Make buffalo chicken wings in minutes! Here’s how.
Buffalo chicken wings, often simply called “buffalo wings,” are a popular American appetiser or snack. They are deep-fried chicken wings coated in a tangy and spicy buffalo sauce.
Here is my recipe for the dish with your choice of homemade blue cheese or ranch style dressing. If you would rather air-fry the buffalo chicken wings, you can and you’ll find those instructions below too.
About this Buffalo chicken wings recipe.
Buffalo chicken wings are a rather recent addition to American cuisine.
The credit for inventing buffalo chicken wings is generally given to Teressa Bellissimo, who owned the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, along with her husband Frank. The story goes, in 1964, Teressa created the dish as a late-night snack for her son and his friends.
She decided to fry up some chicken wings, which were typically considered undesirable and usually discarded or used for making stock.
To spice things up, she tossed the fried wings in a sauce made from hot sauce and butter. The rest is history. Buffalo chicken wings are now a firm favourite all over the US and now the world.
So you can really make buffalo chicken wings with a shop bought hot sauce?
That’s right. I use Frank’s Wings Sauce and my buffalo chicken wings always go down a treat. This is party food! What started out as a snack in a bar is now a classic dish that you can so easily prepare at home.
There are restaurants in the US that specialise in Buffalo chicken wings so they are no longer just a snack but you can also serve them as a main dish.
How do you make this wings recipe your own?
Simple recipes like this loan themselves to experimentation. In the recipe card below, you will find the traditional ingredients used to make buffalo chicken wings but I can assure you that the restaurants I have been to that specialise in Buffalo wings don’t just serve them up with one recipe.
You can add so many things to the sauce. Try adding another spicier hot sauce for example and see how many of your friends can eat them. It’s kind of like a phaal curry challenge but with chicken wings. Other people go for milder ingredients such as Italian herbs and Parmesan mixed into the flour.
With a little experimentation, you can make your wings like this so that they taste Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese or Indian. It’s just a matter of choosing a few ingredients that are used in those cuisines and adding them to taste in your sauce or flour. Just like the original Buffalo chicken wings snack, you really can have fun with this recipe and give it the flavours you want.
What traditionally goes into Buffalo chicken wings?
For now, let’s stick to the classic Buffalo chicken wings recipe. Although recipes can vary, the ingredients below are traditionally used in Buffalo chicken wings.
FOR THE CHICKEN
Chicken wings, separated into drumettes and flats. This is all explained in the recipe card below.
Plain flour (all purpose flour) for coating
Salt and pepper (for seasoning)
Oil (for frying)
FOR THE BUFFALO SAUCE
Hot sauce (commonly cayenne pepper-based), Franks Hot Sauce is a popular option
Butter
Garlic and/or onion powder
How long can you store Buffalo chicken wings in the fridge?
You can keep these wings, wrapped tightly in the fridge for at least three days. They are good hot or cold so you don’t have to reheat them. If you do decide to reheat them, place them in your microwave and heat until hot. About three minutes.
You could also add a little oil to a hot wok and fry them until heat through. Or place them in your an air-fryer or oven set to 200C/400F until hot.
You can also heat them up at the same temperature on a baking try in your oven.
Can you freeze buffalo chicken wings?
You sure can! Don’t let one of these delicious Buffalo chicken wings go to waste. They freeze well for up to 6 months. To reheat, place the frozen wings on a baking sheet and preheat your oven to 200C/400F and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes. You can also reheat them in an air-fryer set to the same temperature.
How do you make buffalo chicken wings?
Get all of your ingredients together before you start. It’s easier that way.
Season the chicken wings with salt and pepper and then dust with the flour. They need to be completely coated with the flour.
Do you have to cut the chicken wings into drumettes and flats?
No but they look better and are easier to eat if you do. Doing this is really quite easy.
Chicken wings are often sold in drumettes and flats but are often supplied whole. Each wing has three segments.
