The Best Copycat Buffalo Wild Wings Boneless Wings Recipe

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Buffalo Wild Wings boneless wings have earned a near-cult following for a simple reason: they deliver a satisfying crunch, juicy white-meat chicken, and that unmistakable saucy heat all in one bite. Whether you go classic Buffalo, honey BBQ, or the incendiary Blazin’, the format never changes — crispy breaded chicken pieces drenched in a glossy, buttery sauce that clings to every corner of the coating.

Making them at home costs a fraction of the restaurant tab, takes about 40 minutes start to finish, and — critically — lets you dial every variable to your preference. Sauce too mild? Add more cayenne. Want an extra-thick crust? Double-dredge. This recipe nails the texture and flavor that makes the original so addictive, and it scales effortlessly whether you’re feeding two people on a Tuesday or a full house on game day.

About Buffalo Wild Wings’s Boneless Wings

What separates a genuine BWW-style boneless wing from a generic chicken nugget is the breading approach and the sauce-to-crust ratio. The coating is relatively thin and shatteringly crispy — not bready or cakey — which means it holds up under a generous pour of sauce without turning to mush in under a minute. That texture comes from a combination of seasoned flour and cornstarch in the dredge, plus an egg-and-milk wash that helps every layer adhere tightly to the chicken.

The chicken itself is cut from breast meat into roughly 1.5-inch irregular chunks, not uniform nugget shapes, which gives you those jagged edges that trap sauce and add extra crunch when fried. Frying temperature is the other critical variable: oil held at 350–365°F produces a crust that cooks golden before the exterior has a chance to absorb grease. Too cool and you get soft, oily wings. Too hot and the outside browns before the inside is cooked through. A thermometer is not optional here — it’s the difference between restaurant-quality results and a disappointing batch.

How Much Does It Cost to Make Buffalo Wild Wings’s Boneless Wings at Home?

A full batch makes 4 servings (about 20 wings) for about $11.91 in ingredients — roughly $2.98 per serving. Ordering the equivalent at Buffalo Wild Wings runs around $19.99, so making it yourself saves about $8.08 (40%). Those numbers come from current US average grocery prices (US BLS Average Price Data, May 2026), not estimates — the per-ingredient breakdown is in the table above. The savings are this large because you’re buying staple ingredients in bulk instead of paying for a prepared, served dish, and a single batch stretches across many servings.

Why Make It at Home?

A 20-piece boneless wing order at Buffalo Wild Wings runs close to $20 before tax, tip, and the inevitable basket of overpriced celery. The same quantity at home costs roughly $7–9 in ingredients — the chicken and frying oil are the only real expenditures. Beyond the savings, you get to choose your sauce with no upcharge, control the heat level precisely, and serve them the moment they come out of the oil, which is when they are at their absolute best. Restaurants hold batches under heat lamps; you won’t have to.

Ingredients for Copycat Buffalo Wild Wings Boneless Wings

Here’s the full ingredients list you’ll need to make Buffalo Wild Wings Boneless Wings at home:

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
• 0.25 cup cornstarch
• 2 each large eggs
• 0.5 cup whole milk
• 4 cup vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 0.5 cup Frank’s RedHot sauce
• 1.5 tsp garlic powder, divided
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp kosher salt and black pepper, to season

A few ingredient notes:

• Use chicken breast, not tenders. Tenders are fine in a pinch, but breast meat cut by hand gives you the irregular shape that traps more sauce and mimics the original more closely. Aim for pieces around 1.5 inches — too small and they overcook before the crust colors; too large and you risk raw centers.
• Frank’s RedHot Original is the base for the classic Buffalo sauce and is not interchangeable with Tabasco or generic hot sauces. It has a distinct vinegar-forward tang and medium heat that defines the flavor. For milder batches, reduce the hot sauce and increase butter. For a hotter version, swap a tablespoon of Frank’s for a habanero-based sauce.
• Cornstarch in the flour dredge is the structural trick behind a crispy, stay-crunchy coating. It inhibits gluten development (which would make the crust chewy) and promotes a lighter, more shattering texture. A 6:1 ratio of flour to cornstarch — about 1.5 cups flour to 1/4 cup cornstarch — hits the right balance without making the coating taste starchy.

