Kickin’ Wings (Spicy Chicken Wings)

You’ll need two bowls to get this started. In one bowl, pour in your buttermilk. In another bowl, combine flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, garlic and onion powders.

Dip each wing in the buttermilk, then into the flour mixture. Place on plate. Once you’ve dipped all the wings, allow them to hang out on the plate for about half an hour until the coating gets pasty looking.

In a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet (or a fryer if you have one), heat oil to 375F degrees (using a thermometer to get an accurate temperature). Begin to fry the wings in batches (about 4-5 at a time). Fry them for about 8-10 minutes. They should begin to take on a nice golden brown color when they start to get done. If you are frying in a cast-iron skillet, I recommend moving the wings and flipping them around as you go so they don’t stick to the bottom or get too dark in one spot. Make sure your skillet is only about 1/2 full of oil before you begin frying. When wings are finished, place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain off the extra oil.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, melt 1/2 cup of butter in the microwave. When melted, add in hot sauce and pepper. At this point I dip my finger in and see how I’m liking the taste. Sometimes you want more pepper or maybe a little more seasoning or a little more hot sauce.

When all your wings are finished, start coating them in the hot sauce mixture. Put about 4-5 wings at a time in the bowl and just roll them around in the mixture until fully coated. Keep going until all wings are coated.

Cook’s Notes: I realize that many folks may like their wings much hotter (or milder). Please adjust seasonings as you see fit since it’s a matter of taste. Sometimes we like a hotter wing so I’ll add more hot sauce as well as a little bit of cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Also, if you’re making more wings, this recipe is easily doubled or tripled.