by Alan Carvalho

Created on: May 16, 2008   Last Updated: May 03, 2012

Buffalo wings and hot wings were invented in Buffalo, N.Y. We know the original recipes were delicious because the wings caught on fast. They are now served across the country. Hot wings are Buffalo wings that are topped with hot sauce - Cayenne based.

There are a few restaurants now days that offer "Boneless Buffalo Wings". The way these are prepared is pretty much the same, although these look different because they're usually made from chicken breast. The chicken breast is cut into smaller pieces, about 2 inches in length.

Where actual chicken wings are used, the tip of the chicken wing can be cut off and the remaining drummette with bones can be cooked. Sometimes the bone pieces are removed and just the drummette is utilized.

A popular method of preparing wings is to coat each piece with a flour mixture consisting of flour, paprika, Cayenne pepper and salt. Cover these and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes. Then fry these in oil which is already at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. When the pieces start turning brown, it's time to take them out of the oil. The hot sauce can simply be poured generously over the cooked wings, or served on the side for dipping.

There is a great technique for cooking boneless chicken wings. This is a restaurant method and the results are amazing. For a batch:

1/2 cup butter milk
3 cups flour
4 tablespoons paprika
4 tablespoons Cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons dry mustard
4 tablespoons Montreal seasoning

The cut chicken breast pieces are drenched in buttermilk and then tossed into a flour mixture consisting of flour, paprika, Cayenne pepper, dry mustard and Montreal seasoning. This must be worked so that a kind of paste is packed on to the chicken, a little powdery on the outside, just not too thick. Then the pieces are carefully dropped into hot oil. This method works well with a gas powered commercial deep fryer because electric or small fryers do not have as much heat content. The temperature is kept at about 355 degrees Fahrenheit, and cooking time is less than 4 minutes. Using a home deep fryer, preheat to 375, and expect more time until cooked.

There are many different sauces that can be used to dress the wings, such as Cajun and Caribbean, and the amount of heat/spiciness can be mildly hot, medium or even extremely hot. Straight Frank's Red Hot Sauce is great, although it's usually mixed with margarine or butter. Blue Cheese or Ranch salad dressings go great, along with celery and carrot sticks.

Learn more about this author, Alan Carvalho.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.