This recipe for Butter Chicken Hot Wings with Yogurt Raita combines two crowd favorites: Indian food and classic hot wings! The wing sauce is inspired by Butter Chicken (or murgh makhani), which is a classic Indian dish that consists of marinated and seared chicken that is served in a heavily spiced (and seriously delicious!) tomato and cream sauce that's finished with a generous amount of butter. A few small tweaks give us the perfect blend of classic spicy Indian flavors and crispy, buttery, hot wing perfection!
The other part of this recipe is the Yogurt Raita, which I decided to use as the dipping sauce of choice instead of blue cheese or ranch dressing. Raita is a classic yogurt-based condiment that is typically served along with spicy Indian dishes. It's full of fresh herbs and bright flavors, and it's the perfect way to cool things down a bit!
Craving the more traditional version? I've got you covered with my Easy Butter Chicken with Chicken Thighs. You'll get big, bold restaurant-style flavors in under an hour!
These wings are perfect to serve at your next party or gathering, too! For a more classic wing experience, check out my recipe for Carolina Red Sauce Hot Wings or my recipe for Dry Rubbed Hot Wings! These are both delicious, and you won't want to miss either of them.
Looking for more Indian-fusion recipes? Check out my Curry Chicken Salad with Rotisserie Chicken next!
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Ingredients
There are three main components to this recipe: the chicken wings, the butter chicken wing sauce, and the yogurt raita dipping sauce. There are a few specialized ingredients in the wing sauce that I recommend using, but I have provided substitutions that are readily available.
Chicken Wings
The chicken wings are fairly straightforward: good-quality chicken wings and some kosher salt. I like to salt my chicken wings and let them rest uncovered overnight in the fridge. This helps to dry them out, which gives them a really crispy texture. The overnight rest isn't necessary, but be sure to let them rest for at least 30 minutes prior to frying or baking to allow the salt to dissolve.
- Chicken Wings - Split into flats and drums
- Kosher Salt
- Optin
Butter Chicken Wing Sauce
The butter chicken wing sauce takes the tangy heat of a classic buffalo wing sauce and combines it with the heavily spiced creaminess of butter chicken. This creates a seriously unique and delicious yet familiar wing sauce that's to die for!
- Unsalted Butter
- Garam Masala
- Kashmiri Chili Powder (Plain chili powder works as a substitute)
- Granulated Garlic
- Ground Cumin
- Ground Ginger
- Paprika
- Cayenne
- Kosher Salt
- Tomato Paste
- Heavy Cream
- Whole Milk
- White Vinegar
Yogurt Raita Dipping Sauce
As mentioned previously, this recipe uses a herbed raita as a dipping sauce instead of the traditional blue cheese or ranch dressing. Raita is a yogurt-based condiment that is very popular in Indian cuisine and has a similar flavor profile to tzatziki sauce. It's the perfect way to cool things down a touch.
- Plain Whole Milk Yogurt (Greek yogurt will work as a substitute, but I prefer the richness of plain, whole milk yogurt.)
- Fresh Parsley
- Fresh Cilantro
- Garlic
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- Garam Masala
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
Butter Chicken Hot Wing Instructions
The first step is to prepare the chicken wings, which is simply splitting the drums from the wings, then applying some kosher salt (and baking powder - optionally and only if baking), then allowing the wings to rest for 30 minutes up to overnight. While the chicken is resting, it's the perfect time to heat your frying oil (or preheat the oven) and prepare the sauces.
Butter Chicken Wing Sauce
The heart and soul of these butter chicken hot wings obviously lie in the sauce! I could almost drink this stuff with a straw; it's so good. Although the list of ingredients is fairly long, they're mostly all dried spices. This comes together in about 15 minutes as well, which is conveniently about the same amount of time it takes for your frying oil (if deep frying) to heat up.
Step 1: Melt unsalted butter over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan.
Step 2: Stir in the dried spices and allow to cook for about a minute. (The aroma from this step alone is one of the best smells ever!)
Step 3: Add the tomato paste and stir.
Step 4: Cook the tomato paste for an additional minute while constantly stirring.
Step 5: Stir in the heavy cream and whole milk and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 6: Whisk the sauce together until smooth. Turn off the heat and whisk in the vinegar. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as necessary.
Hint: You can make this sauce up to a day ahead of time if needed. Just reheat over medium-low heat for several minutes right before tossing the wings.
Yogurt Raita Dipping Sauce
The yogurt raita dipping sauce is very quick to throw together. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and keep it chilled until you're ready to serve.
Chicken Wings
Last but definitely NOT least, cook the chicken wings. Saving the wings for last ensures that everything stays crispy, which is certainly the goal here! My preferred method is to deep-fry them in a large Dutch oven.
