Buffalo Wings
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Buffalo wings are the ultimate bar snack. Great wings boast juicy meat, a crisp coating, and a spicy, slightly sweet, and vinegary sauce. But dry, flabby wings are often the norm and the sauce can be scorchingly hot. We wanted perfectly cooked wings, coated in a well-seasoned sauce—good enough to serve with our homemade creamy blue cheese dressing. We coated the wings with cornstarch for a supercrisp exterior and deep-fried (rather than roasting, sautéing, or pan-frying) the wings for the best texture. Then we deepened the flavor of the traditional hot sauce by adding brown sugar and cider vinegar. And for heat, we chose Frank’s RedHot Original Sauce, which is traditional, but not very spicy, so we added a little Tabasco for even more kick.
INGREDIENTS
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup hot sauce, preferably Frank's Louisiana Hot Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Tobasco sauce or other hot sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- ¼ cup honey (Optional)
Wings
- 1 - 2 quarts peanut oil (or vegetable oil) for frying
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 pounds chicken wings (18 wings), cut up
Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing and Vegetables
- 2 ½ ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 4 stalks celery, cut into thin sticks
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices
KEY EQUIPMENT
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Frank's Louisiana Hot Sauce is not terribly spicy. We like to combine it with a more potent hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to bring up the heat.
INSTRUCTIONS
- For the Sauce: Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in hot sauces, brown sugar, and vinegar until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
- For the Wings: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line baking sheet with paper towels. Heat 2 1/2 inches of oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 360 degrees. While oil heats, mix together cayenne, black pepper, salt, and cornstarch in small bowl. Dry chicken with paper towels and place pieces in large mixing bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture over wings and toss with rubber spatula until evenly coated. Fry half of chicken wings until golden and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer fried chicken wings to baking sheet. Keep first batch of chicken warm in oven while frying remaining wings.
- For the Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing and Vegetables: Mash blue cheese and buttermilk in small bowl with fork until mixture resembles cottage cheese with small curds. Stir in remaining ingredients (up to carrot and celery sticks). Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Can be covered and refrigerated up to 4 days.
- To Serve: Pour sauce mixture into large bowl, add chicken wings, and toss until wings are uniformly coated. Serve immediately with the carrot and celery sticks and blue cheese dressing on side.
- To Make Ahead: The fried, unsauced wings can be kept warm in the oven for up to 1 1/2 hours. Toss them with the sauce just before serving.