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Crispy Southern Fried Chicken Wings

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Learn how to make easy old-fashioned crispy Southern fried chicken wings! These wings are brined, then fried, for the most tender, juicy, crunchy chicken wings you’ll ever taste!

Several freshly fried chicken wings are stacked on paper towels. The wings are covered in a crispy golden-brown coating.

When I think of good old-fashioned comfort food, fried chicken is one of the first things that comes to mind. Seriously, nothing is better than fried chicken for dinner. Y’all know that I have plenty of fried chicken recipes on this blog. From keto fried chicken to oven-baked “fried” chicken, waffle fried chicken, and the most traditional Southern fried chicken, my favorite part of the chicken has to be the wings.

I love a plate of crispy golden chicken wings with a side of red beans and rice, collard greens, and buttery cornbread. Does it get more down home than that?! I swear, it’s the best meal! In this post, I will show you how I make the easiest crispy fried chicken wings. This recipe is quite simple—the hardest part is waiting on the brining, which takes 4 hours. DO NOT skip out on the brining–otherwise, you’re cheating yourself out of some seriously moist and flavorful chicken!

Let’s jump into how to make the best crispy Southern fried chicken wings recipe!

Ingredients for Crispy Fried Chicken Wings

Below are all the ingredients you need for homemade crispy skillet-fried chicken wings. Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredient measurements! 

  • Chicken Wings: I use regular ol’ bone-in skin-on whole chicken wings.
  • All-Purpose Flour: the base of the breading mixture.
  • Cornstarch: my secret ingredient for crispy wings! 
  • Seasonings: essential for flavor. I use poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and salt for these fried chicken wings.
  • Oil: for frying. Since we’re pan-frying these chicken wings, you won’t need as much as deep frying. I use corn oil, but any other neutral, high-smoke-point vegetable oil will work just as well.
  • Chicken Wing Brine: highly essential and simple—a mixture of salt, sugar, and water. 

Can I make this recipe with other pieces of chicken?

You certainly can! Whether you want to use legs, thighs, drumsticks, or whole wings is up to you. I prefer to use whole chicken wings. You can buy wings and flats separately or separate them yourself. 

What’s the secret ingredient for crispy fried chicken wings? 

In this recipe? Cornstarch! Adding cornstarch to the flour mixture makes the breading on the chicken wings extra crispy. Why? Cornstarch absorbs some of the moisture from the chicken skin, which then gets extra crispy when frying. Don’t have cornstarch on hand? Use baking powder!

How to Brine Chicken Wings Before Frying

Brining is an essential part of this recipe. Why? Because brining the chicken wings is what keeps them incredibly juicy and flavorful. Brining chicken wings is a great way to add moisture and flavor to your chicken, and no matter how you end up cooking them, they will certainly not be dry!

Brining is the first step in this recipe—and for the best results, you need to do it ahead of time.

Simple Chicken Wing Brine Recipe

When you brine chicken wings, you can play around with the flavors—you can go with sweet and savory, spicy, herbaceous… it’s totally up to you! But I have a tried-and-true chicken wing brine recipe that I stick to: 

  • 4 cups of cold water
  • 1 tablespoon of table salt
  • 2 tablespoons of granulated white sugar

That’s it! That’s all you need for super flavorful, tender, juicy chicken wings. If you want to add more seasonings and spices, I’d recommend keeping it to the basics, like white pepper, black pepper, red pepper flakes, or a dash of cayenne pepper. You could add white vinegar to further tenderize the meat, but it’s not necessary for a brine.

How long should you brine chicken wings? 

The chicken wings should sit in the brine in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight for even more flavor! The longer, the better—the brine will seep into the chicken wing skin and meat, tenderizing every inch. Don’t let the chicken wings brine for longer than 48 hours, or you risk having soggy, overly salty wings on your hands.

How to Fry Chicken Wings

Once you’ve let your wings brine for at least 4 hours (I’m tellin’ y’all Cousins, DO NOT SKIP the brining!), they’re just about ready to fry. Do NOT rinse the chicken wings after you remove them from the brine. The flour mixture and spices will stick to the moist, brined skin, giving you the perfect breading without using an egg or buttermilk mixture.

Now that your brined wings are ready to go, here’s what you’ll do next: 

  1. Season the chicken wings with your preferred seasonings. I use poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Pro-Tip: use salt-free poultry seasoning if you want to control the amount of salt in this recipe.
  2. Coat the wings with the flour mixture. I use all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and a little salt. Toss the wings in the flour mixture until they’re completely coated. 
  3. Heat your oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Vegetable oil is best for frying chicken, but you can use canola oil or peanut oil—whatever you prefer.
  4. Add the chicken wings to the hot oil and fry until golden brown—about 8-10 minutes.
  5. Place the cooked chicken wings on paper towels to drain the excess oil while you finish cooking the rest of your wings. 

