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These copycat KFC honey BBQ wings are some of the best deep-fried wings I’ve had. The coat is crazy crunchy and flavorful. It ‘bites’ thru perfectly. No fear of taking a bite and having the entire batter come off at one. 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!
If you don’t follow Todd Wilbur, you should. He is the master of everything copycat. From restaurant dishes, like this copycat KFC honey BBQ wings recipe, 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.
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!
Copycat KFC Honey BBQ Wings
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!
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.