Buffalo Chicken Wings and Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing
One of the great joys in life for me is Buffalo Chicken 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 a recipe I also found that just 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 wings are your favorite restaurant will never be as good!
Of course, that doesn’t stop me from trying them at other restaurants when we go out to eat, I do love Buffalo Chicken Wings!
What do I need to make Buffalo Chicken Wings?
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?
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.
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 outs rich and clingy.
- 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 substitute 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 your dining out will pale in comparison. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing!
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.
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
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.
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 the 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.
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
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Buffalo Chicken Wings
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
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!
Nutrition
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE
Luckily the storm has skipped NC this time…Whew!
As for the wings, I thought you must be pretty sure of them to title your post as you did. They look sensational and I had to laugh at the crazy amount of butter in the sauce. No wonder they are so good!
Stella
Oh, Dennis, I heard about that strange snow/ice with thunder. That just sounds freaky (yikes!). Either way, these look like a wing lover's dream. Buzzed;-)
briarrose
Wow these look incredible. That sauce is so inviting.
5 Star Foodie
Those buffalo chicken wings look fabulous for sure! Awesome photos too!
lostpastremembered
Well,I don't think I've ever seen them so juicy and full of sauce… positively sexy wings, if you ask me. I have never thought of adding sweetness so the honey addition is new to me… a great way to go from tangy to sweet and sour. Thanks for the great recipe!
Cakewhiz
I am not a big wings fan but my family is and your recipe looks so full of flavor that i am sure they would be left licking their fingers and asking for more. Looking forward to making these on superbowl day 😀
Thanks again for your "ask chef dennis" section. I always learn something new.
Treat and Trick
Irresistible! Thanks for the recipe and blogging tips Dennis. Have a nice day!
bunkycooks
Hi Chef,
I am glad I am in the South this Winter. Although it has not been typical, at least it has been tolerable. I feel so bad for you all up North!
If I were hosting a party for the Super Bowl I would certainly try your wing recipe. We have a yearly event that takes me away from the kitchen for the day, so I won't complain!
Stay warm!!!
Gwen
Marisa
My mouth literally started to water as soon as I looked at your wings photo. Wings have a habit of doing that! Now that I've seen these I have to have them–and they better be half as good as yours look!
kita
Chef Dennis, don't I feel like the tool while reading this post because as much as I cook for the parties around here, I have never made wings (so no go to recipe). Someday Ill have to give it a try since I do love to eat them! I have to say though, your photos for these look perfect! 🙂
Sandra
Beautiful photo!!! I can't stop looking..I have to go back and look some more:)) great recipe, will try it!!!
Thank for sharing!
Hyosun Ro
These look so good! My mouth is watering. The sauce and dressing all sound really good.
Christina
What a great wings recipe! They're always great for game day! I use Photo Shop Elements for my photo editing, but LOVE Picnik when I'm in a hurry or have a LOT of photos to edit. Thanks for your continued inspiration!
Lisa
Awesome wings – love the addition of honey because I love a hint of sweet in my palate burning fare.
On another note..Foodbuzz has kind of ticked me off. My latest posts on the site still date back two years ago, can't upload photos to my profile, and my widget rarely changes, not to mention this new Buzz channel doesn't pick up my posts either, even with the suggested tags. Contacted them and never receive follow up responses. Annoying.
Mari
Dennis, I can't wait to taste your buffalo wing recipe.
Thanks for the photo editing links.
Have a marvelous week 🙂
Gourmet Gadget Gal
Well, you need some heat to survive with all that weather up there! I am all about spicy chicken wings too. If you ever visit Nashville Tennessee you should try the regional speciality of "Hot Chicken". It is totally different that hot wings but if you like it spicy it is really delicious!
Leslie Uhl
Wow! Those wings look delicious!
Also congratulations (again!) on being #1 and also #1 on the new Foodbuzz Channels!
Well- I think I need to get some dinner now!
Stay warm and safe!
