When I wrote the Love Hot Wings and Buffalo Wings? Here Are 15 Different Recipes You’ve Gotta Try article a few months back, I didn’t even realize at the time that I had left out a mention of boneless buffalo wings. Yikes! Since I’m a diehard devotee of Buffalo Wild Wings and the awesome boneless wings they serve, a recipe on how to make these tasty little guys is long overdue.
Why boneless? Everyone knows there’s nothing like sucking the meat off a succulent, perfectly-cooked, bone-in chicken wing. Going boneless, though, has it’s advantages. For one, you get considerably more meat per bite. Second, although they are smothered in sauce, there’s no mess on your fingers as you eat these babies with a fork.
What makes boneless buffalo wings more than just glorified chicken breast nuggets is a good breading. Here’s a recipe that will give you a zesty breading that, when combined with a spicy sauce, will give you a taste that is a cross between Buffalo Wild Wings and Chili’s.
Ingredients
3-4 chicken breast filets
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
6 cups vegetable oil
Make your own sauce:
1/2 cup Frank’s Xtra Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon margarine
Optional sauce(s): Assorted bottled wing and hot sauces, all in varying degrees of spiciness and style.
On the side:
Bleu cheese dressing (for dipping)
Celery sticks
Cooking Instructions
1. Whisk together milk and egg in a small bowl.
2. Combine flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne pepper in a another medium bowl.
3. Preheat vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees.
3. Cut up each chicken breast into 6 to 8 pieces. You can make long, thin strips or shorter, fatter chunks – it’s your preference.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg/milk mixture, then dip into and evenly cover with the breading blend. Repeat step #4 so that each piece of chicken is double-coated.
5. Carefully drop each piece into the heated oil and fry for 5-6 minutes or until each breaded piece is browned.
6. When chicken pieces are done frying, remove them to a plate lined with a couple paper towels.
Creating and Applying the Sauce
Here you can go one of two routes. The first one is to create your own buffalo sauce covering. The second is to use two or more varieties of store-bought hot sauce.
Method One – Combine the hot sauce and margarine in a small, microwavable bowl. Microwave sauce for 20-30 seconds or just until the margarine is melted, then stir to combine until it is a creamy blend. Place the chicken pieces into a covered container such as a plastic storage bowl or large jar with a lid. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the container, cover, and then shake gently until each piece of chicken is evenly coated with sauce.
Method Two – One of the things I love about Buffalo Wild Wings is the wide-ranging array of sauces you can get on both your boned and boneless buffalo wings. I’ll often get half my wings with one sauce and half with another, depending on my mood.
You can do the same at home. If you’ve got a dinner party or a group of guys over for the big game, give ’em a varieties of flavors using different types of bottled hot sauce. Try six boneless wings with a mild buffalo sauce (Ott’s Wing Sauce is a good one), six with a sweet habanero sauce, six with a garlic hot sauce, and six with the hottest, mouth-scorching stuff you’ve got. Use a couple of plastic containers or jars with lids and shake-up your chicken as described above in method one.
Time to Eat!
Pour the chicken into a serving dish or onto a large plate and serve with bleu cheese dressing and sliced celery on the side. Serves 4-6 as an appetizer, or 2-4 as a main entree.