Blackbeard’s Chicken Wings Recipe

Dry wings

Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels. This improves crisping and helps the baking powder adhere.

Season and coat

Toss the wings in a large bowl with the baking powder, kosher salt and black pepper until evenly coated. Add the vegetable oil and toss to distribute.

Choose cooking method

You can oven-bake, shallow-fry, or deep-fry. For best restaurant-style crisp without deep frying, use the oven method below. If frying, heat oil to 350°F (175°C).

Oven method (recommended)

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange wings on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between pieces. Bake 35–45 minutes, flipping once at 20 minutes, until skin is deep golden and crisp and internal temp reaches 165°F (74°C).

Shallow / deep fry method

For shallow frying, heat 1/2" oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high and fry wings in batches 6–8 minutes per side until crisp and cooked through. For deep frying, fry 8–10 minutes until crisp. Drain on paper towels and keep warm.

Hot (Buffalo)

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine 3/4 cup hot sauce (Frank's-style), 3 tbs unsalted butter and 1 tsp honey (optional). Stir until butter melts and sauce is glossy. Keep warm.

BBQ

Combine 3/4 cup preferred BBQ sauce, 1 tbs apple cider vinegar, and 1 tsp Worcestershire in a small saucepan. Heat gently until simmering and glossy, 3–4 minutes.

Korean BBQ

Whisk together 1/2 cup gochujang, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbs rice vinegar, 2 tbs brown sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp grated ginger. Warm in a pan until sugar dissolves and sauce thickens slightly.

Teriyaki

Combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup mirin, 2 tbs brown sugar and 1 tsp grated ginger in a saucepan. Simmer until slightly reduced and glossy, then whisk in 1 tbs cornstarch slurry if needed to thicken.

Jerk

Blend 3/4 cup prepared jerk sauce or combine 1/4 cup soy, 2 tbs brown sugar, 2 tbs lime juice, 1 tsp allspice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp thyme. Warm gently to combine.

Sweet Chili

Heat 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce with 1 tbs rice vinegar and 1 tsp lime juice until warm and pourable.

Mango Habañero

Simmer 1/2 cup mango puree with 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 2 tbs brown sugar and 1–2 tsp habañero puree (adjust heat). Cook until slightly thickened; cool slightly.

Honey Hot

Mix 1/2 cup honey with 1/4 cup hot sauce and 1 tbs butter in a saucepan. Warm until combined and pourable.

Chili Serrano

Sauté 1/4 cup chopped serrano chiles (seeds optional) in 1 tbs oil 1–2 minutes, add 1/2 cup chicken stock and 2 tbs lime juice, simmer 3 minutes then whisk in 1 tbs honey until sauce is balanced.

Honey Mustard

Whisk 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 2 tbs honey, 1 tbs lemon juice and pinch of salt until smooth and chilled (or warm slightly if preferred as a glaze).

Lemon Pepper (finish)

For lemon pepper wings, toss finished wings with 1/2 tbs lemon pepper seasoning and 1 tbs melted butter immediately after saucing (or skip saucing and just toss in butter and seasoning for a dry style).

Prickly Pear

Warm 3/4 cup prickly pear syrup or jam with 2 tbs lime juice and 1 tbs apple cider vinegar until pourable; strain if desired for smoothness.

Make garlic butter

Melt 1 tbs butter in a small skillet over low heat, add 2 tsp minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat and stir into the prepared sauce (or toss wings with it directly if using dry-style).

Toss wings in sauce

Place hot wings in a clean large bowl. Pour the warm chosen sauce over wings — about 3/4 cup sauce for the recipe quantities — and toss vigorously until each wing is evenly coated. For Lemon Pepper dry style, toss with butter and lemon pepper instead of a wet sauce.

Skillet Style option (+$3)

If Skillet Style is ordered, transfer sauced wings to a small ovenproof skillet, dot with 1 tbs butter, sprinkle shredded blue and Monterey Jack cheeses over top. Place under a hot broiler 1–2 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling. Let rest 30 seconds before serving.

Garnish and serve

Transfer wings to serving platter. Sprinkle chopped cilantro or parsley and squeeze lime wedges over if desired. Serve immediately with ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping and additional lime wedges.