Truly Crispy Fried Chicken Wings

Looking for more chicken wing recipes? Try garlic parmesan wings, air fryer chicken wings, lemon pepper wings, and smoked chicken wings. While I have tons of ways of cooking chicken wings, nothing beats the classic restaurant-style fried version. My fried chicken wings are extra crispy, golden brown, and seriously finger-licking good (yes, I copied KFC).

Why I love this recipe

Easy and quick. No marinating time and just a quick dredge in flour is all that is needed. Light breading. Made with flour, cornstarch, and spices, this recipe makes these chicken wings light and crispy, never oily (like oven fried chicken!). It’s so easy to customize! I like to keep things simple, but you can dredge them in your favorite sauces, add more spices, or even double-fry them. I’ve included some ideas in the variations section.

Ingredients needed

Chicken wings. Choose meaty chicken wings as they will hold onto the batter better. I like to use a mix of wingettes and drumettes. Spices. The spices I use for my recipe are paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and dried parsley. Salt. To taste. Oil. I typically use vegetable oil, but any oil with a high smoke point works. Cornstarch and flour. Mixed with flour, cornstarch makes the coating on the chicken wings crispier. Baking powder. A small amount of baking powder added to the flour mixture helps draw out excess moisture and leaves the chicken wings extra crispy.

How to fry chicken wings

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. “Hands down the best and crispiest chicken wings we have made to date (and we eat a lot of chicken wings!). We toss the wings in a little seasoning salt as soon as they come out of the fryer for extra flavor, and because we like salt ;)” – Richelle

Arman’s recipe tips

Check if the oil is hot enough. This is imperative to ensure the wings are light and crispy instead of dense and heavy. I like to use a meat thermometer to check if the oil is at least 350F (up to 375F), but another way to check is to sprinkle some flour into the oil. If it sizzles, it’s hot. Don’t crowd the pan. Adding too many wings will cause the oil temperature to drop. As a result, the wings will take longer to crisp up and will soak up too much oil (see my point above). If needed, cook the wings in batches. Check for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the wings. The chicken wings are ready if their internal temperature is 165F degrees. Cool the wings on a wire rack. While paper towels soak up the excess oil, they take away some of the crispiness of the freshly fried chicken wings. Transfer the chicken wings from the pan right onto the wire rack.

Storage instructions

To store: Transfer fried chicken wing leftovers into an airtight container as soon as they have cooled completely. Fried chicken wings last 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Not a fan of all the excess oil or grease? Bake the wings instead. They follow a similar process to my baked chicken wings. Once seasoned, Bake them at 400F degrees for around 45 minutes. Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the wings and remove them from the oven when it reaches 165F degrees in the thickest part. Like any good wing recipe, with a few tweaks, you can completely transform them to change up the flavors! Here are some ideas:

Add some cheese. Sprinkle the fried chicken wings with grated parmesan while they are hot. Add sauce. Toss the fried chicken wings in buffalo sauce for buffalo wings or in some bulgogi sauce or Katsu sauce for an Asian twist. Omit the spice. Skip the cayenne pepper if you are going to serve these chicken wings to kids or don’t want them to be spicy. Herb it up. Don’t shy away from dried herbs. You can add dried rosemary, oregano, basil, and thyme to the spice mix.

To reheat: As the fridge causes the fried wings to lose their crispiness, reheat them in the oven preheated to 350F degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or even in the air fryer. To freeze: place the cooled wings in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.