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Crispy Buffalo Wings Recipe (Double-Fried)

Crispy Buffalo Wings Recipe (Double-Fried)

These Buffalo wings are coated in potato starch and baking soda, dried in the fridge, then fried twice for a paper-thin, shatteringly crisp skin. They are tossed in a buttery Frank's RedHot sauce with a touch of honey, and served with homemade ranch and blue cheese dip, celery, and carrots.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Chilling 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Wings
  • 3 lb 1.4 kg chicken wings, split into drums and flats
  • ½ cup potato starch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp salt
  • Neutral frying oil enough for 2 to 3 inches in the pot
  • Buffalo Sauce
  • ½ cup Frank's RedHot
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • Ranch Dip
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives finely chopped
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • 2 garlic cloves grated (or ½ tsp garlic powder)
  • Pinch of salt and black pepper
  • Splash of water if you want it thinner
  • Blue Cheese Dip
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp buttermilk
  • 2 garlic cloves finely grated
  • Pinch of salt
  • ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles
  • Optional Buffalo Dry Rub instead of sauce
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tbsp buttermilk powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • To Serve
  • Celery sticks
  • Carrot sticks

Equipment

  • Heavy-bottomed pot
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Wire rack and rimmed baking sheet
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small saucepan and whisk
  • Tongs or a spider strainer
  • Disposable gloves optional

Method
 

  1. Coat the wings. In a large bowl, whisk the potato starch, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add the wings and toss, pressing the mixture into them so each wing is fully and evenly coated.
  2. Dry in the fridge. Place the wings on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, making sure none are touching so air can circulate. Refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours, until the skin feels very dry.
  3. Make the ranch. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, dill, chives, onion powder, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add a splash of water to thin it. Cover and refrigerate.
  4. Make the blue cheese dip. Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, garlic, and salt. Crumble in the blue cheese, mashing some against the side of the bowl with a fork or your fingers. The dip should be creamy with pops of cheese, not all the chunks sunk to the bottom. Cover and refrigerate.
  5. Heat the oil. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 300–320°F (150–160°C). Monitor it with an instant-read thermometer throughout.
  6. First fry (cooking stage). Fry the wings in batches of about 6, leaving visible space between them. Stir right after adding them so they don't stick, and keep moving them. Adjust the heat to hold 300–320°F. Fry for about 6 minutes, until cooked through but not browned. Drain on a rack or plate, keeping drums and flats separate. Repeat with the remaining wings.
  7. Make the Buffalo sauce. In a saucepan over medium or medium-low heat, whisk the Frank's RedHot, butter, honey, paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder until melted into one smooth sauce. If it splits, whisk hard for 15 to 20 seconds to bring it back together. Set aside.
  8. Make the dry rub (optional). Whisk all dry rub ingredients together if you prefer a dry coating.
  9. Second fry (crisping stage). Raise the oil to 375–400°F (190–205°C). Fry all the wings at once, moving them around so they don't stick together. Pull them when they are golden brown and crisp, and you hear the first crunch. Color matters more than exact timing.
  10. Sauce and serve. Toss the hot wings in the Buffalo sauce (or the dry rub). Serve right away with ranch, blue cheese dip, celery, and carrot sticks.

Notes

  • Oil temperature: Adding cold wings drops the oil temperature quickly, so adjust the heat as you go.
  • Spacing: Visible space between wings prevents steaming and keeps them crisp.
  • Dipping: Can't choose between ranch and blue cheese? Mix the two together for dipping.
  • Veggies: Celery and carrots cool the heat and add contrast in temperature and texture.
  • Heat level: For hotter wings, add more cayenne. For milder wings, add more butter and honey.
  • Dry rub: Use it instead of the sauce if you prefer a drier, non-saucy wing.