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This copycat recipe of KFC honey BBQ wings was some of the best deep-fried wings I’ve ever had. The coating is crazy crunchy and flavorful. It ‘bites’ thru perfectly. No fear of taking a bite and having the entire batter come off at once. And the sauce? My goodness me. The sauce starts with a store-bought sauce, adds a few ingredients, and ends up being just out-of-this-world great. I’d use the sauce on anything that requires a good, thick, smoky BBQ sauce. On these wings it’s perfect. These are finger-licking good wings if ever there were any!
These Wings Are Crazy Good
If you don’t follow Todd Wilbur, you should. He is the master of everything copycat. From restaurant dishes, like this copycat recipe of KFC honey BBQ wings, to copycat grocery store items, and a whole lot more, Todd has it going on. Like with everything else of his I’ve made, he nailed this recipe and technique perfectly. I loved these wings. They’re a real winner.
What Big Wings You Have
The batter on these wings make them get nice and big when they fry up. Even if you start with scrawny wings (which you should not, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do), you’re going to end up with large wings. This isn’t a bad thing. But maybe something to keep in mind when you go to serve them. When you might normally give someone 5 wings (just sayin’) you might go with 4. And if you’re serving them with a dipping sauce, like blue cheese or ranch, you’ll likely need extra!
If I’m cooking for a crowd, I’ll break out my big deep fryer. But, if it’s just me, I’ll fire up my Fry Daddy fryer. It’s the perfect size. It fries everything perfectly. And as an added bonus, it doesn’t use a lot of oil, which saves me money. And that means I can buy more wing!
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Also try my copycat of Quaker Steak and Lube’s Thai ‘R Cracker wings!
Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!
KFC Honey BBQ Wings (Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
For the wings
- 2 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips saved to make stock
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- vegetable oil for frying
For the sauce
- 1 cup bottled hickory smoked BBQ sauce I used Sweet Baby Rays Hickory Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
For the sauce (make first)
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer and continue simmering for 20 minutes, stirring often.
- Keep sauce warm until ready to use.
For the wings
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
- Pre-heat oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 350 F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper.
- Place the buttermilk in a separate bowl.
- Coat the wings in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess and transfer to the buttermilk.
- Coat the wings in the buttermilk. Shake off any excess then return to the flour mixture.
- Shake off any excess flour. Working in batches if needed, fry the wings 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Brush the wings with the BBQ sauce. You can also gently toss the wings in the sauce, but I prefer to brush the sauce onto the wings.
- Place wings on the baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes to 'set' the sauce.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.
- MIld Sauces
- Made for wings and more