Cowboy Butter Chicken Wings Recipe

A dozen crispy grilled chicken wings on a plate, dripping with cowboy butter

5 from 1 rating

These crispy Cowboy Butter Chicken Wings are baked until golden and crunchy, then tossed with rich garlic butter loaded with herbs, lemon, and spicy chili flakes. They're buttery, garlicky, a little tangy, and perfectly spicy - an irresistible upgrade for classic chicken wings.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked chicken wings, cowboy butter chicken wings, cowboy butter sauce, cowboy butter wings, grilled chicken wings

Servings:

Calories: 292kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

For the Wings

2 pounds chicken wings split and tips removed
1 tablespoon baking powder aluminum-free
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper

Cowboy Butter Sauce

1 stick unsalted butter 8 tablespoons, softened
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard
Juice from ½ lemon + lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon paprika smoked or hot paprika are excellent
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or use hot sauce, or both
Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional for garnish

Extra parsley, Extra chili flakes, Lemon wedges

Instructions

Prep the Wings. Pat the chicken wings very dry with paper towels. This helps them crisp up in the oven.
Place the wings in a large bowl and toss with baking powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper. Mix until evenly coated.
Bake the Wings. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and lightly oil it. Arrange the wings on the rack in a single layer.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the wings are golden brown and crispy.
Make the Cowboy Butter. While the wings cook, prepare the sauce.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter gently.
Stir in minced garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and zest, parsley, chives, thyme, paprika, cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes
Warm the mixture just until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Do not boil.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Transfer the hot crispy wings to a large bowl.
Pour the warm cowboy butter over the wings and toss until well coated.
Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with chopped parsley, extra chili flakes, lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

Notes

For Grilled Cowboy Butter Chicken Wings

To grill instead of bake, cook the wings over medium-high heat (around 400°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so, until cooked through and nicely charred. Toss in the cowboy butter sauce immediately off the grill.

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