Alton Brown Chicken Wings Recipe

This Alton Brown Chicken Wings recipe is a crispy and mess-free dish, which calls for a unique steaming method and classic hot sauce. It’s the ultimate game day snack, ready in about 2 hours (including drying time).

Alton Brown Chicken Wings Ingredients

For the Wings

• 12 whole chicken wings (approx. 2.5 lbs)
• Water, for steaming

For the Buffalo Sauce

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup hot sauce (Frank’s RedHot is traditional)
• ½ tsp kosher salt

How To Make Alton Brown Chicken Wings

1. Prepare the steamer: Place a steamer basket into a large pot with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
2. Prep the wings: While the water heats, separate the chicken wings at the joint. Use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut between the drumette and the flat (wingette). Discard the tips or save them for stock.
3. Steam the wings: Reduce the heat to medium. Place the wings in the steamer basket, cover the pot, and steam for 10 minutes. This critical step renders out the subcutaneous fat, which allows the skin to crisp up perfectly in the oven later.
4. Dry and chill: Remove the wings from the steamer and pat them dry with paper towels. Place them on a cooling rack set inside a half-sheet pan lined with paper towels. Refrigerate the wings for 1 hour. This dries out the skin further, ensuring a crunch.
5. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Replace the paper towels in the sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper (keep the rack in the pan).
6. Bake the wings: Arrange the chilled wings on the wire rack. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip the wings over and roast for another 20 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
7. Make the sauce: While the wings bake, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the hot sauce and salt. Whisk until combined and warmed through.
8. Toss and serve: Remove the wings from the oven. Transfer them immediately to a large bowl. Pour the warm sauce over the wings and toss vigorously to coat. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

• Why steam? Steaming renders the fat before baking. If you bake raw wings, the fat drips out and creates smoke in the oven, and the wings end up greasy. Steaming removes the fat so the high-heat oven acts like a deep fryer on the skin.
• The Chill: Do not skip the hour in the fridge. Cold, dry skin crisps up much better than warm, moist skin. It mimics the “double fry” technique used in restaurants.
• Sauce Variations: While Buffalo is classic, you can toss these in BBQ sauce, teriyaki, or just salt and pepper. The cooking method provides a perfect blank canvas.
• Garlic: Alton adds minced garlic to his sauce for a savory punch. If you want a smoother sauce, use ¼ tsp garlic powder instead.

What To Serve With Alton Brown Chicken Wings

Serve these with the classic bar-food accompaniments.

• Blue Cheese Dressing: The cooling dip balances the spicy sauce.
• Celery and Carrots: Fresh crunch to cleanse the palate.
• French Fries: Or Alton’s baked potato (see previous recipe).
• Beer: A cold lager or IPA is the traditional pairing.

How To Store Alton Brown Chicken Wings

• Refrigerate: Store leftover wings in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The skin will lose its crispiness in the sauce.
• Reheat: To get them crispy again, place them back on a rack in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes. Microwaving will make them rubbery.
• Freeze: Freeze cooked (unsauced) wings for up to 3 months. Thaw and bake to crisp, then sauce.

Alton Brown Chicken Wings Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 220kcal
• Protein: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 1g
• Fat: 16g
• Saturates: 6g
• Sugar: 0g
• Salt: 0.8g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving (approx. 4 wing pieces).

FAQs

Alton Brown Chicken Wings Recipe

Author: Sandra Cooking Method:Bake Cuisine:American Courses:Appetizers

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 50 minutesRest time:1 hour Total time:2 hours 5 minutesCooking Temp:100 CServings:3 servingsEstimated Cost:25 $Calories:220 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

The famous “Buffalos on the Range” method that involves steaming wings to render fat before baking, resulting in a deep-fried texture without the oil.

Ingredients

• 12 chicken wings
• Sauce: 2 tbsp butter, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ cup hot sauce, ½ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Steam wings in a basket over boiling water for 10 minutes.
2. Pat wings dry and refrigerate on a rack for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 425°F.
4. Roast wings on a rack for 20 minutes.
5. Flip and roast for another 20 minutes until crispy.
6. Melt butter with garlic; whisk in hot sauce and salt.
7. Toss wings in sauce and serve.

Notes

• Steaming the wings is the scientific secret to rendering out the subcutaneous fat, which prevents the oven from smoking and ensures the skin becomes paper-thin and crispy.
• Refrigerating the wings on a rack allows the cold air to circulate and dry out the skin completely, which prevents the wings from steaming in their own juices when they hit the hot oven.
• Using a wire rack inside the baking sheet is essential for airflow; if the wings sit directly on the pan, the bottoms will be soggy rather than crisp.

Keywords:Alton Brown Chicken Wings Recipe