When you’re done, you have the juiciest crispy chicken wings ever! These babies are perfect for game day, an appetizer, or just when you’re craving some down-home Southern fried chicken. Even though the recipe requires patience with the brine, it is SO worth it, Cousins!

Crispy Southern Fried Chicken Wings Recipe Video Tutorial

If you’re a visual learner, watch me make this recipe! At the end of the video, I show you how tender and juicy these crispy chicken wings are, thanks to the simple salt and sugar brine!

FAQs & Pro-Tips for the Best Crispy Fried Chicken Wings

What’s the best oil temperature for fried chicken wings? 

You want the temperature of the oil to be about 350 degrees throughout the frying process. Because we’re skillet-frying instead of deep frying, it will take less time to heat the oil to that temperature. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the oil temperature (as well as the internal temperature of the chicken to make sure it’s cooked). Pro-Tip: you certainly can use a deep fryer if you have one. Just note that it might take longer for the oil to heat up (bonus points if you have a digital deep fryer!)

Can I bake chicken wings in the oven? 

You sure can, but baking doesn’t get you the same kind of crispy wings, in my opinion. I have an “oven-fried” crispy chicken recipe that promises extra crispy oven-baked chicken if you’d rather skip out on the oil.

Don’t Overcrowd the Pan! 

Another secret to perfectly deep-fried chicken wings is to fry the wings in small batches. Because we’re using a skillet for frying, I’d recommend only frying 3-4 whole chicken wings at a time. This way, you’ll get crispy, golden-brown wings that aren’t soggy or unevenly cooked. 

To keep the wings nice and warm while you cook in batches, you can warm them in your oven. Switch your oven on to the lowest setting—some ovens have a “warm” setting—and place the wings on a wire rack on a baking sheet in the oven until you’ve finished cooking the wings.

What other seasonings can I use in this fried chicken wing recipe? 

You can use any seasonings you want! The sky is the limit. In this recipe, I like to keep it simple because we’re going for basic, flavorful fried chicken wings. I have an old-fashioned fried chicken seasoning that would be bomb.com in this recipe! Check out Rosamae Seasonings for more delicious seasoning and spice options for crispy fried chicken wings: 

How to Store Leftover Fried Chicken Wings

Now, I’m not saying you’ll have any leftovers… but on the off-chance that you do, these fried chicken wings taste just as good the next day. 

  • Store in the Fridge: store the wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. 
  • In the Freezer: you can freeze fried chicken wings for up to three months if kept in a freezer-safe, airtight container. You should thaw the wings before reheating.
  • How to Reheat: fried chicken wings are best when reheated in the oven—that way, they’ll crisp up again without becoming grease-logged from too much frying. Reheat at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Use a wire rack on a baking sheet to circulate the hot air around the whole wing for maximum crispy action.

Flavor Variations: The Perfect Sauce for Crispy Fried Chicken Wings

Y’all know I can’t let you leave without offering up some saucy suggestions! While these crispy fried chicken wings are perfect on their own, you certainly can spice it up with your favorite sauce. Serve with your favorite buffalo sauce, hot sauce, or BBQ sauce. Like ranch dressing or blue cheese dip? Go ahead! Want even MORE flavor? Check out these party wings:

If you try this crispy Southern fried chicken wings recipe, let me know in the comments below! Be sure to follow along with everything Rosie and I Heart Recipes on social media—you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and you can pre-order my next upcoming cookbook, A Cousin Rosie Holiday, now!

Crispy Southern Fried Chicken Wings

Here's a simple recipe for the crispiest, juiciest Southern fried chicken wings! First they're brined with a simple salt and sugar solution, then fried to golden-brown perfection.
Watch Video Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Southern
Keyword chicken wings, Crispy Fried Chicken Wings, fried chicken wings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Brining Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

Brine:

Chicken Wings:

Instructions

  • Wash the chicken under cool water, then place it in a large bowl or container.
    1 lb chicken wings
  • Combine 4 cups cold water, 1 tbsp salt, and 2 tbsp sugar. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve.
    4 cups cold water, 1 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar
  • Pour the chicken wing brine into the bowl or container with the chicken. Make sure that the chicken is completely covered with the brine.
  • Cover the bowl/container, then place in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.
  • Drain the brine from the bowl, but do not rinse the chicken.
  • Season the chicken with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
    1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • Combine the all purpose flour, cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp salt.
    3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pour the flour mixture into a large freezer bag, then toss in the chicken wings. Shake the bag until the chicken is well coated with flour.
  • Remove the chicken from the bag, and shake off any excess flour.
  • Pour the oil into a large skillet, and let it heat up over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
    2 1/2 cups of corn oil for frying
  • Carefully add in the chicken, and fry until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Place the chicken on a paper towel-lined plate.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Video

If you loved this recipe, leave me a review below. This helps future recipe makers and ensures continued high-quality recipes for years to come!
© 2025 I Heart Recipes
Recipe by: I Heart Recipes

MEET THE RECIPE AUTHOR

Rosie

I’m a Soul Food blogger living in the Pacific Northwest, bringing Southern cooking to gorgeous Seattle, Washington. I was born and raised in the PNW, but my family roots go all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where my grandparents were born and raised. I live every day to bring the traditional values, recipes, and love of food to life for my family—whether they’re online or in real life. So, welcome to the party, family!

