Double-Fried Craggy Chicken Wings, Two Sauces

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A steakhouse-caliber wing you can actually make at home: an overnight dry brine with baking powder pulls moisture out of the skin, a wet-shaggy cornstarch dredge builds real craggy ridges, and a two-stage fry (low to cook, high to shatter) gets you glass-crisp wings that stay crunchy for a good ten minutes after saucing. Two finishing sauces — a proper emulsified buffalo butter and a sticky honey-soy-garlic — let you split the batch.

Ingredients

• 3 lb chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes, tips removed
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 5 tbsp cold water or buttermilk
• 2 qt peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

• 1/2 cup Frank's RedHot or similar cayenne pepper sauce
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 splash cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 5 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp gochujang or sriracha
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 whole scallions, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Dry-brine the wings: pat the wings very dry with paper towels. In a small bowl mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt, the baking powder, garlic powder, and black pepper. Toss the wings with the mixture until evenly coated, then arrange them skin-side up in a single layer on a wire rack set over a sheet pan.
2. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours and up to 24. The skin should look dry and slightly tightened. Pull the pan out 30 minutes before frying so the wings lose their deep chill.
3. Make the dredge: whisk the flour, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, smoked paprika, and cayenne in a wide bowl. Drizzle in the 5 tablespoons cold water or buttermilk and rub the mixture between your fingers until it forms small shaggy clumps throughout — those clumps become the craggy crust.
4. Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy Dutch oven to 300°F (149°C) over medium heat; use a clip-on thermometer. Set a clean wire rack over a sheet pan nearby.
5. Dredge one-third of the wings at a time, pressing the flour mixture firmly onto each piece and shaking off only the loosest excess. Fry in batches of 8 to 10 for 8 to 10 minutes, keeping the oil between 275°F and 300°F, until the wings are pale gold, floating, and cooked through (internal temperature 175°F/79°C). Transfer to the rack.
6. Rest the first-fried wings at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours at room temperature. This is not optional — the surface moisture evaporates now so the second fry can go straight to crunch.
7. While the wings rest, make the buffalo sauce: combine the hot sauce, honey, Worcestershire, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling. Off heat, whisk in the butter one cube at a time until glossy and emulsified, then add a splash of cider vinegar. Keep warm.
8. Make the honey-soy-garlic glaze: in a second small saucepan, simmer the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and gochujang over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. Swirl in the butter off the heat.
9. Raise the oil to 385°F (196°C). Fry the wings a second time in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until deep golden brown and audibly crisp. Drain 30 seconds on the rack — not on paper towels, which steam the bottoms.
10. Divide the hot wings between two large bowls. Toss one half with the buffalo butter and the other half with the honey-soy-garlic glaze, using a spatula and 10 to 15 seconds of tossing only. Finish the soy-garlic wings with sesame seeds and scallions and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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