This week on Throwdown Kitchen we show you how to make a Buffalo Wild Wings copycat. Buffalo wings originated in the sleepy town of Buffalo New York and most people say that it was the Anchor Bar that popularized and maybe even can claim inventor status.
Since then, chicken wings have grown in popularity so much so that the national chain , Buffalo Wild Wings, has become one of the most successful casual dining and sports bar restaurants in the world.
Table of contents
Watch How We Made Buffalo Wings
The Buffalo Wing Sauce
Without buffalo wing sauce the chicken wings would be, well, just fried chicken wings. We don’t believe that the Buffalo Wild Wing empire would have been born without this particular famous hot and spicy sauce.
As a matter of fact, every fast service or quick service restaurant that sells buffalo wings also features several sauce varieties.
Honey Barbecue, Caribbean Jerk, Mango Habanero, Garlic Parmesan are just a few of the sauces you can order for your buffalo wings.
Begin by making the Buffalo Wild Wing copycat sauce by melting butter in a sauce pot. Add hot sauce, garlic and butter, letting that simmer and sit on the stove to thicken up. We like to use Frank’s Hot sauce, although Texas Pete’s is pretty good too.
Equal parts of hot sauce and butter will lend for a milder sauce. Do you like the wing sauce hot? To make it a hotter buffalo sauce, increase the amount of hot sauce in proportion to the butter. Want the sauce milder? To make it mild, increase the amount of butter in the sauce. Does that make sense?
Chicken Wings Flats and Drums
Separate the wings into flats and drums. Discard the wing tips. Save the tips for chicken stock the next time you’re making a big pot of chicken soup. Find the joint between the flat and drum and , using a very sharp knife, simply cut in half. However, if you want to buy a pack of wings that are already separated then go for it!
Next, pat the wings very dry with a paper towel, because moisture is the enemy of crispy wings, and we want our buffalo wings crispy!
Now the wings get two things. One will be some salt. The other will be some freshly cracked black pepper. A quick toss with some tongs to evenly distribute the salt and pepper.
Many people at this point in the copycat recipe will toss the chicken wings in cornstarch or flour and this addition is not necessary. The chicken wings will crisp without the addition of flour or cornstarch. Everyone knows that a good hot wing must have have crispy skin.
Photo by Chad Montano
How To Make Buffalo Wings
Our sauce has been made and is being kept warm. It’s very important to dress the wings with a sauce that is warm, not cold. If you have made the sauce a day or two ahead of time and kept it in the fridge , just heat it back prior to serving.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees and drop the wings into the hot oil. Be careful not to add too many chicken wings at once to the pot. Adding to many chicken wings at once will lower the temperature of the oil too fast and cause the wings to be greasy, not crispy. Cook the wings for 8 to 10 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reaches 165 degrees of internal temperature.
If you are making batches of buffalo wings, just keep the finished wings in the oven on a rack until you are ready to sauce. Set the warming oven to 175-180 degrees to keep the wings hot. If you just set the oven temp to a standard 350 degrees then the wings will continue to cook and they will dry out. Even though we like our chicken well done, we still want it juicy and moist, not dry.
Ready. Set. Sauce.
It does seem like a lot of trouble to make your own Buffalo Chicken Wings at home, when there is probably a restaurant delivery service nearby. But, once you’ve made your own wings, and your own wing sauce, take away will never seem the same again.
Put your crispy wings in a large bowl. Cover the wings with warm wings sauce and toss to coat. Just take a long spoon or tongs to turn and coat the wings. It’s fun to swirl the bowl and toss the wings like a chef in a restaurant and if you have the confidence then go for it !
Buffalo Wild Wings CopyCat Recipe
Equipment
- Fryer or Large Pot
Ingredients
Buffalo Wing Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- ⅓ cup hot sauce Frank's
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tbsp honey
Chicken Wings
- 24 chicken wings separated
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Separate the chicken wings into flats and drums. Pat the wings dry with paper towels.
- Toss the wings with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to cook
- Make the wing sauce by melting the butter, adding the minced garlic, prepared hot sauce and honey. Stir to combine and simmer on low until the ingredients have thickened slightly. About 20 minutes.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a fryer or large heavy pot to a temperature of 350 degrees. Add the chicken wings a few at a time, being careful not to crowd the pot. Cook in batches if needed. Cook the wings until the internal temperature of the wings reaches 165 degrees. About 8 to 10 minutes.
- When the wings have finished cooking , Immediately toss with the sauce and serve. Enjoy!
- Traditional dips include blue cheese or ranch. Serve with side of celery sticks
Notes
Nutrition
It’s the same reason I don’t get Hooters. Why do we need to enjoy chicken wings and boobies at the same time? Yes, they are a natural and beautiful part of the human experience. And so are boobies. But why at the same time?
Tina Fey
Frequently Asked Questions About Buffalo Wings
Depending on the size of the wing, it takes between 8 and 10 minutes for the chicken to reach a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees
An instant read thermometer is the best way to determine doneness of the chicken wings. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the wing to see if the temperature has reached 165 degrees.
Throwdown Kitchen
Throwdown Kitchen is the cooking show that features fast and easy recipes that everyone can relate to. Everyday casual food and entertainment is all about friends and family. People get that and we hope you do too.
There are not going to be Beef Wellington recipes with Truffle Oil. You’ll see recipes like our Buffalo Wild Wings copycat. And of course, our featured recipes are all about casual entertaining, burgers, barbecue, diners and drive-ins.
We are living in amazing times and a lot is happening with the dining scene. People are cooking again and if you are here, then we have something in common. The love of food and caring for family and friends. So let’s get cooking!
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