How to Make Buffalo Wild Wings Boneless Wings at Home

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 20 min · Makes: 4 servings (about 20 wings)

1. 1. Cut the chicken breasts into 1.5-inch irregular chunks, mimicking the uneven shape of the original. Pat completely dry with paper towels — moisture is the enemy of a crispy crust. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
2. 2. In a wide shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until evenly combined.
3. 3. In a second shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together until smooth. This is your wash.
4. 4. Working in batches, dredge each chicken piece in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, dip into the egg wash letting the excess drip off, then dredge again in the flour. Press lightly so the second coat adheres. Set on a wire rack and let rest 5 minutes — this helps the coating bond before frying.
5. 5. Pour oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to a depth of at least 3 inches. Heat over medium-high to 360°F, verified with a thermometer. Maintain this temperature throughout frying.
6. 6. Fry the chicken in uncrowded batches of 5–6 pieces for 5–7 minutes, turning once halfway through, until deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a clean wire rack over a sheet pan. Never stack the pieces — that traps steam and softens the crust.
7. 7. While the last batch fries, make the Buffalo sauce: melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, whisk in the Frank’s RedHot and remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and keep warm. Do not boil — you want a smooth, emulsified sauce, not a broken one.
8. 8. Toss the fried chicken pieces in the sauce immediately before serving — add them to a large bowl, pour the sauce over, and fold gently until evenly coated. Serve within 2–3 minutes for maximum crunch.

Tips for the Best Results

• Rest the dredged chicken on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before frying. This short rest lets the coating hydrate slightly and stick, drastically reducing the chance of crust falling off in the oil.
• Keep a close eye on oil temperature between batches. Adding cold chicken drops the temp by 10–20 degrees. Allow the oil to return to 360°F before starting the next batch, or the crust will absorb oil instead of crisping.
• Toss in sauce only the amount you plan to serve immediately. If you’re feeding people in waves, hold unsauced wings on a rack in a 200°F oven. Sauced wings do not reheat well — they go soggy fast.
• For an extra-thick crust similar to BWW’s crunchiest batches, do a triple dredge: flour, egg wash, flour again, egg wash again, then a final flour coat. It adds texture and holds up better under heavier sauces like garlic parmesan or honey BBQ.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Crowding the pot. Adding too many pieces at once drops oil temperature sharply and causes the chicken to steam rather than fry. This produces a pale, greasy crust that won’t crisp even if you rescue the temperature — that batch is already compromised.
• Skipping the pat-dry step. Wet chicken creates steam between the meat and the coating, preventing adhesion. Even a 30-second pat with paper towels makes a measurable difference in how well the crust sticks and crisps.
• Saucing too far in advance. The crust is at peak crispness for roughly 3 minutes out of the fryer. Saucing a batch and then letting it sit while you finish frying guarantees a soggy result. Sequence frying so the final batch goes in the sauce right before serving.
• Using cold butter straight from the fridge in the sauce. Cold butter doesn’t emulsify cleanly with hot sauce and can separate into greasy pools. Melt it fully at low heat before whisking in the hot sauce for a glossy, cohesive coating.

Variations to Try

• Honey BBQ: Replace the hot sauce and butter with 1/2 cup of your favorite smoky BBQ sauce warmed with 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of butter. Toss the fried wings and serve with extra sauce on the side.
• Mango Habanero: Blend 1/2 cup mango preserves or nectar with 2 tablespoons Frank’s RedHot, 1 tablespoon habanero hot sauce, and 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth and glossy. Adjust heat level by varying the habanero amount.
• Air Fryer Version: Skip the oil and fry at 400°F for 14–16 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point. Spray the dredged pieces generously with cooking spray before air frying. The crust won’t be quite as shatteringly crisp as deep-fried, but the inside stays very juicy and cleanup is minimal.

