Do you love uber crispy, crunchy chicken wings? Of course you do. No one ever said “I like soft & flabby chicken wings”. How to make perfectly, crisp wings (& blue cheese sauce) to accompany them, is so simple. You’ve just got to give those wings a little extra lovin’ & a bit of time. Just like all good things. Right?
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Before we get to the yumminess in the pic above, we have to go down the raw chicken path & do the prep work because the devil my friend, is in the details…
If you’re buying whole wings they need to be segmented & the tips removed. I pop the wing tips into a little freezer container & add them next time I make chicken broth. When segmenting the rest of the wing, you’ll find the sweet spot where it’s easy to cut between the bones. I don’t use my nice knives for this job. A Chinese chopper is perfect if you have one. Once you’ve segmented the chicken then you want to liberally season some all-purpose flour, rice flour works great if you’re gluten intolerant. Get those wings really coated in the flour.
Then we use a wok to cook the wings if you have one. We cook them outside on the gas burner of the barbecue/grill so the oil doesn’t stink up the house. We rarely deep-fry anything but I’m sorry, say what you like, wings do not get as crispy in the oven as they do cooking them at 350F in hot oil for 18 to 20 minutes. If you’re outside doing this & it’s cold and/or windy AF like it was when we were cooking these, then they might need longer. Make sure they’re crisp. And cook them in batches. Don’t be tempted to crowd the pan. Four pounds of wings, segmented, will cook in two batches in a large wok. If your vessel isn’t as wide or as big, do them in three batches, turn the oven to 300F & keep those babies warm on some paper towel or a wire rack set over a baking sheet while you cook the remainder.
For the coating sauce, you can go with Frank’s Red Hot Sauce as most do. Or, you can try the sauce that we make. Maybe try a batch of your regular & a batch of our sauce. See what you think. We use a combination of sauces & a little honey.
My favorite part is the blue cheese sauce. My husband cooks the wings, makes the coating sauce & cuts up the veggies. I make the blue cheese sauce. It’s all about balance & delegation. I like to make the sauce ahead of time so it’s served cold, or at worse, room temperature. It’s as easy as throwing the five ingredients into a saucepan & whisking them over the heat until the sauce is smooth. Although I probably shouldn’t downplay the sauce making as “easy” seeing as it’s my only contribution to this recipe.
Of course there’s always the obligatory carrots & celery. Always. If there’s a more perfect way to eat veggies than dipped in this homemade blue cheese sauce, interjected by eating a wing or three, I’ve yet to discover it. So that’s our take on getting wings that are crispy accompanied by a delicious sauce. And then there’s the sticky part but that’s part of it right as are the beers to wash it all down (or whatever your tipple). Toodles, Lovoni xo
PS. If you’ve not had a good look around our new look website, go & do it, after you’ve printed this recipe or pinned it for later. Oh & if you’re wanting another bar-type appy for the weekend, you have to try these Beer Brat Sauerkraut Balls because they’re so flipping good they’ll turn you inside out.
how to make perfectly crisp wings (& homemade blue cheese sauce)
Equipment
- Large wok or pot
- A spider or large spoon with holes
- Tongs
- Funnel
- saucepan
- whisk
- Resalable bag
- Various size bowls
Ingredients
CELERY & CARROTS
- 3 large carrots I like to use “red” carrots for the Asian market because they’re so crisp
- 1/2 bunch celery, approximately, about 6 stalks
BLUE CHEESE SAUCE
- 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
HOT WING SAUCE
- 1/4 cup sriracha sauce
- 3 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or equivalent
- 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard yellow or Dijon
- 2 tablespoons honey
FOR THE WINGS
- all-purpose flour about scant 1 cup, you’ll have leftover flour but you need it to ensure the wings are tossed freely and well coated
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
- 4 lbs of whole chicken wings, segmented, discarding the wing tips
- 48 fl oz canola or peanut oil for deep-frying*
Instructions
To make the celery & carrots:
- Half fill a large shallow dish or bowl with cool water. Peel the carrots & remove the ‘string’ from the celery. Cut carrots & celery into 3-inch batons. Put into the cold water; cover. Keep in the fridge until ready to use; drain thoroughly before serving.
To make the blue cheese sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the cheese is melted & the sauce is smooth. Pour into a serving bowl, cover loosely & set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
To make the wing sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (you need a large bowl for tossing the wings). Pour half of the sauce into a ramekin or small bowl – this is for the second batch of wings. If you’re cooking the wings in three batches, then divide the sauce into thirds.
To make the wings:
- Place the oil in a large wok or a pot. A wok works best if you have one. Make sure you have a ‘spider’ or a slotted spoon to take the wings out of the oil.
- Mix together the flour, salt & pepper in a large bowl or a Ziploc bag. Add the segmented wings. Shake well to ensure the wings are well coated in the flour. Remove the wings & place on a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You need to toss the wings in the flour just before you’re about to cook them.
- Cook the wings for 18 to 20 minutes until browned & crisp. Place on a wire rack or wadded-up paper towel on a baking sheet & keep warm in 300°F oven while you cook the next batch of wings.
- Toss each batch of wings in a large bowl with sauce. Arrange on a platter with the blue cheese sauce, carrots & wings. Serve immediately.
Notes
- To get rid of the oil after cooking, let the oil cool & using a funnel, pour it back into its original container & discard.
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