Sometimes you need a little kick to your wings. And sometimes you need a lot. Make a batch of Ass Kickin’ Buffalo wing sauce wings and you can have either. Add a bit of sauce for a nice gentle heat. Add a good dose of sauce and get some serious heat. Either way, you’re gonna get great flavor from a great sauce.
Bringing the Heat and Flavor
I love when a spicy wing sauce still tastes good. After all, that’s what we’re all here for, right? If you wanted just heat you could go drink a bottle of hot sauce and get this deal over with quick. Ass Kickin’ Buffalo Wing sauce wings are the complete package, the real deal.
Dip Your Toes In First
Try some out of the bottle first. Make the call. Go light? Go heavy? Can’t decide? Go light and serve extra on the side for dipping. Problem solved. And it’s a good problem to have too!
I went the dual-sauce approach to cover all my bases. So, I had a cup of more Buffalo sauce on one side and a cup of Ranch on the other. I ain’t no dummy!
The air fryer is my go-to tool for making fantastic dry wings. They’re so simple, so easy, but oh so delicious. Today, I made a little batch of Sweet Peeper air fryer dry wings for my lunch. And I was happy. Heck, I was more than happy. Oh that crunchy skin. That aroma while they were cooking. And bite-after-bite of seasoned chicken. A wonderful combination of brown sugar, paprika, honey and other herbs, these wings are a great change from your usual Buffalo-inspired wings.
Crazy Easy
Making great air fryer dry wings really is easy. Season the wings a bit. Cook them to perfection. Season them some more. And if you’re like me, eat them immediately and burn your mouth. Well, it has happened. I can’t help myself. These Sweet Peeper air fryer dry wings smelled so good while they were cooking that I couldn’t wait for them to cool down a bit before taking those first few bites.
Crispier Than A Fall Evening
My approach to air fryer wings always gets me that great crunchy crispy skin. If you can handle the wait, let them cool a bit after cooking (and after that last seasoning) to crisp up a bit more.
I didn’t go into making these oven-baked Buffalo wings with the highest level of optimism. I’m not usually a fan of baked wings. It’s really a texture thing for me. They get dried out. Or the skin isn’t quite like I like. Maybe I’m too picky. Well, even picky me really liked these wings. You can’t beat them for crispy skin, moist meat and great flavor. And boy, talk about a great way to make a big batch of wings with just a bit of effort! These are great for the big game or your next party. Or just sitting on the sofa and eating a big ole batch of wings by yourself.
A Great Sauce
The sauce for these oven-baked Buffalo wings is pretty much your standard Buffalo sauce. Usually you’ll find honey or brown sugar being used to sweeten the sauce. This one uses molasses. It’s what really makes this sauce great. Any time a recipe calls for something to make it sweet, consider molasses. It adds more than just sweet, it adds flavor.
A Few Key Notes
To help these wings come out perfectly each and every time, I’ve found two things are key. First, make sure your wings are dry before adding the baking powder mixture. I don’t mean sorta dry. I mean dry dry. If you start adding the baking powder and you get a dough-like mix, your wings aren’t dry enough.
Next, make sure you get a nice even coating of the non-stick spray onto the foil. Don’t go crazy with it. Don’t create an oil slick. Just get it nice and even. I’ve not had a single wing stick with this approach. No one wants to serve wings that have been torn to bits by struggling to get them un-stuck from the foil.
These Alfredo chicken wings are proof that sometimes its a good idea to step outside of your wing comfort zone and try something you’d never thought you’d try. Sure, I’m a big fan of chicken alfredo. It’s on my menu rotation often around here. But for some reason I’d never thought of saucing wings in that wonderfully creamy rich sauce. Well, let me tell you folks! These are great wings! Totally different. Totally great! And boy, talk about a ‘wow’ factor!
You can cook the wings any way you want. Oven. Deep fryer. Air fryer. It doesn’t really matter. Just get them in that delicious, creamy, rich cheesy sauce and get to eating! (And smiling!)
Homemade. Or From A Bottle.
I’ve included the ingredients and steps to make a quick and easy Alfredo sauce from scratch. And it’s great stuff on these Alfredo chicken wings. But you don’t have to make your own if you don’t want to. Just grab a bottle of your favorite sauce from the store and warm it up. Boom. Instant creamy wing sauce. Who knew?
Just A Tad, Thanks
Now, I like a good bit of sauce on my chicken alfredo. But on my wings, I went a bit lighter. I still wanted to taste that delicious wing. Next time, I might serve a little extra warmed sauce on the side, for dipping. Heck, ‘might’ nothing. I will.