Storage & Reheating

Store leftover unsauced wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, arrange on a wire rack set over a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 10–12 minutes — this draws out residual moisture and crisps the exterior back up significantly better than a microwave, which turns the coating rubbery. Sauced wings do not reheat as well; the sauce softens the breading during storage, so reheat them the same way but expect a chewier texture. Freeze unsauced cooked wings on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a zip bag for up to 2 months; reheat from frozen at 400°F for 15–18 minutes.

What to Serve It With

Serve with classic accompaniments: crisp celery sticks and carrot sticks alongside a small bowl of blue cheese or ranch dipping sauce. For a more complete spread, add a batch of seasoned fries or onion rings on the side. These wings also work well stuffed into a hoagie roll with shredded lettuce and a drizzle of ranch for a Buffalo chicken sandwich, or chopped and layered over nachos with cheddar and pickled jalapeños.

The Bottom Line

Buffalo Wild Wings’s Boneless Wings is one of those dishes that feels like it should be hard to make and expensive to buy — but at home it’s neither. For about $11.91 in everyday ingredients you get 4 servings (about 20 wings), fresh and warm, for roughly 40% less than ordering out. Make it once and it’ll join the short list of recipes you reach for without thinking. Bookmark this one, grab the ingredients, and keep an eye on CopyKitchen for more copycat favorites with the real cost to make them at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Buffalo Wild Wings boneless wings made from real chicken?

Yes, BWW boneless wings are made from whole white-meat chicken breast, not formed or processed chicken. They are cut into chunks, breaded, and fried — which is why they are technically closer to a chicken nugget in preparation than to an actual wing. The ‘boneless wing’ label is a marketing convention the chain popularized, not a anatomical description.

What is the best sauce to start with if I want to replicate the classic BWW experience?

Medium Buffalo is the most iconic starting point — it’s the one most people picture when they think of the chain. It’s made with Frank’s RedHot, butter, and a touch of garlic, which is exactly what this recipe uses. Once you’re comfortable with the base, branching into Honey BBQ or Parmesan Garlic is straightforward since the fried chicken itself stays the same.

Can I bake these instead of frying them?

You can, but the result will differ noticeably. Baking at 425°F on a wire rack for 20–25 minutes produces a firmer, drier crust rather than a shatteringly crispy one. If you bake, brushing the dredged pieces lightly with oil before they go in the oven helps considerably. The air fryer is a better compromise between the convenience of baking and the texture of frying.

How do I keep the crust from falling off in the oil?

Two things matter most: make sure the chicken is completely dry before dredging, and let the dredged pieces rest on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before they go into the oil. That rest period allows the coating to hydrate slightly and adhere more firmly to the surface. Gently lowering pieces into the oil rather than dropping them also helps prevent impact from dislodging the crust.

What oil is best for frying boneless wings?

Any neutral oil with a smoke point above 400°F works well: vegetable oil, canola, peanut, or refined avocado oil. Peanut oil is a popular restaurant choice because it imparts a very subtle richness and has excellent high-heat stability, but vegetable or canola oil produces results that are nearly indistinguishable and cost less. Avoid olive oil or unrefined oils — their low smoke points create off flavors and excessive smoking.

How many boneless wings should I plan per person?

For an appetizer or snack alongside other food, 5–6 pieces per person is a reasonable estimate. As a standalone meal with sides, plan for 8–10 pieces per person. This recipe yields approximately 20 pieces from 2 pounds of chicken breast, which comfortably serves 2–4 people depending on appetite and context. Doubling the recipe is straightforward — just fry in batches to avoid crowding the oil.

Cost figures use US BLS Average Price Data (US city average) and are estimates for comparison; your local grocery prices and Buffalo Wild Wings’s current menu price will vary. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. CopyKitchen is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings or any brand mentioned; this is an independent, homemade copycat recipe, and all trademarks are the property of their respective owners.