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In South Carolina we take college football very seriously. Families divide, and relationships end because of which team you favor. You are either a Gamecocks fan (the obvious winner), or you’re a Clemson fan (in which case you will get funny looks walking through BiLo). There is no boarderwalking. So, when I plan a viewing party, I divide the living room in half with masking tape because my mom’s side of the family are Clemson fans.
My mom brings the coleslaw which is a must at any of our family get togethers, my dad brings the baked beans which he knows he’s not allowed at my house without, and I always make pico de gallo and buffalo wings.
At first I would just buy the frozen pre-made ones from the store, but I got tired of the slimy skin and weird ingredients that were totally unnecessary and probably not the healthiest. So, I started making my own, and was totally blown away by the delicious difference.
Homemade buffalo wings taste way better, and they are so much crispier. They have that buttery, spicy, crispy exterior, while keeping the inside juicy, and tender.
Start by making the blue cheese dressing. Whisk together blue cheese, buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and pop it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Preheat oven to 250°. Let wings sit at room temperature 30 minutes; this will take off the chill and help them cook evenly. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in hot sauce (I recommend Frank’s) , cayenne, ½ tsp. pepper, and ¼ tsp. salt until combined. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
If you are crunched for time, to eliminate an extra step you could buy Frank’s Buffalo Wings flavored hot sauce. Its got all the same ingredients as our homemade version, you will just need to heat it up the same way.
Next prepare the chicken. Put the full chicken wings in a glass bowl and bake at 200 degrees F for to knock the chill off. This will help with even cooking later. Remove the tips, and separate the drumettes from the flats.
In a dutch oven, heat about two inches of frying oil to 375 degrees F.
Let the chicken cool if it’s too hot to handle, then toss it salt and pepper to taste. Put some cornstarch in a medium sized bowl. Dredge each piece of chicken in the cornstarch and tap off the excess. The cornstarch will help it get nice and crispy later when you fry it. If you don’t happen to have any,you could also just use some flour.
Pick each piece of chicken up with tongs, give a final tap to shake off excess cornstarch, and carefully add to the hot oil. It should start sizzling immediately.
Fry, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and crust is golden brown and very crisp, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven to keep warm while you fry remaining wings.
If frying chicken is something you are nervous about, check out these 9 common mistakes to avoid when frying chicken.
Toss the wings in a large bowl with the rewarmed sauce using tongs.
Ingredients
Serves 6
Blue Cheese Dressing
- 2 ounces mild blue cheese (such as Roquefort or Saint Agur), crumbled
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Wings And Assembly
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank’s)
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
- Vegetable oil for frying (about 10 cups)
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- 3 pounds chicken wings
- 4 celery stalks, cut into thin sticks
Blue Cheese Dressing
- Whisk together blue cheese, buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Do Ahead: Dressing can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
Wings And Assembly
- Preheat oven to 250°. Let wings sit at room temperature 30 minutes; this will take off the chill and help them cook evenly. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in hot sauce, cayenne, ½ tsp. pepper, and ¼ tsp. salt until combined. Remove pan from heat and set aside; rewarm just before tossing with wings
- Pour oil into a large heavy pot to a depth of 2” and fit with a deep-fry thermometer. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 375°.
- Meanwhile, place cornstarch in a large bowl. Season wings with salt and pepper. Working in 3 batches, dredge wings in cornstarch, shaking off excess, then carefully lower wings into oil. Fry, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and crust is golden brown and very crisp, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven to keep warm while you fry remaining wings.
- Transfer wings to a large bowl, add warmed sauce, and toss to coat. Serve immediately with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing for dipping.
Recipe Notes:
- Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool completely; cover and chill. Rewarm before using.
What do you like to serve at your football viewing parties?