Go ahead and splurge. Deep fry those chicken wings. Here’s a handy guide showing you how.
Deep-frying is the standard way that wings are cooked in restaurants. While we stand by ourselves totally when we say our method for baking chicken wings is just as crispy and way easier, if you really want to go for it, you’ve gotta deep-fry restaurant-style.
It’s actually not very hard to do. If you already own a deep-fryer, well, I’m guessing you know how to use it. If not, you can follow the instructions below for frying wings using your stovetop with a large pot, some oil, and a candy thermometer.
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Video: Frying Chicken Wings
Do I Need To Dredge Chicken Wings In Flour?
I’ve kept my fried chicken wings recipe as simple as possible, so I skip the flour coating. I think the wings get plenty crispy without that extra step, but some people love it.
If you wanted to dredge them first, you could mix up about half a cup of all-purpose flour with a couple teaspoons of seasonings. Try a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika or use one of our fabulous seasoning blends. Toss your wings in the flour mixture before putting them in the hot oil.
Or, be like me, and add the flavor at the end with a great Buffalo sauce.
Tips For Frying Wings
- Use an oil with a high smoke point. You’ll need the oil heated to 350-375°F, so make sure you’re working with an oil that can handle that. Vegetable or canola oil work well, or try peanut oil.
- Work in batches. If you’re making a large amount of wings, avoid the temptation to cook them all as quickly as possible. The temperature of the oil drops when the wings are added, so adding too many at once will affect the cooking time. Plus, you want them to have some space to cook evenly.
- Keep them crisp and warm. Transfer the chicken wings to a wire rack on a baking sheet after frying. If working in batches, you can keep them warm in a 200°F oven.
How To Fry Chicken Wings
Here’s how to deep-fry chicken wings at home without a home deep-fryer:
Step #1
In a large pot, pour in 1 and 1/2 inches of vegetable or canola oil. Attach candy thermometer so it’s in the oil, but not touching the pot. Heat on medium to 350°F.
Step #2
Cut 4 wings into drumettes and flaps, if they aren’t already cut. Learn how to cut wings here. Then, once oil is heated, use tongs to lower wings carefully into the oil.
The oil may sputter and spatter. Be careful. The oil temperature will drop when the wings are added.
Step #3
Place a maximum of 8 wing pieces in oil at one time. Try to keep oil at 350-375°F or if temperature keeps rising, take off heat to a cool element for 1 minute. Monitor.
Step #4
Flip wings occasionally until well-browned and internal temperature as read on an instant read thermometer is at 165ºF, about 8-10 minutes.
Step #5
Use tongs to remove wings from oil. Transfer them to wire rack on a baking sheet or a plate with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Step #6
Toss with sauce.
Step #7
Eat!
Podcast Episode About Frying Chicken Wings
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print How to Fry Chicken Wings at Home
Go ahead and splurge. Deep fry those chicken wings. Here’s a handy guide showing you how.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Deep Fry
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- Vegetable or canola oil, enough to fill a pot by 1 and 1/2 inches
- 4 chicken wings
- Sauce (like Buffalo)
Instructions
- In a large pot, pour in 1 and 1/2 inches of vegetable or canola oil. Attach candy thermometer so it’s in the oil, but not touching the pot. Heat on medium to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, cut wings into two pieces each. Learn how here.
- Use tongs to carefully lower the 8 wing pieces into the oil. The oil temperature may drop when the wings are added. Try to keep oil at 350-375°F. If it drops too low, increase heat. If temperature rises, reduce heat. If it keeps rising, take the pot off of heat and transfer to a cool element for 1 minute. Monitor.
- Flip wings occasionally until well browned and the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165° F on an instant-read thermometer, 8-10 minutes. Place on a plate with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Toss with sauce. Serve immediately.
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This post originally appeared in January 2016 and was revised and republished in October 2022.
I like this recipe, i do the same thing except I use a bit of oil, lemon peper and paprika as a mixture in biwl as a topping.
Cheers
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That sounds great, Carl! Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe.
Thanks for the recipe 😋
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You’re welcome, Audrey!
Awesome
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You can sign up for our mailing list on the form in the sidebar, or at the subscribe button up top, Oral. Enjoy!
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At least double that cooking time. The longer you cook the crispier, more tender the wings become. I personally cook them for around 25 mins, depending on the size
Thanks for sharing how you make them with us, Sean!
@VADA….just to be honest…if you don’t have a deep fryer that regulates the temperature or, at the very least, a thermometer to check the oil….you really shouldn’t be deep frying anything. The main 2 reasons why I say this is because 1) If you’re unsure what the temperature of your oil is, you won’t be able to guarantee that the food was cooked properly which can cause food poisoning, and 2) You could end up with a grease fire because the oil got too hot. Deep frying for most people is a very simple task, but it can be extremely dangerous. I would suggest baking them until you at least have a thermometer to check your oil temps. Safety is always more important, no matter how delicious the recipe is. Have a great day and stay safe.
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How long does it take for the oil to get to the right temp. I am asking because I don’t have a way to find out.
Unfortunately, that’s really hard to say which is why we use the instant read thermometer. The amount of time will vary because of different stoves, types of pots, and amount of oil needed.
Why did my wings all have black on the meat?
I’m not sure, Wendy, do you mean they burned? Did you keep an eye on the temperature of the oil?
8 wings which is 16 OR or 8 pieces which is 4 wings?
8 wing pieces. So it’s 4 wings cut into 2 pieces each. I have edited the recipe and instructions to clarify this. Thanks, Frank!
@Christine Pittman first fry around 130 degrees C, final fry at 190 – the highest my fryer will go
@Nelson I’ve been doing this recipe a couple nights in a row now. I find that the first fry should be around 8-10 mins, and the second, super-hot fry about 3-4
Thanks for letting us know what works for you! What temperatures are you using, Chris?
Actually no restaurants will not bake them first, I managed restaurants for 27 years and have “never” seen them do that, they are cooked per order to cut down on food cost and waste.
What they will do however just as I do at home is they will place the wings in a deep fryer and then use the basket to trap the wings underneath, which avoids the need to flip them keeping them totally submerged in the oil and then use tongs to remove them.
Thanks for sharing, Manny!
Usually a restaurant will bake the wings first for a few hours on low and then fry them. This makes the meat really juicy. And easier to fry. If you’re making quite a bit it’s quite helpful
How long for step 2? @Montreal Jack
Nelson, do you mean how long the wings cook for? It says 8-10 minutes.
1) Eliminate splattering by DRYING the wings before putting them into the hot oil.
2) Deep fry them twice – 1st. @ 275-280 degrees / remove wings from oil.
3) increase oil temperature to 375
4) Once temperature has reached 375 degrees – put the wings back into the oil for
the final fry which should take a few minutes.
This method will ensure the wings will be cooked and crispy just like the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y.
All these years it never occured to me to use a deep pot. That tip saved a large cleanup tonight and will in the future. Thanks much.
You’re welcome, Clarence!
I think 13 to 15 minutes for a crispy wing is more the time frame… Also don’t sauce right after pulling out the oil… Let them stand for a few minutes to allow the pores to close and that keep wings crispy
Thanks for the tips, Shawn!
your recipes sound tasty and easy