl these wings are haunting me! Just ordered your book and can’t wait to get started with your fantastic recipes.
Wow thank you so very much hon!!! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
It says to turn on your oven but you never say what its for. After frying and putting them in sauce are you supposed to cook them in the oven??
Hi Tanya,
Sorry the bottom part cut off for some reason in the instructions. You can keep the wings warm in the oven if you would like.
Thankyou! Going to try this today! ?
GIMME GIMME GIMME
I’m so excited it’s Game Day season again, and these would be beyond perfect to serve! They look so crispy and delicious! 🙂
You truly are an expert! i’m a little scared of frying anything but you make it look so easy… you’ve inspired me to give it a try!:-)
These look so perfectly crispy! You are the queen of all things fried chicken!