When I first stared dating my boyfriend, I made dinner for him and his then roommates. After plating up, and then walking away to clean up, I returned to the kitchen to find said boyfriend cutting the meat off of a chicken leg. When I asked what he was doing, he told me it was for one of those roommates—apparently she "couldn't" eat things with bones currently in them.
Weird food-phobias aside, sometime boneless food is actually better for the situation. Boneless chicken wings were made for those times. Picture your Super Bowl party without the aftermath of 100s of tiny chicken bones scattered across your coffee table. Imagine game night without the need for discard bowls to collect stripped drumettes and flats, picture a salad piled high with nuggets of sweet-hot sauced chicken (because you just can't with boring salads anymore) that are easily pierced with a fork. Imagine all the Wet Naps you'll save.
Now make it a reality with this handy guide to how to make boneless wings:
1. Cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into strips
RECORD SCRATCH. FREEZE FRAME. Aren't we talking about boneless chicken wings here? What's with the chicken breasts sitch!?
So, first secret: boneless chicken wings are actually—usually—made from boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are cut crosswise into wing-like shapes, about 1-inch-by 2-inch. You could debone a bunch of chicken wings if you're very into driving yourself insane, but using breast meat is faster, easier, and in the end, likely more delicious. Cut up 2 pounds of chicken breasts to make 6 to 8 appetizer servings.
2. Tenderize chicken with buttermilk
Like any good fried chicken recipe, this one starts with a nice buttermilk bath. Whisk together 2 cups buttermilk, 2 Tbsp. hot sauce (we like Frank's RedHot), and 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, then add the chicken pieces and toss to coat.
3. Dredge the chicken in a seasoned flour mixture
While traditional Buffalo wings don't have a flour coating, giving the boneless version a dredge makes them more sturdy—plus it lends a satisfying crunch that mimics fried chicken skin. To do it, whisk together 3 cups flour, 2 Tbsp. garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, 1 Tbsp. paprika, 2 tsp. black pepper, and 1/2 tsp. cayenne in a medium bowl. Transfer chicken in batches, letting excess buttermilk drip away, and toss in flour mixture to coat, and then transfer chicken to a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Dredge chicken in buttermilk and flour again
Working in smaller batches this time, return the chicken pieces back to the buttermilk mixture and then toss again in the flour mixture. (Double the coating, double the crunch.) Then return the twice-coated chicken pieces to the rimmed baking sheet and chill for at least 15 minutes (or up to 2 hours).
5. Make the blue cheese dip
While your chicken is chilling in the fridge, make a couple sauces for your "wings." For the blue cheese dip, whisk 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, 2 tsp. chopped chives, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1/4 tsp. salt together in a small bowl. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with a bit more chives.
6. Prep the hot sauce coating
In a small saucepan, stir together 1/2 cup hot sauce, 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, and 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup over medium heat until butter is melted and sauce is smooth. Set aside.
7. Set up your frying station
When you're ready to fry, fill a large heavy pot with 2 inches of vegetable oil, attach a deep-frying or candy thermometer, and set over medium heat. At the same time, preheat your oven to 250°F to keep the cooked chicken pieces warm until you finish frying each batch. Set a wire rack over a clean rimmed baking sheet to give your chicken a place to land once it's done frying.
8. When the thermometer reaches 350°F, add chicken in batches
Don't throw all your chicken in at once. Work in batches so the frying temperature stays consistent and you can move the pieces around (using a slotted spoon or a spider) so that they cook quickly and evenly. Cook until coating is golden and the center of a boneless wing reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Toss the cooked chicken into the oven to keep it warm while you fry the rest.
9. Toss the chicken with wing sauce and serve with all the fixings
Transfer all of the chicken to a large bowl and pour the wing sauce mixture over. Gently turn the chicken pieces with tongs until they're coated and glossy. Then serve right away with that delicious blue cheese sauce and some crisp celery sticks and bask in the knowledge that everything on that plate is getting eaten, no bones about it.
Now that you've mastered how to make boneless wings, why not take those Buffalo flavors into popcorn territory, too?
