Wings are a great party food. Whether you are watching some football or having friends over for a game night, wings are easy and just about universally loved. These boneless wings are not only simple to make, but can be dressed in an endless amount of sauces that will make everyone happy!
Today, I am making garlic parmesan boneless wings (a mild favorite loved by many), honey barbecue boneless wings (super saucy with just a hint of heat), sticky hoisin boneless wings (an asian style sauce bursting with flavors) and a few naked wings (because my husband loves good old plain wings).
Using boneless skinless chicken breasts and a shallow pan fry, these boneless wings are cheap to make a bunch of, they have a super crispy exterior, but are juicy inside and they are delicious in any sauce you decide to toss them in.
Let’s get them started…
You will get 12-15 boneless wings out of every large boneless skinless chicken breast that you cube up. This recipe will give you enough egg dip and seasoned coating mixture to use with 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts or 48-60 boneless wings.
To get started, you will need to cut your chicken breasts into large cubes (whatever size you would like your boneless wings to be in) and place the cubes into a bowl. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and a pinch of salt and pepper.
In a separate bowl, whisk 2 large eggs and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional).
It is really easily to get messy whenever you are working with breading and I also don’t love washing my hands fifty times in a ten minutes period, so I love to use tools as much as possible. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the seasoned chicken cubes into the egg and then into the flour and cornstarch mixture.
Once the chicken is in the flour and cornstarch, use a fork to toss it around and ensure that it is well coated. I like to press the coating into the chicken to make sure that it grabs a good amount of that seasoned coating mixture. Once the chicken is well coated, use the fork to pick the coated chicken up and transfer it onto a parchment line plate or sheet pan.
Repeat this process with about 15 pieces of chicken (this will be your first batch).
Place enough vegetable oil into a wide skillet to cover the base of the skillet with about 3/4 of an inch of oil. Place the skillet over medium heat.
Once the oil is warm, transfer your coated pieces of chicken into the oil and cook them on the first side for 3-4 minutes or until they are golden and crispy. Flip each piece and cook until both sides are golden and crispy (another 2-3 minutes).
While your first batch is pan frying, get the second batch coated and ready to go.
Once the first batch is cooked, you can either transfer them onto a paper towel lined plate or you can place them onto a rack lined baking sheet in a 200 degree oven to stay warm while you cook the other boneless wings. I usually don’t use the oven method, because the wings will warm right back up when you toss them in the hot sauce, but if you are planning on serving them plain or using a room temperature sauce, then you will probably want to keep them warm in the oven while you cook up the other batches of wings.
Now that your wings are done, let’s talk about sauce options. If you want something quick or have a favorite sauce at the grocery store, toss your wings in that and you are good to go! There are some really good store bought sauces out there, but if you want to make your own, here are 3 of my favorites…
*Note: Each sauce recipe makes enough sauce for about 12-15 wings. Triple the amount if you want to use one of the sauces on all of your boneless wings.
Garlic Parmesan – a real classic. Simply melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat and add 3 gloves of finely mince garlic, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Cook the butter sauce, stirring consistently for about 60 seconds. Toss the wings in the garlic butter for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of grated parmesan over the wings and toss until they are all coated.
Honey Barbecue – a crowd favorite with just a kick of sweet heat (if you so choose). Add 2/3 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, 1/4 cup of honey and a pinch of cayenne pepper into a skillet over medium heat. Feel free to add more or less cayenne to control the amount of heat in your honey barbecue sauce. Once the sauce is just starting to bubble, add the wings and toss them in the bubbling honey barbecue sauce for about 30 seconds.
Sticky Hoisin – an asian style sauce that is super sticky and totally packed with flavors of hoisin (a bolder version of American barbecue sauce), ginger, soy and fresh lime juice. Its a little sweet and a little tangy and definitely delicious. Combine 1/2 cup of hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of ginger (paste or finely minced), 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt and 2 teaspoons of freshly squeeze lime juice in a skillet over medium heat. Once the sauce begins to bubble, add your wings and toss them in the sauce for about 60 seconds. Once the sauce thickens and becomes sticky, garnish the wings with white sesame seeds and some thinly sliced green onions.
Toss your deliciously coated, crispy boneless wings on a big plate with some buttermilk ranch (or blue cheese, if thats your thing), some celery or carrot sticks and any leftover lemon or lime wedges and get ready to party!
Boneless Wings
Ingredients
Boneless Wings
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan, grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Honey Barbecue Sauce
- 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Sticky Hoisin Sauce
- 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- white sesame seeds (optional garnish)
- green onion, thinly sliced (optional garnish)
Garnishes
- buttermilk ranch or blue cheese
- celery or carrot sticks
Instructions
- Cube 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts and place them into a bowl
- Season with chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and a pinch of salt and black pepper
- In a small bowl, whisk 2 eggs and a pinch of salt and black pepper
- In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of cornstarch, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (this is optional)
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add about 3/4 of an inch of vegetable oil into the skillet
- While the vegetable oil is heating, working with one piece at a time, dip a seasoned chicken cube into the eggs and then into the flour and cornstarch mixture
- Press the flour and cornstarch again the chicken to help it adhere and then allow any excess to fall off
- Repeat this process with about 15 chicken cubes and then transfer them into the oil
- Cook on the first side for 3-4 minutes or until the bottom is golden and crisp
- Flip each piece over and cook until both sides are golden and crispy
- Transfer the crispy boneless wings onto a paper towel lined plate or onto a rack lined sheet pan in a 200 degree oven to stay warm
- Repeat this process until all of the wings are cooked
- Toss your wings in the sauce of your choice (further instructions above)
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat on a sheet pan in a 400 degree oven until heated through and crisp
