Brown Butter Barbecue Wings
Wing night at our house is serious, my husband usually makes 5–10 different flavors, but these brown butter barbecue wings are always in the rotation.
My husband and I actually met in college… at work (yes, I know, don’t date coworkers but it was college, so the rules felt flexible). We both worked at Jim's Wings in Fort Collins, which is still my all-time favorite wing spot.
If you’ve ever been there, you know. So when we moved away, we didn’t just miss it, we started recreating it. Now wing night is basically a weekly event, and while we won’t be sharing any trade secrets (Way Hot stays protected), we will share the flavors we’ve built ourselves.
And this one?
This one earns its spot every single time.
The Ingredients
1. Peanut oil is not optional (if you want it to taste right)
There’s a reason Chick-fil-A tastes the way it does. Peanut oil = higher smoke point + cleaner fry + crispier skin. Can you use another oil? Sure. Will it be as good? No.
2. Small wings > jumbo wings (I will die on this hill)
Somewhere along the way, restaurants started pushing jumbo wings like bigger = better. It’s not.
- Small wings = better skin-to-meat ratio
- More crisp, less rubbery bite
- No weird injected water situation
And nothing gives me the “chicken ick” faster than biting into a wing and getting that… extra liquid situation.
If you need more food, eat more wings. Or add fries.
But don’t sacrifice quality for size.
Where to buy:
Smaller wings can be harder to find, but Whole Foods Market typically has the best selection. Look for higher-quality brands like air-chilled or smaller “young chicken” wings when possible.
3. Store-bought BBQ sauce is the move here
Yes, you can make your own but you’re already frying wings and making ranch (see below), so save your effort here.
Use KC Masterpiece Original.
It gives you that slightly sweet, almost sticky, borderline “dessert wing” finish once it caramelizes with the butter.
And once you brown butter it?
You can absolutely still call this homemade.
4. Butter quality matters more than you think
If you can, use Kerrygold.
It’s richer, and the flavor payoff is worth it.
6. Homemade ranch isn’t required… but it kind of is
Not technically part of the recipe but if you’re doing this, go all in.
Mix a packet of Hidden Valley with mayo + buttermilk.
It’s what restaurants actually serve, and it takes two minutes.
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The Method
Step 1: Dry the Wings (Don’t Skip This)
- Place wings in a single layer on a wire rack over a baking sheet
- Refrigerate uncovered for 2–4 hours
- This removes moisture → which = crispier skin
Step 2: Make the Brown Butter BBQ Sauce
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter
- Whisk continuously for 4–6 minutes until:
- It foams
- Turns golden brown
- Smells nutty
- Immediately remove from heat and stir in barbecue sauce
- Return to heat for 15–30 seconds, stirring constantly until combined and slightly caramelized
- Remove from heat and set aside
Step 3: Heat the Oil
- Heat peanut oil to 375–390°F
- Use a deep fryer or heavy-bottom pan (like cast iron)
Step 4: Fry the Wings (Double Fry Method)
- Fry wings in batches for 8–10 minutes
- Remove and rest for 5 minutes
- Return to oil and fry again for 5–8 minutes, until golden and crispy
Don’t overcrowd the pan, this drops the oil temp and ruins crispiness.
Step 5: Toss & Serve
- Toss wings immediately in warm sauce
- Serve hot (this is not the time for patience)
If you’re serious about wings, a dedicated fryer is worth it. We use this commercial deep fryer and I’ll be honest—it’s a bit aggressive. Before we remodeled, I had to plug it into two separate outlets just to keep from blowing a circuit, and we eventually added a dedicated outlet in our kitchen specifically for wing nights.
That said, you absolutely do not need anything fancy to make great wings. We used a basic fryer from Walmart for years, and it worked just fine. And on nights when we don’t feel like dealing with a full fryer cleanup, we’ll just use a few inches of oil in a cast iron pan.
The only downside to the pan method is batch size—you can’t cook as many wings at once without overcrowding—but the results are still solid.
The sauce is flexible, which makes this recipe even easier to pull off.
You can make it ahead of time—just let it sit at room temperature so it’s ready when the wings come out. Or, if you prefer, make it while the wings are frying since it only takes a few minutes.
Either way, the key is making sure the wings are tossed immediately while they’re hot. That’s what helps the sauce cling and slightly caramelize into that perfect sticky coating.
Hot wings + cold sauce? Ruins the moment.
Cold wings the next day straight from the fridge though? Honestly… elite.
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Brown Butter Barbecue Wings
Equipment
- Deep Dryer
- or Cast Iron Pan
Ingredients
Wings
- 2 lbs chicken wings split, tips removed, Whole Food Pine Manor Farms Brand Preferred
- Peanut oil for frying
Brown Butter BBQ Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) Kerrygold
- 2 cups barbecue sauce KC Masterpiece
Instructions
- Dry the wingsPlace on a wire rack and refrigerate uncovered for 2–4 hours.
- Heat oilBring peanut oil to 375–390°F.
- Fry (double fry method)Fry wings 8–10 minutes. Rest 5 minutes. Fry again 5–8 minutes until crispy.
- Make sauceBrown butter over medium-low heat (4–6 min until golden + nutty). Remove from heat, stir in BBQ sauce. Return to heat 15–30 seconds, stirring.
- Toss & serveToss hot wings in warm sauce immediately and serve.
Notes
Serving Ideas
- Celery + carrots
- Fries
- Ranch or blue cheese
- Or go full wing night and make multiple sauces (highly encouraged)
welcome!
Hi, I'm Margot Searls and my hope is to turn around recipes from my table to yours. The food you put on your table can truly turn your lifestyle around for the better—hence Turned Around Table.