To start, find the joint between the two largest parts of the wing and slice your knife through the joint. You will now have a nice drumette and a flat that is still connected to the pointy end of the wing.
To remove the pointy end, run you knife between that joint too. I usually don’t do this as I like the crispy pointy end but the pointy end is often discarded or used in a stock.
Pre-heat the oil to 375C/190F. Place the wings in a single layer if using a deep fat frying basket. If frying in a wok, you should cook in batches so that the oil doesn’t reduce in heat.
Fry the wings in batches if necessary. Cook the wings for about 10-12 minutes, or until they are golden brown and crispy.
Transfer the chicken wings to a paper towel or wire rack to drain any excess oil. Keep hot.
Add all the sauce ingredients to a small sauce pan.
Bring to a simmer and stir well to combine.
Pour the sauce all over the chicken wings. Stir it all up so that the sauce coats the chicken completely..
Enjoy with celery and your dipping dressing of choice. Both ranch and blue cheese dressing recipes are in the recipe card below.
I bet you can’t just eat one! Enjoy.
Can you air-fry Buffalo chicken wings?
Yes and they are really good too. When I air-fry the wings, I substitute a little baking powder for the plain (all-purpose) flour. You don’t need nearly as much baking powder. The baking powder helps get the Buffalo chicken wings extra crispy. I will be writing a separate recipe for air-fried chicken wings but for now, here is how it’s done.
Note: The Buffalo sauce recipe is the same as the sauce in the recipe card below.
Ingredients:
– 2 pounds chicken wings, separated into flats and drumettes
– Salt and pepper, to taste
– 2 tbsp baking powder (optional, but helps to make the wings crispy)
Method:
1. Preheat your air fryer to 380°F (190°C) for about 5 minutes.
2. While the air fryer is preheating, pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Season the wings with salt and pepper according to your taste preferences.
3. If you want extra crispy wings, you can toss the wings in the baking powder. This helps to draw out moisture from the skin and promotes crispiness. Make sure to coat the wings evenly but lightly with the baking powder.
4. Once the air fryer is preheated, arrange the seasoned chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket, making sure not to overcrowd the basket. You may need to cook the wings in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
5. Cook the chicken wings in the air fryer for 25-30 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking time. The wings should be golden brown and crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside. Adjust the cooking time as needed based on the size of your wings and the efficiency of your air fryer.
6. Toss the cooked, crispy Buffalo chicken wings with the sauce in the recipe card below, ensuring that they are completely coated with the sauce before serving.
Can you bake the Buffalo chicken wings?
Yes. The ingredients are the same as the above air-fryer method. Place the chicken wings on a lightly greased baking tray and cook for 25-30 minutes in the oven. Turn once during cooking.
Air-fried or baked Buffalo chicken wings are amazing too.
If you like these classic American Buffalo chicken wings, there’s a good chance you like a good Chinese takeaway too.
I am currently updating my blog with the most popular Chinese takeaway recipes so be sure to check back often for new recipes. There are a lot on the way!
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- Bang Bang Chicken
- Peking Duck
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Crispy Chicken and Broccoli
- Salt and Pepper Chicken
- Sesame Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Dan Dan Noodles
- Orange Chicken
- Hainan Chicken
- Spicy Chicken Chow Mein
- Mongolian Beef
- Chinese Crispy Beef
- Egg Drop Soup
- Spicy Won Ton Soup
- Egg Fried Rice
- Potstickers
- Bam Bam Chicken
- Shrimp Rangoon
- Black Bean Noodles
- Chinese Chicken Curry
- Deep Fried Green Beans
- Beef in Oyster Sauce
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Have you tried this recipe for Buffalo chicken wings?
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Buffalo Chicken Wings
These Buffalo chicken wings are delicious served with blue cheese dip or ranch dressing. The blue cheese and ranch dressing recipes are in the notes below.
