Name: Deep-Fried Chicken Wings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs chicken wings; 3 quarts peanut oil (for frying; or any other oil with high smoking point); 1 egg; 1 Tbsp water; 1/4 cup hot sauce (Duff's hot sauce, Frank's, etc.); 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1/4 tsp black pepper; a pinch cayenne pepper; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper

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The best deep-fried chicken wings, period. Flavored inside out, with a tasty crunchy crust and succulent meat inside. Deliciousness at its best!

Crispy fried chicken wings on white paper towel.

Crunchy deep-fried chicken wings, with tender and juicy meat inside, is my guilty pleasure. I don't make them often, but when I do, I want them to be nothing short of perfect. As they say, if you are going to do something wrong (or bad), do it right.

Challenges with deep-frying

The biggest challenges with deep-frying are the mess it leaves behind, the smell in the kitchen, and the difficulty maintaining oil temperature. I solved the first two of these problems by taking this type of cooking outside. There is no more stinky oil smell, and no more mess to clean up.

The simple solution that makes deep-frying a breeze

The temperature maintenance problem is easily solved by using a large cast iron pot with a propane burner. With this setup, I can heat the oil quickly, within minutes. I can also make it recover from a temperature drop after adding food very quickly.

Chicken wings frying in hot, bubbling oil.

A better option, I find, is to preheat oil about to about 20 - 25 degrees higher, than add the wings. I observed about a 20-degree temperature drop upon adding 2 pounds of wings to 3 quarts of hot oil. I tend to prefer this approach.

The ideal internal temperature of the wings

Temperature control is only one of the factors contributing to how good your wings will be. The internal temperature of the wings is crucial. Cook them too long and they will dry out inside. Many wing joints, including the well-known ones, serve them like that. It seems to be hardly an issue for many as the wings will be doused in enough sauce to make that a non-problem.

But it is. A well-cooked fried wing should be tender and juicy, with a crunchy exterior, and taste great without any sauce. It makes a huge difference, with or without a sauce on top. I cook my wings to about 185F - 190F, checking the temperature with an instant-read thermometer after about 4 minutes of cooking. At 185F the wings are perfectly juicy, yet fall-off-the-bone tender. Cooking this way, I've never had a dry fried wing. Ever. It takes about 4-5 minutes to reach doneness. Larger wings may take a minute or so longer.

Golden brown fried chicken wings split open, showing moist, juicy meat.

Chicken wing seasoning

Finally, it's how you season the wings. I like to put three layers of seasonings on my fried wings. I start off by seasoning the wings themselves, then cover in spicy egg wash, and dredge in seasoned flour. This makes every bite flavorful and tasty on its own, without any sauce. I thought about brining these wings for even more flavor, like I always do when making smoked chicken wings, but it's not necessary for this recipe.

Crispy golden brown whole chicken wings in a basket lined with wax paper.

That said, these wings will be even better tossed with some hot sauce. My favorite sauce is the Duff’s Hot Sauce, with a little bit of melted butter. About 1 tablespoon of melted butter to 1/3 cup of Duff’s wing sauce, with no added salt. That’s enough for 2 pounds of wings. It's what I also use on my favorite extra crispy baked chicken wings.

Duffs hot sauce.

Another way I like to serve these wings is to toss them with just a touch, about 2-3 tablespoons, of plain Duff’s hot sauce - less fatty this way, just a touch spicy, and so good!