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Comments

  1. Oh! My! Gosh!!! I almost went through the computer screen when you showed the finished chicken!!! Rosie, this is one fantastic dish. Will definitely use the brine and check my poultry seasoning. The addition of cornstarch is genius. Love the video. Pinned. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Hi Mary! Yes definitely check your poultry seasoning. I noticed that a lot of them are mainly salt, which will result in extremely salty chicken. I’ve been using Trader Joes poultry seasoning. It’s great 🙂

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    This fried chicken recipe was a big hit tonight! My boyfriend went for seconds! and he doesn’t even like fried chicken until tonight, I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing, lol. I finally found the perfect fried chicken recipe. This WILL be my go to fried chicken recipe whenever I fry chicken. Thank you so much Rosie.

    Reply

    • YAY!!! So glad that you both liked the recipe!! Isn’t it amazing what a little sugar & salt water brining can do? Thanks for trying my recipe Adriane! XOXO

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    I just discovered you a few minutes ago. I have watched some of your great chicken recipes and this fried chicken wing video. FANTASTIC! You have renewed my faith in trying to fry wings. Thank you so much! I too will check my poultry seasoning.

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I tried this for Easter Sunday and it was a HIT. I didn’t have cornstarch so I omitted it and my family still loved it. Next time I will make sure to have the cornstarch because these were amazing even without it!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    The chicken was sooooo moist and tasty. Thank you for this recipe. I will never cook chicken again without this recipe.

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Hey Rosie,

    Your recipe says to cook until golden brown but do you have a time estimate on how long the wings will take to cook? I am always afraid I’m going to under cook fried chicken. Thank you

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    Rosie this recipe is “the best”. The best from all the rest. Keep sharing, my family is thankful and so am I.

    Reply

  14. This recipe sounds so good I wanna try this recipe but I do not have cornstarch, will that mess up the recipe? Does the salt and sugar water make the chicken salty or sweet?

    Reply

    • Hi Shinqualla. For best results, I suggest using all the ingredients listed. The salt & sugar brine doesn’t make the chicken sweet nor salty. It flavors the chicken perfectly.

      Reply

  16. 5 stars
    OH Rosie! These Wings are Fantastic! THANK-YOU! For sharing n teaching me how to make Great Wings! I have 4 lbs prepped n ready to make for Super Bowl to nite! This is a keeper!

    Reply

  18. 5 stars
    Hi Rosie I’m new to your site and I swear you are my food bff I want to make the chicken can I use a deep fryer instead of cast iron skillet? Thank you

    Reply

  20. Hi do you think this recipe will work in an air fryer? Also I noticed you have another brine on the southern fried chicken recipe (using buttermilk). Which do you prefer?

    Reply

      • 5 stars
        Thank you for your reply. I made this, the sweet potatoes and the greens for Easter and everything was wonderful! I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes!

        Reply

  22. Hi, I am cooking for a big gathering. Would this come out the same if I used a big out door fryer?

    Reply

  23. Best fried chicken I have ever made! Still dreaming of them wings… thank you for this marvelous, finger-licking good recipe!

    Reply

  25. 5 stars
    Hi Rosie…. so glad…. my chicken finally came out good due to your great recipe… my boyfriend is impressed and I can not stop talking about how good this chicken was. Mmmm mmm!!!

    Reply

  26. Hi Rosie, I’m trying your recipe tonight. I have always been a believer in the wet brine. I wet brine my pork chops as well…….If these wings will turn out to be at least half as good as you look, then they will be super fine!!! 🙂

    Reply

      • 5 stars
        Hey Miss America, the flavor turned out to be phenomenal! The cornstarch/flour combo is a big-time tip and definitely proves you’re no rookie! One other ingredient in your recipe I believe is significant is the smoked paprika….. I use that as one of my secret ingredients when I make my baby back rib rub. I would be glad to share it with you or the World, whichever comes first? 🙂

        I did make two small modifications to your recipe…One was before placing the wings in the flour, I dredged them in a mixture consisting of two eggs and cup of buttermilk. The other is that living in Louisiana my whole life, we must have spice..Therefore I added to egg/buttermilk mixture 2 T of hot sauce, 1 T of red pepper flakes and 1 t of cayenne pepper….Hello!!!! thanks again for sharing!

