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    Ask Chef Dennis » Recipes » Main Meals » Poultry Recipes » The Most Ah-Mazing Buffalo Chicken Wings You’ll Ever Make!

    The Most Ah-Mazing Buffalo Chicken Wings You’ll Ever Make!

    Published: May 30, 2019 · Modified: Mar 1, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley · 180 Comments·This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    4.41 from 57 votes
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    pinterest image for buffalo chicken wings

    Buffalo Chicken Wings and Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing 

    One of the great joys in life for me is Buffalo Chicken Wings (also known as Hot Wings). I know it shouldn’t even be in that class of happiness, but I just love them.

    And when I started making Buffalo Wings at home and developed my recipe I discovered that no one else could make them as good as I could.

    That’s my disclaimer for this recipe. Once you taste just how good these hot wings are your favorite restaurant’s wings will taste as good.

    buffalo wings with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks blurred in the background on a white plate

    Of course, that doesn’t stop me from trying them at other restaurants when we go out to eat, after all I do love Buffalo Chicken Wings!

    If you’re not a fan of bleu cheese dressing you can always use ranch dressing to dip your hot wings. I always serve celery sticks or carrot sticks with my buffalo wings, they’re great to cut the heat and to dip in the dressing!

    What Ingredients do I need to make Buffalo Chicken Wings?

    overhead view of ingredients to make buffalo chicken wings in glass bowls on a wooden cutting board

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Buffalo Chicken Wings. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.

    Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    What Kind of Wings Should I Use?

    The first and most important ingredient for this dish is Chicken Wings. And if you have a choice always choose fresh not frozen wings.

    Did you ever notice that sometimes the bones get black inside? That’s a sign that the wings have been frozen. In chef speak we call that Black Bone.

    What Part of the Wing Should I use for Buffalo Chicken Wings?

    When you look at the wing, you’ll notice that there are three parts to the chicken wing.

    The wingtip (also known as the flapper), the middle part is the wingette (aka the flap), and then the meatiest part is called the drumette (because it looks like a small version of the chicken leg).

    I use the first two sections saving the wingtip for soup. They are easily frozen (or re-frozen) and can help you make a very flavorful chicken soup. Just place them in a Ziplock Bag and save them for the next time you make soup.

    You can also leave the wingtip attached to the wingette to make it look more appetizing.

    How do I Cut the Chicken Wings?

    one hand holding chicken wing while the other hand holds a chefs knife cutting thru the joint of the wing

    Place the wings on a cutting board and with a sharp knife carefully find the joints. Placed the knife blade (closer to the handle than the tip) on the joint, with the tip of the knife on the cutting board and chop down. The section is a little thicker to cut through, but it’s pretty easy to do, just be careful.

    overhead view cutting the wing flap off the chicken wing

    The wingtip comes off pretty easy,  You can leave this on if you like, it will enhance the overall look of the wing but that’s about it.

    Prepping the wings will take no time at all, and sometimes you’ll find pre-cut chicken wings at the market you shop at without the wingtip.

    Once the wings are prepped you can move on to making the buffalo sauce.

    What is the Secret to Good Buffalo Chicken Wings?

    The secret to the Best Buffalo Chicken Wings You’ll Ever Have is the sauce.

    You can adjust the amounts in my recipe for your heat comfort level and feel free to add your own secret ingredients to make it your very own. Just follow my steps in the recipe to ensure your sauce doesn’t break and comes out rich and clingy. 

    overhead view of three pans with melted butter, sauce ingredients, and finished sauce
    • melt the butter in a pan over medium heat
    • add the hot sauce and honey to the pan over medium heat (if you don’t like the sweetness, leave the honey out)
    • turn off the burner and mix the sauce together. It should be thick. 

    Chef Dennis Tip:

    The secret to getting the sauce just right is taking the melted butter and honey mixture off the stove before adding the hot sauce. When Buffalo Sauce gets too hot, it breaks and becomes oily.

    Did you ever get an order of wings and the sauce in the bottom of the dish looks disgustingly greasy? That’s because the sauce got too hot.

    Do I have to Use Butter in the Sauce?

    I do prefer using butter,  but you can use margarine or any variety of butter substitutes you like. I have even used Coconut Oil in my Buffalo Sauce without any problems, it just doesn’t get quite as thick.

    Just a word of warning, once you start making your own buffalo chicken wings at home, most of the others you try when you dine out will pale in comparison. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing!

    overhead view of a glass bowl with chicken wing sections coated in seasoned flour

    Once the sauce is made it’s time to get the wings ready to fry. These are Jersey Style Buffalo Chicken Wings, which means I flour my wings before frying them.

