Proper crispy boneless chicken wings are all about texture and technique, not just coating and frying. Most people end up with soggy or bready nuggets — but when done right, you get craggy, ultra-crispy chicken with juicy meat inside, just like the best wing spots.
In this recipe, I will show you how to do it properly. I served these boneless chicken wings with a delicious BBQ sauce but you might also like to try them with Mango Habanero Sauce or Buffalo Sauce. The technique is the same, only the sauces are different.
What are boneless chicken wings?
Boneless chicken wings are one of those foods that people either absolutely love or love arguing about. Technically, they’re not “wings” at all — they’re usually pieces of chicken breast or thigh that are breaded, fried until crispy, and tossed in wing sauces like Buffalo, BBQ, Mango Habanero or honey garlic. Today I used BBQ Sauce.
But regardless of what you call them, they’ve become hugely popular because they combine everything people love about fried chicken and wings without the mess or bones.
A bit of history about boneless chicken wings
The original Buffalo wing was invented in the 1960s at Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. Traditional wings quickly became a staple in bars and sports pubs across America because they were cheap, spicy, shareable, and perfect with beer.
As wing culture exploded through the 1980s and 1990s, restaurants realised there was also a huge audience who loved the flavour of wings but didn’t enjoy dealing with bones.
That’s where boneless wings came in.
Most people believe boneless wings first became widely popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, especially through American sports bars and chain restaurants. I sure gobbled my way through hundreds while at Uni!
Why you will love this recipe...
BBQ boneless wings as well as those coated with other popular sauces are hugely popular with people who prefer easier eating, families with children, people who like crispy chicken but not the greasy fingers that come with bone-in fried chicken and diners wanting more meat and less bone.
Boneless chicken wings sit somewhere between fried chicken and chicken nuggets — but when they’re made properly, they’re much crispier, juicier, and more flavour-packed than standard nuggets. They are especially loved when served coated with a delicious sauce like BBQ, Mango Habanero, Buffalo or Honey Garlic.
Ingredients
Fresh ingredients are key to getting the best flavour from this BBQ Boneless Chicken Wings recipe. You’ll find the ingredients listed below, while the precise amounts are provided in the recipe card at the end of the page. For smooth cooking and the best outcome, it’s a good idea to have everything measured and prepared before you begin.
Instead of using the barbecue sauce recipe that calls for shop-bought BBQ sauce below, you might like to try my homemade BBQ sauce.
See recipe card for quantities.
- Chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs, sliced against the grain into pieces that look like wings
- Cornflour
- Plain flour
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Egg
- Buttermilk
- Oil for frying
- FOR THE BBQ SAUCE
- Barbecue sauce
- Honey
- Butter
- Smoked paprika
- Worcestershire sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Chilli flakes
Step by step photos
Below, you’ll see step-by-step photographs to guide you through the boneless chicken wings recipe. At the bottom of the page, you’ll also find the full recipe card, which includes the complete list of ingredients and written instructions in an easy, printable format.
- Step 1: The first step is optional but benefits the flavour and texture of the boneless wings. Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl and stir in 1 tsp of the paprika. Add the chicken pieces and leave to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight. The longer the better.
- Step 2: I usually start by making the barbecue sauce so I can tick that off the list. In a saucepan combine the barbecue sauce, honey, butter, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Heat gently until the sauce becomes smooth and glossy. Set aside and keep warm.
- Step 3: In a bowl mix the flour, cornflour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. In another bowl whisk together the egg and two tbsp of the buttermilk.
- Step 4: Dip the chicken pieces first into the egg mixture and then into the flour mixture. Press the flour coating onto the chicken so it sticks well. For extra crispy chicken wings, repeat this process.
- Step 5: Set the coated pieces aside on a plate to rest while you heat up your oil. Resting the flour coated chicken will make it extra crispy.
- Step 6: Heat oil in a deep pan or fryer to about 180°C (350°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, drop in a small piece of egg and flour mixture. It should sizzle on contact when your.
- Step 7: Slowly lower the chicken pieces into the hot oil. Cook the chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. It is important not to add too much chicken to the oil at once or the temperature of the oil will reduce and you will get soggy wings instead of crispy wings.
- Step 8: Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain excess oil.
- Step 9: Place the crispy chicken in a large bowl and toss lightly with the BBQ sauce. Toss until every piece is nicely coated. You can use leftover barbecue sauce as a dip.