- To prepare the chicken wings, begin by rinsing and patting them dry. Apply ¾ teaspoons of kosher salt per pound of meat, and let it rest for 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Heat 1 quart of frying oil in the cooking vessel of your choosing (large stock pot, Dutch oven, or dedicated fryer, etc.). The frying oil should not be any higher than half the side of your pot. I prefer to use peanut oil, but any high-temperature oil that is suitable for deep-frying will work fine.
- Fry the wings in batches for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Remove them from the oil and allow to drain.
- Once the wings are fried and crispy, toss in the sauce and serve immediately.
Once all of the wings are golden brown and crispy, pour the sauce over the wings, and toss to evenly coat.
Variations
There are a couple of ways that you could tweak these butter chicken hot wings to your tastes:
- Baking - Understandably, some may not want to break out all of the equipment needed to fry something. To bake these, prepare the wings as instructed, then place them on a wire rack-lined sheet tray and bake at 250°F for 30 minutes. Increase the heat to 425°F and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Optionally, add ¾ teaspoon of baking powder (NOT SODA) per pound of chicken while you are salting the wings for extra crispiness. - Keep in mind that no cooking method will completely replace the crispiness of a deep-fried wing.
- Extra-Spicy - Ramp up the heat by adding more chili powder and cayenne pepper to your taste. The recipe as written has some warmth to it, but I would not say it's overly spicy.
Storing and Reheating
Should there be any leftovers, store them in a container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating is best done in a 400°F air fryer for about 7 to 10 minutes until crispy. You can also heat these in a regular oven at 425°F for the same amount of time.
Fried things, especially hot wings, are notoriously difficult to reheat, but I have found these to be the best methods.
Top tip
If frying the wings in batches, wait until the last batch is done to toss all of the wings in the sauce at one time. Otherwise, the first batch will get soggy while the second batch is frying. Gotta keep things crispy for maximum enjoyment!
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Did you make this Butter Chicken Hot Wing recipe?
Let me know how yours turned out in the comments below, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) Hot Wings with Yogurt Raita
Equipment
- Baking Sheet w/ Wire Rack
- Large Heavy Bottom Pot, Dutch Oven, Or Fryer
- Tongs, Skimmer, or Spider For fryer
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 1 ½ Lbs. Chicken Wings Split into drums and flats
- ¾ Teaspoons Kosher Salt per Pound of Meat
- ¾ Teaspoons Baking Powder - Optional and only use if baking the wings (Do not use Baking Soda)
- 1 Quart Peanut Oil For Frying
- Minced Cilantro For Garnish
Butter Chicken Hot Wing Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 Teaspoons Garam Masala You can usually find this in the spice or the international food isle in your grocery store.
- 1 Teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder Substitute Regular Chili Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ½ Teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne
- ¾ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- ½ Cup Whole Milk
- 1 Teaspoon White Vinegar
Yogurt Raita Dipping Sauce
- ¾ Cup Full Fat Plain Yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons Parsley Finely Minced
- 2 Tablespoons Cilantro Finely Minced
- 1 Clove Garlic Grated
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice - Juice of about ¼ lemon
- ½ Teaspoon Lemon Zest
- ½ Teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ⅛ Teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
Chicken Preparation
- Begin by separating the drums from the wings, if needed. Apply ¾ teaspoons of kosher salt per pound of chicken to the wings, and toss to coat evenly. This can be done in a large bowl, or in a plastic bag. Transfer the wings to a wire rack lined baking sheet and allow to rest, uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- Optionally, if baking, apply ¾ teaspoon of baking powder (NOT soda) per pound of chicken while you are salting them. This will aid in drying out the chicken skin and give you crispier wings.
Butter Chicken Hot Wing Sauce
- Add butter to a medium saucepan and melt over medium-high heat. Once melted, stir in the spices and toast for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring to combine. Whisk in the heavy cream and milk and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the white vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed. Keep warm until ready to toss with the wings.
Yogurt Raita Dipping Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Frying Instructions
- Bring one quart of oil to 350 to 375°F in a large pot or Dutch oven medium-high heat. The oil should not come more than halfway up whatever pot you use. Once oil has reached temperature, fry the wings in batches for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Optionally, remove the wings from the oil for a minute or two, then re-fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to get them extra crispy, then allow to drain and transfer them to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining wings.
- Once all of the wings have been fried, add the warm wing sauce and toss to evenly coat. Garnish with some freshly minced cilantro and serve immediately with the yogurt raita on the side.
Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F.
- Place the prepared chicken wings on a wire rack lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
- Increase the heat to 425°F and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through, until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the wings from the oven and transfer them to a large bowl and toss in the warm wing sauce. Garnish with some freshly minced cilantro and serve immediately with the yogurt raita on the side.
Harry K says
These are not only some of the best wings I've ever had, these are one of the best things I have ever eaten. The depth of flavor in the butter sauce works so well with the raita as well. It's hits all of the same notes of traditional hot wings with an incredible Indian twist. Absolute knockout of a recipe!
Spencer Klickman says
Thanks, Harry! I appreciate the very kind words, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! It's one of my absolute favorites for sure.