Maple Brown Sugar Chicken Wings
If you’re not doing chicken wings for brunch, then you’re doing it wrong! These maple brown sugar wings are such a treat—a little sweet, a little savory, and a lot of fun.
The Starting Five
Five things to know before making this dish!
For the crispiest exterior, the chicken wings need to be dry. Don’t skip patting them dry or chilling them in the fridge.
I recommend a wide, deep skillet or even a Dutch oven for frying these to help contain the oil. Be careful, as the oil can splatter while the wings cook.
You can air fry these, too! Air fry them at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, and check to make sure they’re nice and crispy and have all reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees (if you have chunkier drumsticks, it might take longer).
The wings are double-fried, so the second fry is meant to crisp them—the first fry is meant to cook them to 165 degrees. Crisp them until they reach your desired golden brown color on the second fry.
For some balance, feel free to add a little cinnamon or even some crushed red pepper flakes!
Maple Brown Sugar Chicken Wings
Ingredients
12 chicken wings
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar
[Optional: a sprinkle of cinnamon]
Directions
1. Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour and salt, and whisk it together. Dredge the chicken wings in the flour and salt, then set them on a wire rack. Chill them in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 hour.
3. Heat 3 cups of oil in a deep pan until it reaches 310 degrees. Remove the wings from the fridge, and place them in the oil. Cook them until their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 4 minutes per side. Make sure the wings aren’t touching while they’re fried; you might have to fry them in batches.
4. Remove all of the wings from the pan, then turn the heat up until the oil heats to 360 degrees. Then, add the wings back into the pan (you can add them all at once this time because this is only to get them golden brown). Remove them from the pan once they reach a golden brown color, about 2-3 minutes.
5. While the wings rest, add the butter and syrup to a bowl, and melt it together. Toss the butter and syrup with the wings, then sprinkle the brown sugar over top. Optional: add a dash of cinnamon, too.
6. Plate the wings, add a little more butter and syrup, then season them with a little more salt to build on that sweet and savory balance.