        Reply

  28. 5 stars
    WOW! Thank you for your ‘tried & true’ chicken frying recipe! Your recipe (as all recipes I find online) always get modified a little by me…Along with your spices, I added celery salt (was going to just add sea salt, but decided on the celery salt as I always add that to my chicken pot pie broth) and fresh ground pepper – Tremendous flavor! When I read your recipe and spotted the poultry seasoning, I knew the seasonings were on target…The flour/corn starch/salt dredge is in perfect proportion…Thank you Rosie for a FABULOUS fried chicken recipe; it’s the best!

    Reply

  29. I was so very glad you added how much oil to add because that’s where people run into problems when frying. Who really knows what an inch of oil means. Must of r recipe junkies lol. Thanks again will be tying this soon

    Reply

  30. On the fried chicken wings when flying do you want to fry covered or uncovered. How do you do yours?

    Reply

  31. Just a complement- I never grew up cooking this way. But now I found your sight and after following your recipes my cooking has become a lot better. Haven’t poisoned any one lately lol. So since I have diabetes I have a learn to cook healthy do will be tying the chickrn wings on my chest day. A girl has to have her wings lol

    Reply

  32. 5 stars
    Hi Rosie. I’m new to your site. I used this recipe to cook part of my daughter’s birthday dinner and it was a total hit. I didn’t have poultry seasoning so I used a chicken rub that I had made. Everyone commented on how flavorful the deep fried chicken was and wanted to know what I’d done differently. I’m not a natural cook and need good recipes to help me put together a meal. This is one I will use forever?

    Reply

  33. 5 stars
    This is the first time I tried making fried chicken wings at home and I’m so glad I found ur recipe! It came out so well, thank u so much.

    Reply

  35. Delicious
    I had to ballpark on the cooking time because it wasn’t clear but at 13-15 minutes they came out Delicious !
    Thanks

    Reply

  36. I never usually comment on recipes I try but this recipe is awesome and I thank you for sharing it

    Reply

  38. Hello,I am going to make your southern oven fried chicken and would like to brine the chicken first but have looked and can not find the recipe.If you get this message could you send it to me please.Thank-you have a good day

    Reply

  39. i will be 80 yrs old in a couple of weeks, so i know what good fried wings taste like and yours are as good as i have ever eaten.

    Reply

  40. 5 stars
    Wow, Thanks Rosie; finally found a fried chicken recipe that works great for wings, I followed the recipe with the only exception is I fried them until they had browned to my liking and then finished them in a 350 degree oven. can’t wait to experiment with other seasoning for wings.
    Great taste and crunchy yet still nice and tender, I think I have found me new go to for game day.

    Reply

  41. Instructions very clear. Can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks. I am interested in a copy of your recipe book. Please let me know where to or it.

    Reply

    • Hi there! Which book are you interested in? The first two are in store. The titles are “I Heart Soul Food”, and “Super Soul Food With Cousin Rosie”. The latest one, ” A Cousin Rosie Holiday”, can be purchased from iheartrecipes.net

      Reply

      • Thank you so much. I will look for it tomorrow. I live near Wilmington N.C. I will reach out to let you know how my first batch of wings turn out. Once again ,thank you so much.

        Reply

  42. Thank you so much for your info!!!! I will definitely be cooking this recipe for Sunday dinner!!!! I’m a young mother/wife with 4 kids && just by reading this I know my kids will LOVE IT!!! && my 6’5 300 pound husband who is IN LOVE WITH CHICKEN WINGS!!! so I know this dinner will be nothing short of delicious!!!

    Reply

  43. 5 stars
    Hi Rosie,

    I will be cooking this soon. My poultry seasoning has salt. No trader Joe’s near me. Do I need to cut back on the amount of salt I use since it already has salt in it or can I use Mrs. Dash instead? I’m excited to try this out. I hadn’t fried wings in years. Thanks so much for always sharing with us!

    Reply

  44. Rosie ! Thank you so much for your recipe. I made 16 chicken wings for the super bowl and they turned out perfect !!

    Reply

  48. 5 stars
    I simply love this recipe. I used to watch my Grandma fry chicken every Sunday after church and I could never figure out her secret (she wouldn’t tell me) but, now this may have been what she kept to herself (the brine). My wings so tender, juicy and flavorful, Thanks a bunch!

    Reply

  49. 5 stars
    Very tasty and fried crispy. I like a lot of heat so I added cayenne and hot sauce to my brine. I also put my wings on a cooling rack because I think it keeps it a lot crispier. Thanks and I will be trying some of your other recipes soon!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. […] brine the hens in a simple salt & sugar water mixture.. You know, just like I use for my crispy old fashioned chicken wings. The sugar & salt water brine works like a buttermilk brine, however it’s cheaper, and in […]

    Reply