½cupParmesan cheeseshredded, plus more for topping
parsleychopped, for garnish
Instructions
For the wings
Note: These instructions are for cooking the wings in the oven. You can cook the wings any way you like, like in an air fryer or deep fryer, and coat in the sauce before serving.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Season the wings with salt and pepper. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake wings for 20 minutes.
While the wings are cooking make the sauce. Keep the sauce warm while the wings finish.
Flip the wings and bake another 20 minutes.
Flip one more time and finish cooking for 15 more minutes.
If you want more crisp or color to your wings you can place them under the broiler for a few minutes. Keep an eye on them while using the broiler.
Transfer wings to the sauce (working in batches as needed) and turn to coat.
Serve garnished with chopped parsley and more parmesan.
For the sauce
Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium heat.
Slowly whisk in the whipping cream.
Season with salt and pepper, stir and let come to a slow boil.
Turn heat down to low and let simmer 3-5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
Add the cheese and stir.
Keep warm until ready to use.
Notes
You can substitute 2 cups of store-bought Alfredo sauce. Just warm it slightly while the wings are cooking.If you like your wings extra saucy you may want to double the sauce recipe. You can always use any leftover sauce (if there is any) over pasta.
Yer derned tootin’ I was heavy handed when I seasoned these air fryer Frank’s RedHot Buffalo seasoning dry wings. I love this seasoning. I am never shy with how much I use. These wings made for the perfect lunch. Dry wings rock. If you’ve never tried them, you should. The right seasoning on a wing can make for a wonderful eating experience. I’ll put dry wings up against any wet wings any day of the week. They’re both great.
Bring the Flavor. And More.
These air fryer Frank’s RedHot Buffalo seasoning dry wings start out with a bit of a heat when you take a bite. Right up front. Oh, it’s not overly spicy. Not at all. Just a nice little kick to let you know it’s there.
Then comes the flavor. And lots of it. Garlic. Cayenne. And I swear butter. This is like having a Buffalo wing without having sauce all over your hands and face. Instead, well.. you’ll have seasoning all over your hands and face! Still a win win!
If you want (and you do), don’t be afraid to triple-season your wings. Once before cooking (just a little). Then toss them in more seasoning after cooking (a good dose). And finally, sprinkle them with some more (another good dose). You’ll thank me!
Season the wings with the Frank's RedHot Buffalo seasoning. Don't go crazy with it. You want enough to taste the great flavors, but don't drown the wings in it.
Place wings in fridge for 30 minutes.
Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer with non-stick spray. Preheat per manufacturer's recommendation to 350 F.
Add the wings to the basket (be careful it's hot!).
Cook wings for 12 minutes.
Flip the wings and cook another 12 minutes.
Increase the air fryer temperature to 400 F and cook another 6 minutes.
Remove wings from fryer and place in a bowl. Toss with more seasoning, to taste. Now's a good time to not be shy with the seasoning.
Let cool slightly (the wings will crisp as they cool) then serve.
Notes
Note: If your barbecue sauce is refrigerated, set it out on the countertop before starting the wings so that it warms up a bit. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings.Note: The full 30 minute cook time is for large, meaty wings. If your wings are a bit thinner (er… scrawny) back the times down to 10/10/4 minutes instead of 12/12/6 minutes.
I’m not a complicated guy. I don’t need some big ole 40-ingredient wing sauce to make me happy. Nope, I’m perfectly fine with a perfectly cooked wing tossed in a perfectly good seasoning. Like these Fire and Smoke Society Honey Garlic dry wings. It doesn’t really matter how the wings are actually cooked. For me, for lunch, it means an air fryer for 20-30 minutes. Then I season them. Big time. And then I get crunchy wings with a wonderful garlicky flavor that is lightly sweet. Oh and there’s some herbs in there too for a great balance! A little paprika, pepper and thyme. The perfect combination for wings!
Don’t Be Shy!
There’s one thing to always remember when it comes to making dry wings. Go big on the seasoning. Even when you think you’ve added enough, add more. And do it right as the wings come off whatever you cooked them in. Get ’em while they are hot!
Check Your Pantry
These Fire and Smoke Society Honey Garlic dry wings are proof that a bottle of seasoning doesn’t have to say ‘for wings’ on it for it to be great on wings! I bought this seasoning originally for seasoning full-sized chickens before they’d end up on a rotisserie or in my oil-less fryer. I knew instantly that it’d be great on wings, too. And I was more than right! These are what dry wings are about!
So go to your pantry and see what you might have on hand that’d be great on wings. Chances are, no matter what you bought it for originally, that bottled seasoning is great on wings too!
