More chicken wings! I’ve almost got them out of my system.
This recipe is closely based on a Kenji Lopez-Alt fried chicken recipe that I made in pursuit of highly-battered crispy chicken wings. This one did the trick. Not a surprise coming from KLA.
You’re gonna love these!
What you’ll need
- 2T paprika
- 2T ground black pepper
- 2t garlic powder
- 2t dried oregano
- 0.5t cayenne pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- Kosher salt
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1.5 cups flour
- 0.5 cups starch (corn or potato)
- 1t baking powder
- Neutral oil for frying
What to do
Combine the paprika, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and mix well.
In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, 1T salt and 2T of the spice mixture (reserve the rest) you just made. Add the chicken wings to the bowl and mix well, so they’re all coated. Pour the wings and buttermilk mixture into a sealable 1-gallon freezer bag, then seal it up. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours and up to overnight. You may want to flip the bag over a few times during that time so the wings are marinating evenly.
After the wings are done marinating, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, starch, baking powder, 2t salt and the remainder of your original spice mixture. Add 3T of the marinade from the freezer bag and work it into the flour mixture with your fingertips. Start heating the cooking oil to 350 degrees in a high-walled frypan. A 12-inch cast iron pan works really well. Ensure the oil is deep enough to submerge the wings—maybe about 1.5 – 2 inches deep.
While the oil is heating, batter the chicken by removing one wing at a time from the marinade bag, letting the excess buttermilk to drip off, then dredge it in the flour mixture, ensuring the wing is completely battered. Set on a plate and repeat for the rest of the wings.
When the oil reaches 350 degrees, you can carefully add the chicken wings, one at a time, being careful not to crowd the pan. You may need to make 2 or 3 batches. When you add the wings, the oil temperature will decrease. Maintain it at 300 degrees while cooking. Fry the wings for about 5 minutes without touching them, so the coating doesn’t get disturbed. Turn them over after the first 5 minutes, letting them cook for 5 minutes more. They should be done at this point, unless they’re huge wings. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the interior of a wing is at least 165 degrees. If it is, the wing is done.
Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate or a grate to cool for a couple of minutes before serving with your favorite dipping sauce.
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