Leslie
A little bit of everything
hope my canon will work as good as yours, oh, i know, i'm dreaming :))
i don't eat meat but those wings sure do look good.
foodbuzz top 9 gets more confusing every day
stay warm Chef
Jennifurla
I have guided so many people to Flickr & Picnik, so many features for free. I use it to brighten and expose light pictures. Lovely post, I just know have started diggin on heat! These fit the bill.
Donna
the wings look incredible…and as always, thank you for sharing your blogger knowledge!
Kristen
I think I get more excited about the food posted because of the Super Bowl than about the game itself. I love the idea of tempering the hot sauce with a little honey. Those are some gorgeous wings, Chef.
Ma What's 4 dinner
You don't have to tell me twice, I bet they are the best. I LOVE wings. I'll have to try them this weekend.
Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner
www.mawhats4dinner.com
Emily Malloy
Hubbahubba.
Send me some!
mangiabella
oh Dennis I am praying for safe travels for you in this weather!! As you may well know I am a huge Steelers fan since age 10, so I'll be wearing my colors proud on Sunday…yellow n black attack! These wings looks amazing – your photos continue to rise above….bravo!
Debbie
I actually don't have a wing recipe, so thanks for this!
I use Picnik editing software and it is pretty user-friendly, still waiting till my photos are better to buy something nicer!
Good Luck with the next storm coming!
Jill Colonna
I just love your posts. Absolute temptation leaping through the screen with amazing photos as ever! Thanks also for sharing your wisdom on the foodbuzz and photography. I had just the same questions, so thank you!
Elisabeth
Hi Dennis-Now that I see your post of your Buffalo wings, and the gorgeous clean-cut no-mess-no-spill photos, also loving the addition of the honey in yours, really puts my Buffalo wings to shame…sigh
Unfortunately, when I make something, I could barely get a chance to take a photo of it, because every one wants to jump in to grab a piece or a bite, and I barely have a chance to check for mistakes on my presented dish. Here's my version, from last week, or so!
http://foodandthriftfinds.blogspot.com/2011/01/buffalo-chicken-wings-with-blue-cheese.html
Claudia
Your chicken wings comes under my category of "worth the calories." And will be made for the family (so I don't eat them all). I always appreciate your insights into the blogging process. You do a lot of research and show care with your advice. Thank-you.
Dionne Baldwin
YAY! We love Buffalo Chicken Wings and I don't know a single person with a recipe for it. My only response has been…"Get them from Costco!" No way.
Absolutely, positively gorgeous shot of those wings.
I must say I appreciate you providing all of this information for us especially the Food Porn sites.
Thanks to you and your advice January was by far the month with the most hits to my blog. In fact, I more than quadrupled the hits from my previously highest month. (Say that five times fast.)
I hope you and Mrs. Littely are staying warm! I think we are the only place in the US that is not being hit with a storm right now. 🙁
Foodtographer
Oh Yes! Chicken wings! Reliable comfort food especially with the right sauce. BTW..Glad to see you're using Lightroom…workflow is a lot easier…CHEERS!
Torviewtoronto
looks perfect and delicious
Kath
Your hot-looking buffalo wings look perfect for a cold, snowy day, Dennis!
I just love your Ask Dennis posts! Thanks for the tips about photo editing. I have used Picnik, but I'm going to check out some of your suggestions.
Someone else asked about your black background on the buffalo wings photo. I, too, am curious about how you did that.
Thanks for all of your helpful tips!
Evan @swEEts
So I'm coming over to your house for the superbowl if these wings are going to be there! They look fantastic.. I can just smell the hot sauce now! Hope the freezing rain doesn't do too much damage.. I woke up to no power or water this morning due to our freeze!
Roxan
Heavy freezing rain? That doesn't sound nice at all. Chef Dennis, I think it's about time for you to make a visit to sunny southern california! The weather here has been spectacular lately.
But…. sad to say, we don't have those best buffalo wings that you are touting in this entry ;] Win and lose, I guess.
Faith
Buffalo Wings are a serious favorite in my house and yours look wonderful! I never would have thought to add honey to Buffalo Sauce but I bet it's really delicious!
Georgia (The Comfort of Cooking)
I love that you added honey to the buffalo sauce, Dennis. These look absolutely mouthwatering! Thanks for sharing.
