I’m not that big into sports but there’s one thing that I do love about getting together to watch a game. Of course it’s the snacks! Whether you’re tailgating a game enjoying hotdogs and hamburgers, chips and a smorgasbord of dips, or the classic chicken wings there is always a reason to celebrate when you have good party snacks. Chicken wings seemed like something that you could only get at a restaurant the way you wanted them. I had tried to make chicken wings at home in the fryer with little to no success. They were always either overdone and dry or under done and not safe to eat. When I started working in restaurants I learned how to properly cook fried chicken so I’m going to give you all of the secrets today to make the most moist tender and delicious chicken wings you’ll ever have at home.
This isn’t a super quick process – it will take two days, but the end result is so worth it! On day one you’re going to brine your chicken wings. I make a super simple brine for my chicken wings no huge flavors that will overpower any sauces or seasonings I want to put on afterward. A basic brine is simply equal parts salt and sugar diluted with water. You can keep your brine that simple, or you can add a couple more flavors like I did, I always like to add fresh garlic and some chili peppers for a little kick of spice. You’re going to let your chicken wings brine for a minimum of 12 hours up to 24 hours just know that the longer they’re in the brine the saltier they will be. Once your chicken wings have been in the brine for at least 12 hours you will pull them out and line them up on some paper towels. You want to make sure your wings are nice and dry before you put them in your smoker or oven. I made these wings by smoking them for 30 minutes before finishing them in the oven but if you don’t have a smoker or don’t want to take the trouble of lugging your smoker out, feel free to just bake them in the oven for their initial cook. These wings will be twice cooked once were finished, that is what keeps them extra moist after coming out of the fryer.
So, now that the wings are out of the brine and on paper towels we’re gonna pat them off and make sure they’re very dry. If you’re going to smoke your wings (This is the smoker I have) , have your smoker set to a low temperature, mine was at 220°F, and smoke your wings for about 30 minutes. This gives the wings a little bit more flavor and par cooking them makes the frying step much quicker and seals in the moisture. Now if you don’t have a smoker, you can go ahead and do the exact same step but just in the oven. You won’t have that smoky flavor but they will come out just as moist and delicious as the other way. Simply bake your wings on 300°F for 30 minutes then remove from the oven and cool. Once your wings are cooked whether you’re doing using the smoker or the oven, you’ll want to cool them down until you’re ready to fry. If your party is starting and you’re ready to fry your wings right away, you can go ahead and do that. If you’re prepping ahead and you’re not ready to fry them yet they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days after being par cooked. Frying is always exciting for me, I’m always looking for an excuse to bring out my table top fryer and game time snacks are the perfect excuse! I use a small Table Top Fryer with peanut oil, peanut oil is a really great option for frying because it gives great flavor and also fries very clean. If you don’t have a table top fryer but you have an Air Fryer, you can use that as well. I would recommend spraying your wings with a little bit of cooking spray before putting in the air fryer to make sure that the skin gets extra extra crispy. If you’re using a regular fryer you’ll want to drop your wings at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes or until your wings are nice golden brown and cooked through the middle. I always check the thickest one in the batch to make sure that they are cooked through the middle. If you check your wing and it’s not quite cooked all the way no worries, just drop them in for a couple more minutes until they’re ready to go. Once your wings are fried up golden crispy and delicious, they are ready to eat!
These wings will be so flavorful without any sauce they can be served right away as is or they can be tossed in your favorite buffalo sauce or teriyaki, whatever your hearts content. I sometimes like to toss my wings in a dry rub so they stay nice and crispy but you get a nice kick of flavor from the spices. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and accoutrements and you are ready to party!
Crispy Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Fryer or Air Fryer
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Kosher Salt
- ½ Cup SUgar
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 5-6 Whole Garlic cloves
- 1-2 small Dried Chilies like Japones or similar
- ½ Gal Water room temperature or luke warm
- 2-3 Lbs Chicken Wings
Instructions
- In a bowl combine the water, salt, sugar, garlic and chilies. Stir until all the salt and sugar has dissolved.
- Place wings in the mixture. Cover and set in the refrigerator overnight or at least 12 hours.
- Strain out your brined wings and dry them fully. Use towels or paper towels for this.
- If you will be smoking your wings, place your dry wings in your smoker set to 220°F for 30 minutes.
- If you are baking, place on a baking sheet in one even later and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. At this point your wings should be about 80-90% of the way cooked.
- Heat your fryer to 350°F and deep fry the wings in 2-3 batches, making sure not to put too many in at once. Fry for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown and fully cooked. If you are using an air fryer, heat it to 400°F. Air Fry the wings for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- At this point your wings are ready to be enjoyed. You can eat them as is or toss in your favorite sauce or spice blend! Serve with your favorite dipping sauces and enjoy!
