I kinda went into making these easy chili-Ranch wings with low expectations. The recipe seemed pretty simple. But oh, did I ever love them. It helped that I’m a huge chili fan. Just two ingredients, chili powder and flour, made for great crunchy, flavorful wings. A little Ranch dressing on the side for dipping and I was one happy wing-aholic.
Go Big
I admit it, I added more chili powder than the recipe calls for. I’m not sure you’ll want to do that. Like I said, I love chili flavors. If you’re a fan but not a huge fan, just go with the recipe as it’s written and you’ll have great wings. You can always make them again. I did.
These honey hot fried wings were absolutely incredible. They’re deep-fried. The result is a crunchy skin and batter flavored with one of my favorite things, Old Bay seasoning. The sauce is a combination of honey, hot sauce and sesame oil. It’s a different taste that is amazing. Sweet, heat and umami in each and every bite. What started out as a shrimp recipe ended up being some of the best wings I’ve ever had. I cannot say enough how wonderful these were.
Deep-Fried Deliciousness
I didn’t sauce these honey hot fried wings like I would my traditional deep fried wings. The sauce is full of flavor. Use it sparingly. The wings are ‘kissed’ with the sauce. Not drowned in it. It’s ok to double the sauce portion of the recipe if you prefer more sauce.
If I’m cooking for a crowd, I’ll break out my big deep fryer to make wings like these. But, if it’s just the two of us, I’ll fire up my Fry Daddy fryer. It’s the perfect size for both of us. It fries everything perfectly. And as an added bonus, it doesn’t use a lot of oil, which saves me money.
And like that I crossed the invisible line between fried wings and grandma’s fried chicken. But, unlike grandma’s deliciousness, my secret spice blend fried chicken wings pack a good little kick. Every bite is a bite into crunchy, moist, flavorful greatness. No, these aren’t Buffalo wings. Not even close. But sometimes you need a break for those saucy yummy classics. And that sometime is now!
Yes, They Seem Kinda Familiar
These secret spice blend fried chicken wings are a take on the spicy chicken fillet sandwich you could get at Wendy’s. Heck, for all I know you can still get the sandwiches. Me, I’m a wing guy. So any time I come across a tasty chicken recipe, I try and adapt it for wings. And I did. These wings hit the spot. I love the coating on them. The spice blend is perfect.
You can use the wet mix for any coating. Even store-bought fried chicken breading. The simple combination of just water and hot sauce adds just a little special flavor to whatever you are deep frying.
There are those that would argue that these Kentucky Kernel Seasoned Flour chicken wings are ‘just’ fried chicken. Yep, they are. They’re right. Well, not about the ‘just’ part though. These wings are delicious no matter what you call them. To ‘Buffalo-ize’ them I serve them with some sauce on the side for dunking. There, now we’re all happy!
Through Thick Or Thin
Many Buffalo wings are battered and fried. Some have a thick coating. Some thin. These Kentucky Kernel Seasoned chicken wings are somewhere in the middle. They’re not overly battered so you might call them grandma’s fried chicken. But they aren’t so lightly battered that you’d call them traditional Buffalo wings either . Yes, I know, some folks don’t batter their Buffalo wings… but some do!
These wings have a wonder flavor. The seasoning in the batter is perfect. Not spicy, just tasty. Great just as they are, right out of the fryer. Even better, I think, dunked in Buffalo wing sauce. Not tossed in it, though. Tossing the chicken in sauce knocks off that crunchy batter and makes it soggy. So I go for the dunk!
Oh and yes, you can make these wings instead, if you prefer. I went for the deep-fry because that’s what I prefer!
Dunk the wings in the milk. Get them well-coated then shake off any excess.
Add the wings to the fry mix and turn to coat well. I like to press the wings into the mix several times to make sure I don't get any 'bald spots'.
Heat 3" of oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 350 F.
Working in batches if necessary, fry the wings 8-10 minutes or until they reach 165 F. Transfer to a rack over a baking sheet or a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Serve.
Notes
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or wing sauce on the side, if desired.I like to put my milk in a short glass and then dunk the wings into it. You can also add it to a bowl and just roll the wings around to get them well-coated.Sure, you can bake your wings instead of deep-frying them! Just follow the instructions on the package.
Sometimes you gotta just go wild and do wings a la 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 crunch. 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.
Notes
Serve with a little Ranch or blue cheese dressing for a delicious double-dipping experience.
I’ve apologized before for making chicken wings that crossed the line into fried chicken land. Well, no more. Fried wings are fried chicken. Yeah, the more coating there is the more they’re like grandma’s fried chicken. But you won’t confuse these easy buttermilk-battered Cajun wings with what your favorite nana makes.
A wonderful spicy kick
These wings have a little kick to them. Serve them with a side of spicy Buffalo wing sauce and you definitely won’t be yearning for a side of mashed potatoes and some green beans.
