Pan-Roasted Hot Wings

This recipe combines

Hot Wing Sauce Beurre Monté

Buffalo-style chicken wings, roasted rather than fried, then tossed in a glossy buffalo sauce built in the same pan. Roasting takes longer than frying, but the meat turns more tender and the pan gives you something a fryer never does: rendered chicken fat and browned bits to build the sauce on. That sauce is really a beurre monté in American clothes — Frank's RedHot loosened and made glossy with cold butter whisked in off the heat — so it's included here start to finish. The standalone hot wing sauce and beurre monté also stand on their own.

Roasted, not fried — the rendered fat and browned bits in the pan make the sauce taste deeper.

Makes 12 wings

Ingredients

• 12 chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes if needed
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup Frank's RedHot sauce, plus more to taste
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Optional spice rub

• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne

Roasting & Baking

Roasted Chicken Thighs Pan-Roasted Teriyaki Wings Roasted Pork Tenderloin Roasted Potatoes Roasted Ratatouille Cauliflower Gratin Potatoes au Gratin Baked Potatoes Twice-Baked Potatoes Mac and Cheese Croque Monsieur Lasagna Spaghetti and Meatballs

Frying in the Oven→

Method

Brown the wings

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pat the wings very dry and season with salt and pepper. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, add the wings in a single layer, and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned all over and some fat has rendered into the pan, about 3–5 minutes — they don't need to be fully cooked yet.

Roast

If using the spice rub, mix the spices and sprinkle over the wings. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the wings are cooked through, browned, and sizzling in their rendered fat, about 20–25 minutes.

Make the sauce and toss

Move the wings to a bowl, leaving the fat and browned bits in the skillet; if there's more than about 2 tablespoons of fat, spoon off the excess. Set the skillet over low heat and add the Frank's RedHot, scraping up the browned bits, then remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter a piece at a time until glossy and emulsified — this is the beurre-monté move. Taste and add more hot sauce if you want it sharper, then return the wings to the pan, toss until evenly coated, and serve immediately.