What started out as an experiment turned out to be some of the best wings I’ve made. These twice-fried air fryer wings have tremendous flavor. More than just if I’d just seasoned some wings and tossed them into the fryer. No sauce at first. An initial cool and an overnight stay in the fridge turns out almost like dry-brining the wings. The meat has much more flavor. The texture is still great. The skin is still crunchy. Saucing them after the second fry is optional in my opinion. They’re great without a sauce.
More Flavor. More Better.
I recommend that you go heavy with the seasoning for the first fry of these twice-fried air fryer wings. That flavor will ‘soak’ in overnight in the fridge. You don’t need to season them again after that. You can add some after the last fry if you want. And you can add sauce at that time too, if you wish.
Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer with non-stick spray. Preheat per manufacturer's recommendation.
Toss the wing flats and drumettes with the seasoning.
Add the wings to the basket (be careful it’s hot!). If you have trouble fitting them without overlapping, stand the drumettes along the sides of the basket.
Cook at 360 F for 12 minutes.
Carefully flip the wings (rotate the drumettes if they are standing) and cook another 12 minutes again at 360 F.
Flip the wings one last time. Cook another 6 minutes at 400 F.
Remove wings and let them cool completely. Place into a resealable container and place into the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat your air fryer per manufacturer's recommendation to 400 F. While the air fryer is heating remove the wings from the fridge.
Add wings to air fryer basket and cook 10-15 minutes or until hot.
Never has a bottle of hot sauce disappeared so fast than when I made a few batches of Acapulco Joe’s Hot Sassy sauce wings. I love this sauce so much I could not get enough. The wings? Simplicity defined: seasoned wings, cooked. The sauce? Easy too. Just hot sauce and a little butter. The result? Absolutely delicious. The sauce is a Mexican hot sauce with just a touch of heat but oh, the flavors. So good. This tomato-based sauce is different than any other sauce you’ve had.
The Story Behind The Sauce
Acapulco Joe’s was a well-loved Mexican restaurant here in Indianapolis. The restaurant is long gone, but fortunately the sauces live on. Normally used as a table sauce for tacos, chips… anything, it is of course my goal (and my duty!) to use everything on wings. Acapulco Joe’s Hot Sassy Sauce wings make me smile. Not just because they taste great (and they do!) but because it’s a great example of how a non-wing sauce makes for a great wing sauce!
It may seem odd, but I thought ‘spaghetti’ when I first tried this sauce. Well, after that I thought tacos but the tomato and spices made me think it’d be great on pasta. Now, I just need to order more!
This is kind of a change for me. Most of my wing dipping sauces are either homemade or salad dressings. And although it’s not labelled as a ‘wing dipping sauce’, I found Kinder’s The Chicken dipping sauce to be a nice change from my usual wing-dunking choices. The sauce is deliciously creamy, with a slight sweetness and a bit of mustard. A very slight amount of spiciness can be found, but it’s mostly in hiding, so nothing to be afraid of if you’re not into heat. It’s mayonnaise-like in its creaminess. I prefer it for dunking my dry, un-sauced wings.
Dip Deep. It’s That Good
Kinder’s The Chicken Dipping sauce is also great for dipping nuggets. But, the place is finds the most use in my house (besides for wings) is on sandwiches. Just toast some bread, add some sandwich meat and a slice or two of cheese. Top with plenty of the sauce and get to eatin’!
Sometimes you gotta just go wild and do wings ala fried chicken. Or at least, I do. These extra-crunchy honey chipotle wings are the deep-fried wings that I dream about. The coating is perfect. It adheres to the wings, bite after bite. It’s got a tremendous, delicious crunchy. I mean crazy crunchy too! And then there’s the sauce. It’s slightly sweet with just the right amount of smokiness and heat. I think it’s fantastic. So fantastic that I doubled the recipe. Why? Because more is better!
This Sauce Is Amazing
I’ve now made the sauce for these extra-crunchy honey chipotle wings several times, and not just for wings. Chicken tenders are great dunked into a bowl of this sauce. Ditto chicken nuggets. It’s good stuff with just the right consistency for just about anything. The balance of sweet and heat is spot-on.
Place all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer 2-4 minutes or until thickened slightly.
Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
For the batter
In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine all of the batter ingredients EXCEPT for the flour. Continue stirring for 30 seconds.
Whisk or stir in the flour until smooth.
For the breading
In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine all of the breading ingredients.
For the wings
Heat 3" of oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven to 350 F.
Working in batches as needed, dip wing pieces into the batter. Shake off any excess.
Toss the wing pieces in the breading and coat well. Do not shake off any excess.
Fry wings for about 8 minutes or until golden brown and cooked completely.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve wings drizzled with the sauce or serve the sauce on the side for dipping. I do not recommend tossing the wings in the sauce as it'll knock off the delicious crunchy coating.