Boneless wings have become a popular menu item at many restaurants and bars. Unlike traditional bone-in chicken wings, boneless wings are made from breast meat that has been cut into the shape of a wing and breaded. This leads to the common question – are boneless wings always breaded? The simple answer is yes, boneless wings are invariably breaded as part of the preparation process. The breading helps the sauced-up pieces of chicken keep their shape and provides a crispy exterior coating. However, there are some variations when it comes to the type of breading used. While some restaurants rely on a simple flour mixture, others use panko breadcrumbs or cornflake coatings to give their boneless wings extra crunch. The use of breading is essential both for achieving the expected texture and for differentiating boneless wings from chicken nuggets or tenders.
Why Use Breading?
There are a few key reasons why breading is an essential part of making boneless wings:
1. To maintain the shape
Without a breading, the boneless chicken pieces would fall apart when sauced or lack a distinct wing-like shape. The breading essentially acts as a binding agent, adhering all the irregular shaped and sized chunks of breast meat into a uniform wing form. This gives the consistency customers expect when ordering boneless wings.
2. To provide a crispy coating
The crispiness of the exterior breading is another hallmark of great boneless wings. When the breaded wings are deep fried or baked, the coating becomes wonderfully crispy and crunchy. This contrasts nicely with the juicy, saucy chicken interior. Breading helps replicate the crispy skin of traditional bone-in wings.
3. For adhering sauces and seasonings
The breading provides a rough, porous surface for the sauce and seasonings to cling to. Without a crispy coating, liquid sauces would make the chicken pieces too soggy and seasonings wouldn’t stick. The breading allows for saucing and seasoning without compromising the boneless wing’s texture.
4. To distinguish from chicken nuggets
Chicken nuggets and boneless wings do share some similarities in how they are made from chopped and formed breast meat. But the heavier breading and more irregular shape help set breaded boneless wings apart from the kid-friendly nuggets. This visual cue and textural difference is important for appealing to wing customers.
Popular Breading Styles
While all boneless wings contain some type of breading, there are a variety of breading styles used. Some of the most common options include:
Flour coating – The simplest and most minimalist breading approach is to dust the formed chicken pieces in flour, sometimes seasoned with spices. This creates a thin, light crust that still provides that critical binding and crisping effect. The flour coating tends to be less crunchy than thicker breadings.
Cornflake coating – For extra crispy and crunchy boneless wings, some restaurants use crushed cornflakes as their breading. The cornflake crumbs create an incredibly crispy coating with a slightly sweet flavor. This also adheres well to typical Buffalo wing sauce.
Panko breading – Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs make for a popular boneless wing breading. Their flaky, coarse texture results in an extra crunchy exterior. Panko breading can better withstand sauce absorption without getting soggy.
Breadcrumb mixtures – Some chefs combine panko crumbs with flour or other seasonings to create their own signature blend. The mixtures allow for modifying the crispiness and flavor. A blend of panko and flour gives the adhesion properties of flour with the added crunch of coarse crumbs.
Batter coatings – Less common than dry breading, some restaurants bread their boneless wings by dipping them in a wet wheat-based batter before frying. This creates a crispy outer shell that seals in the chicken juice. The wings may then be tossed in sauce.
Frying vs. Baking Breaded Wings
Most restaurants choose to fry their breaded boneless wings to achieve that signature crunch. However, for a healthier option, they can also be baked with decent results. Baking requires higher heat and more time in the oven to fully crisp up the breading. An additional misting or brushing of oil partway through baking can help promote browning and prevent drying out. Even when baked, the breading will still provide essential structure, sauce adhesion and added texture.
Other Factors in Preparation
Beyond the breading itself, there are some other important steps in preparing high-quality boneless wings:
– Cutting the chicken – The chicken breast must be carefully cut into pieces that approximate actual wing shapes and sizes. Uniformity in shape promotes even cooking.
– Seasoning – The chicken is usually seasoned before the breading, both for flavor and helping the breading stick. Common seasonings include salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika.
– Binding prep – For flour coatings, a milk or egg wash helps the flour adhere and create a thicker bound crust. Allowing time for the breading to adhere also improves binding.
– Frying time and temp – Getting the right fried texture requires maintaining oil temperature around 350-375°F and frying for 4-6 minutes depending on thickness.
– Sauce tossing – Tossing or gently rolling the breaded wings in sauce helps provide great coverage while minimizing sogginess
Popular Sauces and Flavors
While the breading provides the structure and texture, it is the sauces and seasonings that give boneless wings their signature flavors. Some all-time favorites include:
– Buffalo – The classic buffalo wing sauce made with hot sauce and butter will always be a top choice for boneless wings. The vinegar tang pairs nicely with the rich breading.
– BBQ – Sweet and tangy barbecue sauce has become another boneless wing staple. The thicker consistency adheres nicely to the breading.
– Garlic Parmesan – This popular blend combines rich butter and parmesan with garlic and herb flavors. It strikes an addictive balance between savory and salty.
– Asian – Asian-inspired boneless wings use ginger, sesame and soy to create a flavorful and sticky glaze or thick sauce.
– Mango Habanero – Fruity mango balances the intense heat of habanero peppers in this crowd-pleasing combination. The sauce has nice cling for the breading.
– Caribbean Jerk – Spicy and flavor-packed jerk seasoning really livens up breaded boneless wings, especially when paired with a cooling ranch dip.
Serving Suggestions
To take boneless wings to the next level, restaurants can also consider creative serving suggestions like:
– Cool dipping sauces – Offer ranch, blue cheese, herby mayo, etc on the side for dipping.
– Veggie sides – Pair with crisp fresh veggie sticks like carrots, celery, jicama for balance.
– Creative garnishes – Garnish boneless wings with sesame seeds, chopped scallions, diced pickles, or crispy fried onions.
– Flavored drizzles – Drizzle wings with flavored oils, honey, sriracha mayo or other embellishments.
– Creative plates – Serve boneless wings in baskets, buckets, or arranged creatively for table presentation.
Conclusion
In the world of wings, going boneless inevitably means going breaded. The breading is essential for giving boneless wings their characteristic crispy texture and absorbency for sauces and seasonings. While frying remains the most popular cooking method, the wings can also achieve decent crispness via baking. Restaurants have plenty of options when it comes to the exact style and flavor of breading, seasonings and sauce. This versatility combined with the fun, finger-licking eating experience help explain why breaded boneless wings have become a menu staple. As long as the expectations are set accurately, boneless wing fans will continue to enjoy these saucy, crispy creations regardless of the lack of bones.