Peanut Butter Panko-Crusted Chicken Wings
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
The creamy texture and nutty, semi-sweet flavors of the natural peanut butter combined with the spicy, tangy and slightly acidic hot sauce is nothing short of perfection.
Ingredients
Peanut butter wing sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Olive Oil
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) Louisiana Style Hot Sauce
- 1 Medium Shallot Finely Chopped
- 1 Clove Garlic Minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp (37 ml) Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) Creamy Natural Salted Peanut Butter (My favorite is Trader Joes)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Soy Sauce
- 1-2 tsp Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
- Pinch Cayenne (or more if you like extra heat)
- Pinch salt and Pepper
Chicken wings
- A mixture of small wings and drumettes (small drum sticks). You can also just use regular size drum sticks (You will wants a few per person depending on if you are serving this as an appetizer or entrée)
- Plain Panko Breadcrumbs
- Eggs
- Peanut Oil (or Canola) (Enough to fill up a large pot half way. I use a Dutch Oven style pot.)
- Salt & Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
Peanut butter wing sauce
- In a medium pot pour in the olive oil, shallot and garlic and sauté until translucent.
- Pour in the Hot Sauce and stir until combined.
- Whisk in the brown sugar, natural peanut butter, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and cayenne.
- Cook on low heat until all the flavors come together.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Set aside and allow the flavors to meld together off the heat while you cook the chicken.
Chicken wings
- Heat the peanut oil in a deep pot until it reaches about 360F or when you drop a piece of breadcrumb in the oil it bubbles up and turns golden brown.
- While the oil is heating, beat a few eggs in a shallow dish. In a separate dish pour in your Panko, a couple dashes of cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. Mix together so the spices are evenly distributed.
- Dip the chicken wings and drumsticks into the beaten egg and then roll them in the panko crumbs so they are fully coated.
- Drop 4 to 5 pieces of chicken (if they are small) into the hot oil at a time. Allow the chicken pieces to get nice and brown and crispy in the hot oil and cook all the way through. This will take about 8-10 minutes for small wings and drumettes and 12-14 for large drums. Remove the cooked pieces of chicken from the oil with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Do not put in too many at a time or they wont get brown or cook properly. If you are making a lot of wings you can keep them warm in a 200F oven on a cookie sheet.
- Toss the wings in my peanut butter wing sauce and enjoy!!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 580
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings
- Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
- Our Favorite Chicken Tinga Recipe
- Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when the oil is hot enough to start frying?
The instructions give a simple test: drop a piece of breadcrumb into the oil — if it bubbles up and turns golden brown, the oil is ready at about 360°F. Use peanut oil or canola, filled to about halfway up a deep pot or Dutch oven.
Why is the sauce made before the wings are fried?
The sauce — built from hot sauce, dark brown sugar, peanut butter, Worcestershire, soy sauce, lime juice, and cayenne — is cooked and then set aside off the heat while the wings fry so the flavors meld together. This ensures a fully integrated sauce rather than one that tastes raw or unbalanced.
How many wings should I fry at once, and how long do they take?
Drop 4 to 5 small pieces at a time per the instructions — overcrowding lowers the oil temperature and prevents proper browning. Small wings and drumettes take 8–10 minutes; larger drumsticks take 12–14 minutes. 
Can I keep cooked wings warm while I fry the rest of the batch?
Yes — the instructions say you can keep finished wings warm in a 200°F oven on a cookie sheet while you work through larger batches.
