February 11, 2021

The BEST Buffalo Wings

Truly, these are the best buffalo wings. The spice blend is bold, with a surprise of crunchy celery seeds, which pairs perfectly tossed in the creamy, spicy homemade buffalo sauce. Grab a bucket and let’s go!

A bold claim, I know.

OK, I’ve got you on the edge of your seat. You’re either ridiculously excited to learn the secrets for the best buffalo wings ever, or you’re about to rip into my recipe. Perfect, you’re right where I want you. Time to convince you.

These smoked buffalo wings are coated with a popping spice mix and tossed with a creamier buffalo sauce, making them incredibly exciting to bite.

Not limited to happy hour

Buffalo wings are probably my deserted island food. Crispy, fatty, spicy, and it triggers so many childhood memories. Anytime you’re eating buffalo wings, you’re probably celebrating or in a good place in life.

We don’t fry food very often in my house, mostly because of the cleanup, and I can’t help but smoke and grill the wings. Popping out of my home office to take out a sheet pan of dry-brined wings, I’ll preheat my smoker while I wrap up a conference call. They take between 70-90 minutes usually, so by the time I’m done in the afternoon we’ve got happy hour ready to go. It’s all about the experience and convenience.

chicken wings are being seasoned with my spice recipe — *Generously seasoned and dry brined*

Buffalo Spices and Buffalo Sauce

Let’s get right to it. Most buffalo wings you eat in restaurants don’t have much for spices before they are fried. We’re making up for that by treating them on the smoker. I’ve got a general rub that I like to use that’s VERY simple, and you should have most of the ingredients at home:

Buffalo Spice Recipe

2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp chile powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp celery seeds

See? How easy is that? YES celery seeds. The acidic and fresh pop of the seeds with each bite is the subtle contrast in the spice mix that absolutely stands out. With every bite, you have that nostalgia of eating the celery stick. Maybe you’ll eat those along with these buffalo wings – GREAT. Then the flavors tie together even more.

OK – now the big reveal. The sauce. It’s very controversial so get ready.

Buffalo Sauce Recipe

1 stick butter
2/3 cup hot sauce (I used Franks)
1/3 cup mayo
2 garlic cloves grated
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste

WHAT? Mayo? Worcestershire? What the heck is going on?

Trust me. This works and it’s going to change the game. Have you ever had Alabama White Sauce before? Look at the ingredients and tell me that doesn’t work. It DOES and it’s so amazing with chicken. Adding in hot sauce and adjusting some elements ends up creating this brand new take on buffalo sauce. Taste it, it’s recognizable, it just has more depth. The texture and flavors are creamier, layered, and actually compliments the spices. You don’t get that with just butter and hot sauce!

buffalo sauce ingredients melting together in a pot — *Melt it all together for an easy buffalo sauce.*

Best buffalo wings piled on a plate. — *Trust me! Grab one!*

Tips for Success

You’ve made it this far down, which means you might try the BEST buffalo wings recipe. Let’s talk about a few suggestions to make sure you get the best experience.

Overcook your wings. Chicken is safe to eat at 165 but they are much more tender if you let them go a bit. Sometimes 175-180 is the magic texture: crispy, yet tender. They can take a little punishment!
Prepare the buffalo sauce while the wings are smoking. Don’t wait until the last minute. The sauce thickens up significantly as it starts to cool, which is what you want. Prepare it and allow it to cool, it’ll warm up again when you toss the wings.
Dry brine. Season your wings and let them chill out in the fridge for 1-2 hours. It helps draw out excess moisture and allows for flavor penetration. You will have tastier, more moist, crispy wings.
Make plenty. I can easily mow through a pound of chicken wings. If you’re cooking for a bunch of guys like me, buy more. This recipe is made for 2 pounds.