This article was co-authored by Dorrenda Smith and by wikiHow staff writer, Jessica Gibson. Dorrenda “Renny” Smith is a Personal Chef and the Co-Founder & CEO of The Crain Experience. With almost 15 years of experience in the food industry, she specializes in creating soul food with a healthier spin. Chef Renny and her partner provide event catering, event planning, and restaurant and food truck consultations.
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Fried chicken wings are a fun, delicious addition to any meal, not to mention the perfect party snack. Fried chicken wings are easy to make and there are a variety of ways to prepare them, making them a seamless fit with any meal and pleasing to all palates. Once you master the basics of frying chicken wings, you can create your own signature wing to serve friends and family. Below is a basic recipe for fried chicken wings and some suggested preparation styles to get you well on your way to a dish that, like the Colonel says, is finger-licking good!
Ingredients
- Chicken wings
- Vegetable oil
- Seasoning (choice of marinade, batter or crust)
Steps
Prepare the Chicken
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1Decide whether or not you want the skin. Long considered an enemy of good health, chicken skin just got a retrial and experts agree that, now and again, chicken skin is a-okay to enjoy.
- If you keep the chicken skin, it will give your wings a crispy, buttery outside.
- Removing the skin will allow the meat to soak up more of your marinade.
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2Flavor your chicken. You can soak it in a marinade, coat it with a batter or create a crust.Advertisement
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3Make a marinade. Teriyaki, ginger-garlic, tandoori and honey-orange are great marinade choices.
- Soak your chicken for two hours at least, so that the meat absorbs the flavors.
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4Batter your chicken.
- Options for batter recipes include milk and flour batter, egg batter, and buttermilk batter.
- Roll the chicken in the batter.
- Some recipes suggest soaking the chicken in the batter for two hours. This is a good suggestion for flavorful buttermilk batters.
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5Breaded or crusted chicken.
- You can create a crust with flour, bread crumbs or crushed crackers.
- Roll the chicken in your crust mix.
- For an extra crispy crust, coat the chicken with milk or beaten eggs before you roll it in your crust mix.
Frying the Chicken Wings
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1Fill a wok or deep frying pan halfway with vegetable oil.
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2Get a large plate, cover it with a paper or cloth towel, and place it by your stove.
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3Heat the oil until it starts popping.
- If you have a thermometer, it should be about 350˚–375˚ Fahrenheit, or 175˚–190˚ Centigrade (Celsius).
- This is about equivalent to the “Medium” to “Medium High” settings on your stovetop.
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4Gently place your chicken wings in the oil. Do not drop the wings into the oil as this may cause it to spatter. You can fry about five wings at a time.
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5Stir occasionally with a large spoon or spatula. Gently turn the chicken so that all sides are fried. You can also ladle oil over the sides of chicken that are exposed to the surface.
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6Cook the chicken for about five minutes or until it is golden brown and crispy.
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7Using a deep-frying ladle or tongs, remove the chicken from the oil. Gently shake the chicken over your pan to remove excess oil.
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8Deposit the chicken wings onto your plate with the napkin. The napkin will absorb any excess oil so that your wings aren’t too greasy.
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9Repeat until your wings are all cooked!
Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat are some tips for making crispy deep-fried chicken?
Dorrenda SmithDorrenda “Renny” Smith is a Personal Chef and the Co-Founder & CEO of The Crain Experience. With almost 15 years of experience in the food industry, she specializes in creating soul food with a healthier spin. Chef Renny and her partner provide event catering, event planning, and restaurant and food truck consultations.
Personal ChefNumber one, make sure the grease is hot. Then just cook it a little bit longer and don't overcrowd the pan.
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QuestionCan I freeze the wings for use at a later date? How would l reheat the wings?
Community AnswerFreezing deep fried foods in general is a bad idea. IF you do, the best way to reheat them would be to deep fry them again. You could also bake them in the oven at 375F but they won't regain much of the original crispiness. -
QuestionCan I cook frozen chicken?
Community AnswerNo. The outside will burn long before the meat in the center cooks thoroughly.
Warnings
- Never leave your frying pan unattended.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Do not drop the chicken into the oil, as this will cause it to spatter. Oil spatter can cause severe burns.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Stand back from the stove and do not lean over your pan.⧼thumbs_response⧽
Things You'll Need
- A wok or deep frying pan.
- A plate or bowl.
- Paper or cloth towels.
- A frying ladle or tongs.
About This Article
To make extra crispy fried chicken, start by coating the chicken with milk or beaten eggs, then roll it in a crust mix or either flour, bread crumbs, or crushed crackers. Once your wings are ready, fill a wok or deep frying pan halfway with vegetable oil and cover a large plate with paper or cloth towels. Heat the oil until it start popping, then gently place your chicken wings in the oil. As the wings cook, turn them so that all sides fry evenly. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes or until it’s golden brown. To learn how to safely remove your wings from the oil, keep reading!
