Do you love deep-fried chicken wings? Of course, you do- who doesn’t? But if you’re not an avid disciple of fry-cooking, you may find your supply of deep-fried chicken wings coming mostly from restaurants and fast food joints. But it doesn’t have to always be so, because you can recreate the tasty experience in your very kitchen. And the tricks are simple, with the finale being getting the cooking time just right.
Choosing Chicken Wings for the Deep Fryer
Before diving into cooking, the first thing to clarify is how you like your chicken wings. While you can purchase the wings whole, this may pose an extra batch of work if you prefer them cut in sections. So, for such, buying them in drumettes and flats may be best.
Prepping the Wings
If you’ve purchased them fresh, it may be because you’re cooking them right away, so once you get home, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels to prepare them for seasoning. But if you’re not cooking them immediately, then you’ll probably store them in the freezer till next time. If so, the frozen chicken should first be thawed before seasoning, and you can do so by letting them sit in the fridge overnight, or putting them in a bowl of cold water so the chill is lost. If the wings are frozen solid, you may need to change the water every 30 minutes so the thawing is quicker. But some prefer to deep-fry the frozen chicken wings without thawing, but this takes more time and requires seasoning after cooking.
Prepping the Deep Fryer
Ensure to have the oil reaches the maximum fill line, which means about six to 19 cups of oil, depending on the fryer’s size. Once that’s done, program the deep fryer to 300F or 350F, and let it heat. You’ll be lowering the chicken wings into the oil using the food basket, so have that cleaned before its cooking time. And while the deep fryer heat, you can season your chicken.
Chicken Wing Seasoning Techniques
You can toss the chicken in any combination of spices you prefer before frying, but an interesting tip is to let the meat sit for a few minutes before they’re fried. This technique allows the flavors to percolate deeper into the wings before they’re cooked. If you bought the meat fresh for next-day cooking, then consider seasoning it and storing it in the fridge. And if you’re dealing with thawed chicken, make extra time for the wings to marinate in the seasoning before cooking.
You can combine any type of spices and herbs for seasoning chicken wings, including pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, thyme, oregano, cumin, sesame seeds, rosemary, cayenne, chili, and poultry seasoning. Another idea is to dry-brine the wings with a bit of salt or sugar, then toss them in your favorite BBQ sauce before eating. And you can use the classic Buffalo chicken wings recipe, which requires you to toss them in flour before deep-frying. Whichever area you follow, the results will be the same crispy batch of deliciousness.
Cooking Duration for Deep-Fried Chicken Wings
Put the seasoned chicken wings in the food basket, ensuring that they’re evenly spaced. If you’re dealing with a large batch that can’t properly fit in your basket, try cooking them in batches. By now, the oil should be hot and ready, so once the wings are properly sorted, lower the basket into the deep fryer.
Chicken wings take about eight to 10 minutes to cook in a 300F to 350F deep fryer, but you can also confirm a doneness temperature of 165F with a meat thermometer. To be certain your reading is accurate, take a suspected piece out, and stick the probe in its thickest area. If the wing is below the doneness temperature, return it to the oil.
Also, ensure that the oil temperature remains the same or the meat may scald before cooking on the inside. If you’re dealing with frozen chicken wings and don’t have time to thaw, then you’ll need about 15 to 20 minutes. But note that frozen chicken wings can’t be seasoned beforehand, and will need to be tossed in seasoning sauce before eating.
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Draining and Resting
Many already frown at cooking in lots of oil, so serving deep-fried chicken wings straight from cooking can be a messy ordeal. So, consider transferring the cooked chicken into a colander lined with paper towels. That way, the excess oil in the wings will seep into the towels, leaving you with less grease to deal with. Plus, the seeping time allows the wings to rest before serving.
PrintDeep-Fried Chicken Wings (4 Servings)
Ingredients
- Two pounds of fresh chicken wings, split into drumettes and flats
- One cup of all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil
- Black pepper, freshly cracked
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Rinse the wings, dry them with paper towels, and season liberally with black pepper and salt. Then, toss or dredge the wings in flour, shaking off any excess, and lay them aside.
- Add the oil to the deep fryer, ensuring it reaches the maximum fill level and set the temperature to 350F. And once it gets hot, arrange the wings in the food basket ensuring they sit in one layer.
- Cook the wings in the deep fryer for eight to 10 minutes, or until the surfaces are golden brown (you may have to cook in batches). Once they’re done, transfer them to a colander lined with paper towels and let them drain for a few minutes.
Serve as desired, and with any toppings or sides, you prefer.
Also, check out this video for more help.