    In Buffalo, this would be sacrilege, but I prefer the crunchy surface and feel that it holds the sauce better. Naked or floured the choice is yours.

    overhead view of fried chicken wings draining on a wire rack on a sheet pan

    After frying the wings in hot oil for a minimum of 6 minutes (or longer if needed), make sure to let them drain before saucing the wings. If not the wings will be greasy.

    **Oil should be 350-360 degrees F. to fry wings

    overhead view of fried chicken wings coated in buffalo sauce in a large stainless steel bowl

    The step left is tossing the wings in the buffalo sauce. I always use a large bowl so I can toss the wings, making sure they are completely coated. And I love getting that hit of hot sauce as it drifts up to my nose..sigh.

    buffalo wings with bleu cheese dressing blurred in the background on a white plate

    How do I Make Bleu Cheese Dressing?

    If you’ve never made homemade blue cheese dressing before, you don’t know what you’re missing.

    While there are a lot of great brands in the market, homemade is so much better and pretty easy to do.

    For my recipe, I use sour cream, mayonnaise and whole milk. You can easily substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream, which adds a little tang to the dressing. Feel free to use low-fat mayonnaise and low-fat milk or buttermilk in the recipe.

    How do I make Baked Buffalo Wings?

    To bake crispy crunchy buffalo chicken wings, the secret is Baking Powder. I know what you’re thinking but trust me on this one.

    • Toss the wings with 1 tablespoon baking powder (not baking soda), sea salt and black pepper to taste.
    • Place the wings single layer on a baking sheet into a 400 degree preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes then turn the wings over and continue cooking for and additional 20-25 minutes until the wings are beautiful golden brown.
    • Toss the baked buffalo chicken wings with the buffalo sauce and serve with bleu cheese or ranch dressing.

    Can I make buffalo chicken wings in an Air Fryer?

    You sure can. Omit the flour from the recipe for this method and add a little oil to the wings, season liberally with sea salt and black pepper and toss to coat the wings with the oil and wing seasonings. *You can pan spray instead of oil if you like.

    • Place the seasoned wings in a single layer into the air fryer basket (don’t stack them). Turn the air fryer to 380°F and let them cook for 10 minutes. After 10 mnutes turn the wings over and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes.
    • To get theat crispy crunchy exterior to the wings, increase the temperature to 400°F and cook the wings for 5 more minutes.
    • Toss the wings in the buffalo sauce and enjoy!

    Recipe FAQ’s

    Why are they called Buffalo Wings when they’re made with chicken?

    The name comes from the location of the creator of this American classic. Credit goes to a small family-owned restaurant called Anchor Bar located in Buffalo, New York where they first created this dish in 1964.

    Are Buffalo wings the same as Hot Wings?

    Basically, they are the same. Preparation may differ and anyone from Buffalo will dispute the fact that anyone from any other location is actually making Buffalo wings. Hence the term “Hot Wings”

    Are Buffalo wings healthy?

    Well…. no they’re not, but they are delicious. If you bake or air-fry the wings you are making them less unhealthy. You can also use coconut oil to make the buffalo sauce which cuts out the butter.

    buffalo chicken wings with celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing on a white plate

    Tools I use to make my Buffalo Wings:

    • Stainless Steel Bowls to toss wings in sauce
    • Wire Whisk to mix the sauce
    • 12- inch Tongs to use while frying wings

    More Chicken Wing Recipes You’ll Love!

    • Chinese Sticky Chicken Wings
    • Tequila Lime Drunken Chicken Wings Recipe
    • Asian Style Garlic Ginger Chicken Wings Recipe
    • Honey Lime Buffalo Wings for Your Next Get Together

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    buffalo chicken wings with celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing on a white plate
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    4.41 from 57 votes

    Buffalo Chicken Wings

    My Buffalo Chicken Wing recipe will set a new standard of deliciousness for you.   If you like more heat you can adjust that easily.  You can also make your own blue cheese dressing to accompany the wings!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 1112kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    Buffalo Wings

    • 2 lbs chicken wings
    • 1 cup all purpose flour
    • 2 cups vegetable oil or your favorite oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper to taste

    Buffalo Wing Sauce

    • 12 oz Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce or hot sauce of your choice
    • 6 oz unsalted butter 1 and ½ sticks
    • 3 oz honey

    Bleu Cheese Dressing

    • 4 oz Bleu Cheese
    • ½ cup sour cream or Greek Yogurt
    • ½ cup Mayonnaise
    • ¼ cup milk or buttermilk
    • ¼ teaspoon granulated onion
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    US Customary – Metric
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    Instructions

    Buffalo Wing Sauce

    • In a sauce pan melt the butter then add the honey and turn off the heat
    • Add in hot sauce and using a wire whip blend until fully incorporated into the butter/honey mixture.
    • You can heat this sauce if you want it hotter, but at this temperature the sauce will cling really well to the chicken wings. If you let the sauce get to hot it will break and separate into an oily mess!
    • Set aside sauce until ready to coat wings

    Bleu Cheese Dressing

    • In a food processor, add the sour cream or Greek yogurt, the milk and half of your bleu cheese.
    • Pulse the mixture until all of the bleu cheese has been blended in.
    • Add this mixture to the mayonnaise with the remaining bleu cheese crumbles and seasonings. (The seasonings are just a guide, season it to your taste)
    • You should make this dressing at least one day ahead of time, to let the flavors build, it will taste the best after 48 hours.