Get Naked
Quite honestly, these easy buttermilk-battered Cajun wings don’t need any kind of sauce. Just serve them right out of the deep-fryer. Ok, let them cool for a minute or two first but then get to eating! They’re packed with flavor and don’t need anything else.
I’ve made my share of deep-fried wings. But I don’t think I’ve had anything like these deep-fried lemon pepper sweet wings. Like the name says, they’re kinda sweet. Not super-sweet, but you’ll notice. Lemon pepper, well, that’s common on wings and a flavor I love. The combination of the sweetness, the citrus and the crunchy breading made for a different, enjoyable wing experience. I liked these. They were new to me and a pleasant change from my ‘usual’ deep-fried wings.
Crunchy Yummy
The breading on these deep-fried lemon pepper sweet wings is nice and crunchy. I like my wings crunchy. Deep-fried or not. I like that crunch. The breading is packed with flavor too. It’s not just flour and salt and pepper. It brings more of that lemon pepper flavor to the party. It’s not crazy citrusy, but you get the flavor.
To offset the sweetness of these wings I served a little spicy Buffalo wing sauce on the side in place of my usual blue cheese dressing. I didn’t go crazy dunking my wings into it, but every once in a while I’d sneak a piece over and get some heat on it.
Place wings in a large bowl or resealable container.
In a medium bowl, combine the remaining wing ingredients. Pour over the wings and toss or stir to coat well.
Cover and refrigerate for 1-12 hours.
For the breading
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or shallow plate, such as a pie plate.
For the seasoning
Combine all ingredients.
For the frying
Heat 2-3" of oil in a deep-fryer or Dutch oven to 350 F.
Working in batches as needed, remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and add to the breading mixture.
Coat each piece completely then fry 8-12 minutes or until the wings are golden brown and at 165 F internally. Remove to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain as you cook the remaining wings.
Sprinkle the chicken liberally with the seasoning and serve.
Notes
Serve with warmed Buffalo wing sauce on the side for dipping, if desired.
Oh how I do love dry wings. Normally, that means ‘just’ seasoning wings hot off the grill or out of the air-fryer. This time I decided to up my game and try deep-fried dry wings. There’s nothing fancy or complicated going on here. Just a simple coating with tons of flavor, fried until crispy golden, and tossed in more seasoning. Every bite is full of flavor. I love these wings.
Simple. And Delicious.
I like to keep my deep-fried dry wings as simple as possible. Most of the time I’m making these for lunch so I don’t have a lot of time for fru-fru batters or complicated techniques. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want great wings. If I’m making wings you can bet they’re going to be great.
Have It Your Way
You can use just about any seasoning you want for these wings. It doesn’t have to be a wing seasoning either. Burger seasonings, chicken, you name it, they all work here. As long as you like the seasoning, you’ll like the wings!
Place the ingredients in a bowl or sealable container. Cover and shake to combine or whisk.
Keep in an airtight container until ready to use.
For the wings
Place wings in a resealable container or baggie.
Add a tablespoon of the coating. Seal and shake to coat. If you want a thicker batter, add more coating and shake again.
Heat 3" of oil to 350 F in a deep fryer or Dutch oven.
Add the wings and fry for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and the wings are done. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
Transfer the wings to a bowl and sprinkle with additional wing seasoning. Toss or stir to coat.
Serve immediately.
Notes
I prefer to season my wings immediately after cooking them. The seasoning will stick to the surface of the hot wings better than if you wait until they cool off.
Dill pickle. More dill pickle. And then, yes, even more dill pickle! These deep-fried dill-pickle wings satisfied my dill pickle craving in four ways! A wonderfully-seasoned fried wing coated in flour and of course, dill pickle seasoning. Sprinkled with more seasoning hot out of the fryer. A little cool dill pickle dipping sauce. And of course, a few dill pickle slices. These are my kind of dill-icious wings!
Light On The Batter, Heavy On The Flavor
I didn’t go crazy with the batter on these deep-fried dill pickle wings. Just enough to get a good little crunch in every bite. And lots of dill flavor. I seasoned the flour heavily. I wasn’t shy at all. Experience has taught me that more is always better when it comes to seasoning flour. After all, these aren’t called deep-fried flour wings. So load up on the dill pickle yumminess!
Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the wings
Combine the flour and seasoning in a large bowl.
Rinse the wings. Drain well but do not dry the wings.
Add the wings to the flour mixture and turn to coat well. Transfer to a plate and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat 3" of oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 350 F.
Working in batches if necessary, fry the wings 8-10 minutes or until they reach 165 F. Transfer to a rack over a baking sheet or a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Remove wings to a bowl and sprinkle with more of the seasoning. Toss to coat.
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!
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 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!
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
Serve your wings with extra sauce on the side for dipping!
