Southern Fried Chicken Wings

Southern fried chicken wings are the bite-sized snack or finger food version of classic southern fried chicken. This recipe originally comes from Georgia and is the best fried chicken I’ve ever had.

I’ve been obsessed with fried chicken since making my fried chicken without buttermilk recipe.  

I’ve had fried chicken from restaurants before, but to be honest, it wasn’t great.

Now I’ll only eat homemade fried chicken and I have a long list of types to try like Maryland Fried Chicken.

The first one I tried was southern fried chicken wings.  

I happened to have chicken wings around, and since I love southern fried chicken….

In general, I find wings a little annoying to eat, but these defied expectation.

As soon as they cooled enough to touch, I devoured them one after another.  

By the time I was done, there was nothing left but a pile of bones I discreetly gave to the cat.

Needless to say, these chicken wings are my new favorite finger food!  

It’s also perfect as a southern inspired appetizer or a non-spicy snack for a Superbowl party.

Or, you know, just make a bunch and have it all for yourself [insert evil laugh and plotting hand gestures].

And if you like these southern fried chicken wings, you may also like my southern fried chicken tenders.

HOW TO DREDGE CHICKEN

Double Handed

Use one hand to dip the chicken in the egg and the other to roll it in flour.

By using both hands, you avoid getting thick layers of batter on your fingers known as “club hand.”

The worst part of it is that when you touch the chicken, it will pull off the flour, leaving bald spots.

Bag Technique

Place the flour in a bag. For the first layer, you can throw in a bunch of pieces together.

Then, shake them off and dip each piece in one by one.

Let the excess egg drip off and then recoat with flour one at a time in the bag.

Shake off any excess flour and fry.

A WORD ON OIL

When frying chicken, the temperature of the oil is important. If it’s too cold, the chicken will be oily.

On the other hand, if the oil is too hot, the crust will fall off.

With a thermometer, it should be about 350°F or 175°C to 375°F or 190°C degrees.

If you don’t have a thermometer, when the oil seems hot, drop a little flour into the oil. If the flour sizzles and floats on the top, it’s hot enough.

To make sure it’s not too hot, keep it around medium-low and adjust as needed.

Gluten Free Option

For a gluten free alternative, use corn starch or potato starch instead of flour. They both fry very nicely.

HOW TO STORE CHICKEN

Place cooled chicken in an airtight container or wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap.  Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

HOW TO FREEZE CHICKEN

Freeze leftovers within 3-4 days.  Place cooled chicken in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag. 

Freeze for up to 4-6 months.  After that, it is still safe to eat, but the quality begins to degrade.

HOW TO REHEAT

For best results, heat in the oven or easy fryer.  The fryer gives the best results, but it is also more likely to break the crust exterior.

SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN WINGS TIP:

Make sure that the oil you are cooking with is hot enough, but not crazy hot.

If it is not hot enough, the outside layer will be extra oily and fall off.

Likewise, if it is too hot, the outer layer will fall off, but instead of being too oily, it will burn.

Instead of dredging the pieces in flour, place them all in a gallon sized resealable bag and shake.