    Buffalo Chicken Wings

    • Wash all of the chicken wings, then on a cutting board, cut the wings into 3 pieces, either discarding the end wing section of freezing and saving for soup stock.
    • Pat dry all wing pieces you will be using.
    • Season your flour with salt and pepper (about ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper) and dredge chicken wings in the seasoned flour
    • Preheat oil in a large skillet to fry your wings
    • Place wings in hot oil and fry for about 4-5 minutes, then turn them over and cook the other side for about the same time. (You want the wings to get crispy and have a good color).
    • Remove the cooked wings to paper towels to drain
    • Place the cooked wings in a large bowl with your buffalo sauce and toss them to get a good even coating of buffalo sauce on the wings.
    • Serve and enjoy!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1112kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 100g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 3603mg | Potassium: 413mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1285IU | Vitamin C: 64.1mg | Calcium: 401mg | Iron: 2.3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!
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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Courtney

      June 13, 2022 at 9:26 pm

      5 stars
      These wings were amazing! This was my first time making hot wings. The recipe was easy to follow and the sauce was delicious!

      Reply
    2. Lois A Drummond

      March 20, 2022 at 12:12 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe just the right amount of heat and sweetness my go to

      Reply
    3. Ana Lucina Caracas

      July 11, 2021 at 3:25 am

      Muchas gracias por la receta está buena, en especial por el secreto del polvo de hornear. Es primera vez que hago y quedaron muchas bien.

      Reply
    4. Walter Pino

      February 06, 2021 at 10:27 am

      Chef Dennis, I love your recipes
      I’m a disable Vietnam vet and I love to cook. You give me great recipes. My favorite is anything with MD. crab meat. I’m from DC, MD. area. I now live in Myrtle Beach, SC now. If you ever get to this area, I would like to meet you.

      Thank You
      Walt Pino

      Reply
    5. Seth

      January 12, 2021 at 8:47 pm

      Chef Dennis, thank you for the recipe! Plan to use it in a “wing cook-off” amongst friends this coming weekend on an ice fishing trip. We will have access to a grill which we intend to grill the wings. Fortunately, we will all be starting of with baked/grilled wings. Since we will not have readily accessible stoves, is it possible to premake the sauce and heat on grill later or will it separate and ruin my chances of reigning as”king of the holy chicken wings”

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        January 12, 2021 at 9:58 pm

        you can make the sauce ahead of time, the key to not having it break is not letting it get too hot. Let the sauce warm up, but don’t let it get too hot, add it to the grilled wings and it should be fine

        Reply
    6. Malayah

      January 02, 2021 at 6:26 pm

      5 stars
      Very delicious you can even taste a hint of honey

      Reply
    7. Dennis Latchum

      November 19, 2020 at 12:44 pm

      5 stars
      Well once again Chef Dennis has provided one heck of a tasty recipe. Made the wings this morning (Air Fried not deep fried) the WONDERFUL hot sauce and the creamy Bleu Cheese dressing. Hats off to Chef Dennis!

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        November 19, 2020 at 2:01 pm

        I do love those wings. I have to get an air fryer I hear so many good things about them!

        Reply
    8. Michael Kansas City

      November 08, 2020 at 8:11 pm

      These were the best wings I have ever had. Best texture and best flavor!
      I love wings too.

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        November 08, 2020 at 8:44 pm

        I’m very happy to hear that Michael! We just had some for dinner tonight

        Reply
    9. Shahed Ali

      November 07, 2020 at 12:29 pm

      Can you please advise what temperature the oil should be neated to when frying these wings, and the duration please at that temperature?

      Also how many grams salt and pepper to the receipe quantity you have described please?

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        November 07, 2020 at 12:43 pm

        oil should be at 350 degrees F. and I just added amounts for the salt and pepper, click on the metric tab under the ingredients list for grams.

        Reply
    10. Richie

      September 04, 2020 at 5:51 am

      5 stars
      Making it the 2nd time, my family loves it ❤ !!!

      Reply
    11. Aisha

      August 12, 2020 at 10:16 am

      4 stars
      Absolutely love the recipe. Have made it before and making it again. Really easy and yummy. Lots of warm wishes from Dubai UAE

      Reply
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