Ingredients
- 2 kg (4 lbs) chicken wings, sliced in half at the joint
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp teaspoon salt
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
- FOR THE SAUCE
- 375ml (3/4 cup) Frank’s Original Hot Sauce or similar
- 1 tbsp honey (more or less to taste
- 100g (1/4 cup) butter
Instructions
- To prepare the chicken wings, divide them by cutting through the joints. This is optional but it looks better and they are easier to eat. Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels and remove any excess moisture.
- Season the wings with salt and pepper and then place in a mixing bowl or large plastic bag with all the flour. Shake or stir until the chicken wings are evenly coated with the flour.
- Pre-heat your oil to 375C/400F. I usually use about 10cm (4 inches) of oil and cook in batches. Do not add too many wings in one go or the oil will reduce in temperature and the wings won’t get crispy.
- So fry the wings in batches if necessary. Cook the wings for about 10-12 minutes per batch, or until they are golden brown and crispy.
- While the wings are frying, you can prepare the Buffalo sauce. In a small sauce pan, heat the hot sauce, butter and honey together until it all comes to a bubbling simmer. Keep hot.
- Once the wings are cooked, use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer them to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels. This will help drain any excess oil and keep the wings crispy.
- Mix the wings with the prepared Buffalo sauce until they are completely coated with the sauce.
- Arrange the buffalo chicken wings on a platter and serve them hot, accompanied by celery sticks and your choice of dipping sauce, such as ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Notes
To make blue cheese dressing:
Ingredients:
- 125ml (1/2 cup) mayonnaise
- 125ml (1/2 cup) sour cream
- 100g (1/4 cup) crumbled blue cheese (adjust to taste)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, crumbled blue cheese, minced garlic, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Use a fork or whisk to mash and blend the blue cheese into the dressing until it reaches your desired consistency. Some people prefer a chunkier dressing, while others prefer it smoother. Adjust the amount of blue cheese according to your taste preferences.
3. Taste the dressing and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Keep in mind that blue cheese itself is quite salty, so you may not need to add much additional salt.
4. If the dressing is too thick for your liking, you can thin it out with a little bit of milk or buttermilk until you reach your desired consistency. Start with a small amount and gradually add more until you achieve the desired thickness.
5. Transfer the blue cheese dressing to a serving bowl or jar, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together.
6. Before serving, give the dressing a good stir. If it has thickened too much in the refrigerator, you can thin it out with a little extra milk or buttermilk.
7. Serve the blue cheese dressing alongside your buffalo chicken wings, celery sticks, and carrot sticks for dipping. Enjoy!
To Make ranch dressing:
Ingredients:
- 250ml (1 cup) mayonnaise
- 125ml (1/2 cup) sour cream
- 70ml (1/4 cup) buttermilk
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 bsp chopped fresh chives
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk. Whisk until smooth and well combined.
2. Add the chopped parsley, chives, minced garlic, onion powder, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice to the bowl. Stir well to incorporate all the ingredients.
3. Taste the ranch dressing and season with salt and black pepper according to your preference. Adjust the amount of lemon juice or herbs if desired.
4. If you prefer a smoother consistency, you can blend the dressing using a blender or food processor until it reaches your desired texture. Alternatively, you can leave it chunky for added texture.
5. Transfer the ranch dressing to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together.
6. Before serving, give the ranch dressing a good stir. If it has thickened too much in the refrigerator, you can thin it out with a little extra buttermilk until you reach your desired consistency.
7. Serve the ranch dressing alongside your favorite salads, as a dipping sauce for vegetables, chicken wings, or as a topping for baked potatoes or sandwiches.
This homemade ranch dressing is creamy, flavorful, and versatile, making it a perfect accompaniment to a wide range of dishes such as Buffalo chicken wings. Adjust the ingredients to suit your taste preferences, and feel free to experiment with different herbs and seasonings to customize the flavor to your liking. Enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 62Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 1008mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g