The Best Crispy Buffalo Wings

The best buffalo wings are a perfect mix of crispy, tender, and saucy, and this recipe does it all. After coating the wings in cornstarch, you cover them in a spicy, flavorful batter before quickly frying them for 8-10 minutes. All that’s left is mixing them in a bowl with your favorite buffalo sauce and plating them with all the fixings —celery sticks, ranch, blue cheese dip. It doesn’t really matter, because these juicy, crunchy wings will be the true game night stars no matter what!

Ingredients

for 4 servings

• ¾ cup cornstarch(95 g), divided
• 2 lb chicken wings(910 g), rinsed and patted dry
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour(30 g)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ⅔ cup water(155 mL)
• peanut or vegetable oil, for frying
• ½ cup buffalo sauce(155 g)
• ranch or blue cheese dip, for serving
• 1 stalk celery sticks, for serving, cut into sticks

Directions

1. In a bowl, toss ¼ cup (30 grams) of cornstarch and the chicken wings together until fully coated. Transfer the wings to a wire rack and let rest and dry out for 20 minutes, ideally in the fridge if you have space.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup of cornstarch, the flour, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the water, breaking up any lumps and mixing until smooth. The batter should be slightly runny.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot until it reaches 350°F (180°C).
4. Coat chicken wings in the batter, shaking off any excess. Add the wings to the oil in batches, cooking for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the chicken wings wot a wire rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
5. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and drizzle with with the buffalo sauce, tossing to coat. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve with either ranch or blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.
6. Enjoy!