- Step 10: That's it! Serve with your sides of choice or add the crispy boneless wing to a soft bun to make the ultimate BBQ chicken sandwich.
Useful Equipment
No special equipment is needed to make this BBQ boneless wings recipe. The following could come in handy.
A Large Pot: For deep frying
A Deep Fat Fryer: Not required but makes the job of frying easier. You can set the temperature and they normally have a basket inside to easily transfer the chicken to a wire rack or paper towel.
A Slotted Spatula: Can be used to transfer to the chicken from the hot oil to a wire rack
A Wire Rack: You could just use a paper towel to soak up any excess oil from the chicken but a wire rack is better.
Mixing Bowls: These are needed for the egg wash and flours.
Storage and Reheating
These wings are best consumed just after frying them. That said, you can store them and reheat them.
Fridge: You can store the wings, covered tightly in the fridge for about 3 days.
Freezer: If you would like to freeze them, you can freeze the cooked wings, preferrably without the BBQ sauce.
To Reheat: Place the wings in your oven or air fryer at about 200°C/400°F until heated through. Avoid using your microwave as this takes away their crispy exterior.
Top Tip
Use Chicken Thighs! They are juicier and more forgiving.
FAQ
The best boneless wings are made with chicken thigh meat. Some are made with breast but these aren't as juicy.
If possible yes! Even if you only marinate the chicken for 30 minutes, your boneless wings will be juicier and more tender.
Using cornflour makes the boneless wings more crispy, lighter and more like what you will find at restaurants.
Absolutely! Spray your air fryer basket with oil spray and also spray the chicken. Fry on a high heat until cooked through and crispy.
This is usually because the chicken was too wet. Be sure to coat with the flour and squeeze the flour mixture right into the meat. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before frying. The coating can also fall off if you remove the wings too early from the oil. Get them nice and crispy!
After frying. Toss the crispy fried chicken lightly in the sauce just before serving. You can use any remaining sauce as a dip.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Have you tried this Boneless Chicken Wings recipe?
If yes, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.
If you are not already doing so, please follow The Curry Guy on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook for all our latest recipes.
BBQ Boneless Chicken Wings
In this recipe, you can purchase BBQ sauce and then make it even better with a few other ingredients. If you like, you can also make a batch of my homemade BBQ sauce. It's a little more work but worth the extra effort.
Ingredients
- 600g (1.3 lb) chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs, sliced against the grain into pieces that look like wings
- 120g (1 cup) cornflour
- 60g (½ cup) plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 egg
- 120ml (½ cup) milk or buttermilk
- Oil for frying
- FOR THE BBQ SAUCE
- 180ml (¾ cup) good quality barbecue sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Optional: pinch of chilli flakes
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into, roughly the size of traditional wings. Try to keep the pieces similar in size so they cook evenly.
- The first step is optional but benefits the flavour and texture of the wings. Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl and stir in 1 tsp of the paprika. Add the chicken pieces and leave to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight. The longer the better.
- I usually start by making the barbecue sauce so I can tick that off the list. In a saucepan combine the barbecue sauce, honey, butter, smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Heat gently until the sauce becomes smooth and glossy. Set aside and keep warm.
- In a bowl mix the flour, cornflour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. In another bowl whisk together the egg and milk.
- Dip the chicken pieces first into the egg mixture and then into the flour mixture. Press the flour coating onto the chicken so it sticks well. For extra crispy chicken wings, repeat this process. Set the coated pieces aside on a plate.
- Heat oil in a deep pan or fryer to about 180°C (350°F). If you don’t have a thermometer, drop in a small piece of batter. It should sizzle immediately.
- Cook the chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. It is important not to add too much chicken to the oil at once or the temperature of the oil will reduce and you will get soggy wings instead of crispy wings. (See Note Below).
- Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain excess oil.
- Place the crispy chicken in a large bowl and pour over the warm BBQ sauce. Toss until every piece is nicely coated.
Notes
FOR EXTRA CRISPY CHICKEN: Double fry the chicken for extra crispiness. Fry the chicken once for about 3 minutes, remove it from the oil and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Then fry it again for another 2–3 minutes. This technique gives you incredibly crispy chicken that stays crunchy even after being coated in sauce.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 537Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 239mgSodium: 1065mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 45g
Leave a Reply