Fried Chicken Wing Recipe

Prepare wings

Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels. If not already split, cut at the joint to separate drumettes and flats and discard wing tips or save for stock.

In a large bowl or resealable bag, whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder until combined.

Add the wings to the buttermilk mixture, pressing them down so they are submerged. Cover (or seal) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Marinating tenderizes and flavors the meat.

About 30 minutes before frying, remove wings from refrigerator to come slightly toward room temperature. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan and place a paper towel-lined plate nearby for used dredged wings.

In a large shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together flour, cornstarch, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper until evenly combined.

Working with a few wings at a time, lift each wing from the buttermilk, letting excess drip back into the bowl. Dredge thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing so a good coating adheres. Place coated wings on the wire rack. For extra-crispy wings, double-dredge: after the first coat, briefly dip back into the buttermilk and dredge again in the flour mixture.

Choose a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven and add enough neutral oil to reach approximately 1 to 1.5 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). If you don't have a thermometer, test by dropping a pinch of flour into the oil — it should sizzle steadily and brown slowly.

Pat any excess flour from the wings with a light shake. Fry the wings in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan (3–5 wings per batch depending on size). Carefully lower wings into the hot oil and fry for 7–9 minutes, turning once halfway through, until deeply golden brown and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C). Adjust heat as needed to maintain oil temperature near 325–350°F to prevent burning.

Use tongs to transfer cooked wings to a wire rack set over a sheet pan to drain. Sprinkle immediately with finishing salt or flaky sea salt while still hot. Repeat with remaining wings.

If desired, toss wings in additional sauce (buffalo, BBQ, honey-garlic) or serve plain with lemon wedges and ranch or blue cheese dressing on the side.

Allow wings to rest 2–3 minutes, then serve hot. Leftovers can be reheated in a 400°F oven on a wire rack for 8–10 minutes to re-crisp.