10 wings with your choice of flavor — Hot, Mild, Lemon Pepper, Teriyaki, BBQ or Mango Habanero — served with fries.
Where this dish comes from
Chicken wings as a bar food were popularized at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York in 1964, where co-owner Teressa Bellissimo deep-fried leftover wings and tossed them in a cayenne-butter sauce. The format — fried wings with a dipping sauce and celery — spread nationally through the 1980s sports bar boom and is now a fixture of American bar menus. Sauce variety expanded over time to include dry rubs, honey-based glazes, and global flavors, but the core technique remains unchanged.
10 chicken wings (split into flats and drums, tips removed)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper
1 lb frozen french fries (crinkle-cut or straight-cut)
**Buffalo Sauce:**
4 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup Frank's RedHot (or similar cayenne pepper sauce)
1 tsp white vinegar
Pinch of garlic powder
**For serving:**
½ cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
4 celery stalks, cut into sticks
Instructions
1
**Dry the wings:** Pat wings completely dry with paper towels. This is the single most important step for crispy skin.
2
**Season:** In a large bowl, toss wings with baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. The baking powder raises the skin's pH and dramatically improves crispiness.
3
**Rest (optional but great):** Place seasoned wings on a wire rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 1–8 hours if time allows.
4
**Bake or air-fry wings:** *Oven method:* Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake wings on a wire rack set over a foil-lined sheet pan for 45–50 minutes, flipping once at the 25-minute mark, until deeply golden and crisp. *Air fryer method:* 400°F for 22–24 minutes, flipping halfway.
5
**Make the Buffalo sauce:** Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in hot sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder. Keep warm on low heat.
6
**Cook the fries:** Follow package directions — spread in a single layer on a sheet pan at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, flipping once, or air-fry per package instructions.
7
**Toss the wings:** As soon as wings come out of the oven or air fryer, transfer to a large bowl. Pour Buffalo sauce over and toss until fully coated.
8
**Serve:** Pile wings on a platter with fries alongside. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing and celery sticks. Eat immediately.