Kate @ Diethood.com
Chef, thank you for sharing these finger-licking wings .. I can't wait to serve them on Sunday!
The storm of 2011 has hit us big time…we are all stuck at home…everything is closed. We're hoping that it will pass without any major damage.
Stay safe and take care!
Pretend Chef
You've just tempted my Achilles Heel. Chicken wings are a favorite of mine and I can't even begin to put into words my love. I've never attempted to make my own. I am bookmarking your page and will be making these as soon as possible! Thank you for introducing me to some new food porn sites. Another winning recipe Chef Dennis! Just wanted to let you know that I am hosting a Culinary Smackdown Battle and would love for you to check it out and participate if you are interested: http://imapretendchef.blogspot.com/2011/01/culinary-smackdown-battle-hand-held.html
Julie M.
Yum Dennis! I just love the look of these wings. Bring on the football game!
Thanks for the info. on the photo site and the editing software as well. I used adobe elements and really like it. It does everything I need it to do without being so complicated that I can't figure it out.
Stay warm and safe up there!
Raw_Girl
Is that first photo shot on a black background or is it edited later? If the latter, how do you go about doing it?
also – as you mentioned, getting a 99 buzz puts you "in the running"..then how is that posts that are not even on the Buzz page turn up the next day in the top9… Do you know anyone in the FB team who we can suck up to? 🙂
Michael Toa
I love chicken wings and yours look so delicious. I'm afraid I have to pass the blue cheese as I am not a big fan. Just sour cream for me will be perfect. yum.
mywanderingspoon
Fantastic meal,there is something about wings…the flavor and the sauce…lovely photo chef:)
Brandie@thecountrycook
I don't think you can ever have too many wings or too many wing recipes. It's nice to change it up every now again and try something different. Your picture of the wings is amazing and I love the blue cheese sauce!
Eileen
What time is the superbowl party – lol! I don't imagine there will be a wing left in the house after you put those out. They look superior. Thanks for sharing!
Becky
Those wings are pure heaven, with wonderful sauce. Your pictures are gorgeous! I can send you some Louisiana Hot Sauce, if you want. Just let me know, we can get it here.
I found a post from The Baking Barrister, who is is a lawyer, and has a very timely post on copywrights. Check it out!
http://www.bakingbarrister.com/2011/01/bsa-copyright-infringement-dmca.html
Drick
yep, that is a good recipe for wings, always enjoyed it and your dip sounds wonderful, nice and balanced
Patti
Hi Chef! I've made these wings but never added the honey. Definately going to try this one. They look great!
Kate
Fabulous photo!!
Stephanie
Gosh, you got me craving a messy basket of wings on this early, cold winter's day! I love wings, too. But, I've never truly made my own. Hubby and I are regulars @ Buffalo Wild Wings. I love that place. :-p
Jenn
I don't care that it's 6am and I just sat down with a cup of coffee… I want THOSE WINGS!!! YUM!! I cut up my own chicken for this first time this year to make wings…it was way easier then I thought it would be!
something good
WOW!!! These are too much to bear before lunch… you're killing me!!!
Annie
Buffalo wings are my absolute favorite but I have never ventured to make them myself. I just didn't realize that they were so easy!
I've been seeing a lot about food porn sites lately but have never really given them much thought. I guess its time I do. Thanks!
Rosemary
It's about 8 a.m. Wednesday on the other half of the state, Dennis, and the ice is melting, but then snow's supposed to come on top on the ice. Yuk. Another great reason to make wings at home . . . these look wonderful, better than I've ever had out!
A Thought For Food
Another great post, Dennis! While i'm not a meat eater and i won't be chowing down on wings this weekend, they still look great. And I love each of your Ask Chef Dennis posts. I'm heading over to that site right now.
Thanks!
Lynn
These look delish! So simple, yet delish and messy! The messier the better!
Carolyn
I love love love wings, so this recipe is a must-try for me. Saving it! Thanks for the tip on Foodbeast.com, I will have to check them out. Stay safe in the snow. It's the second snow day in a row here, and my kids are getting restless. A good day for cooking and baking!
the constant hunger
Great tips, especially the photo editing. I use Picassa which is pretty basic and I'm curious to check out the others. My camera came with pretty bad editing software so… Thanks!
Lin Ann
These sound and look great, I especially like the honey idea (my friend is a beekeeper and she love the idea too!). Thanks for the sauce recipe – what's a good buffalo chicken wing without a good sauce?! And, again, thanks for the Foodbuzz tips.
Lizzy
Wow, those wings look incredible! Perfect for the big game 🙂 Thanks for the info on photo editing programs…I really need to bite the bullet and start using one (lazy blogger here!!!).
Vibey @ Yumbo McGillicutty
Oh, man! I'm addicted to Buffalo wings and these look the amazing! The dressing looks pretty perky, too. I reckon the yoghurt would make all the difference.
Big Dude
Great looking wings – it's 4:14am and I could still go for a plate full. Freezing rain can be a real nightmare – hope everything goes okay.
Chele
The weather certainly is a concern … maybe they are right about 2012!! In any case with a batch of these chicken wings I reckon I'd weather storms quite happily ;0)
Cherine
The chicken wings are mouthwatering!!
All That's Left Are The Crumbs
These are some good looking wings. They almost want to make me lick my fingers and I haven't even eaten one! I can't believe that 30 states are under a winter storm watch. Take care in the storm.
alison
oh,chef,the wings are so scrumptious!beautiful pics!
Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes
I love your "Scarlett O'Hara" attitude about now worrying about it now! We've had the 1st of the one, two punch and we're waiting for the 2nd storm. We may get more snow than ice as we are on the MA, NH line! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Please drive carefully! Love the wings! Great for a Super Bowl party!
Eizel
Chef – This is by far the best buffalo wings recipe I've read so far. Thanks for sharing! Hopefully the weather lets up on your side – sending some warm cali wishes!
ajcabuang04
These look beyond delicious!! My mouth is watering right now!! Definitely craving this!! YUMMM!!
sara @ CaffeIna
I don't care for Super Bowl but i do care for these chicken wings.they are so so so juicy that I'm drooling.
As per the top 9 at foodbuzz….I'm every day more confused these days. I got to the top 9 with a post that was two weeks old…who knows, really! I am happy with that and I don't post with "getting to the top 9" in mind but it still was a little weird. Have a great week, Chef!
Wendy Irene (Give Love Create Happiness)
Hi Chef Dennis! I have never put honey in my Buffalo sauce, just butter. I am going to give it a try. It makes sense, sweet and sticky 🙂 I have a question for a future ask Chef Dennis. I took your advice and did the copyright for my blog. Thanks for letting us know about that! There was an option for creative commons and I don't know anything about it. Do you recommend doing that with your copyright? Thanks for your help! Have a great day 🙂 Wendy
sweetsbysillianah
these wings look finger-licking good! can i crash your superbowl party? 😉
thanks for sharing the great tips, as usual, looking forward to the next one. have a safe drive in the mornin… this crazy weather has got to stop!
thecompletecookbook
🙁 We don't get Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce here. Your wings look outstanding Chef.
🙂 Mandy
Rebel Mel
So good… I love buffalo chicken!
BakingWithoutABox
Oh Chef Dennis! I didn't think buffalo chicken wings could look so good! Beautiful shot. And great dressing recipe.
Thanks for the FB friend etiquette reminders. I've had the privilege of meeting some wonderful newbies lately!
Just my 2 cents – I primarily use PaintShop Pro on my older laptop but I too am getting Photoshop Elements. I play with a friend's Photoshop CS4 now and then. Verra fancy stuff! I have found library books help to learn to get the most from whatever program.
Always just love the Ask Chef Dennis portions. Thanks and stay warm!
Brooks at Cakewalker
Chef, these mouth-watering wings are flying me over the moooooon! The photo depicts finger-food succulence at its best. I'm fixin' to give these a try soon. Thank you for the additional photo tips under ACD… Some of my pics have been kicked to the curb, but Like you, it challenges me to become a better photographer. Sending you some sunny California buzz love!