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Sous Vide Chicken Wings — 4 Sauces, Crispy Finish

Cook wings sous vide in their sauce until tender, then blast them under the broiler for crispy skin. Includes honey garlic, aji amarillo, habanero and classic Buffalo sauces.

By The Vacuum Sealer Expert Editorial Team Updated 1 min read
Chicken wings with dipping sauces on a wooden board
Photo: Meraj Kazi / Pexels

Sous vide wings are tender all the way to the bone, and because they cook in their sauce, every bite is seasoned. The trick is the finish: dry the skin and broil hot so it crisps. This recipe gives you four sauces — make one batch or a whole party platter.

Inspired by the sous vide wings recipe on the Foodoo blog.

Recipe card

Sous Vide Chicken Wings

  • Water bath160°F (71°C)
  • Prep30 min
  • Cook4 hr 15 min
  • Serves4 servings (about 2 lb wings per sauce)

Ingredients

  • 2 lb (900 g) chicken wings (flats and drums) per sauce
  • Honey garlic sauce: 3 garlic cloves (chopped), ½ inch ginger (chopped), 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp soy sauce, salt and pepper
  • Aji amarillo sauce: 3 aji amarillo peppers (seeded) or 3–4 tbsp aji amarillo paste, ½ white onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil, salt and pepper
  • Habanero sauce: 6 habanero peppers, 3 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp oil or butter
  • Classic Buffalo sauce: 4 tbsp hot sauce (such as Frank’s), 2 tbsp butter (melted)

Method

  1. Preheat your sous vide water bath to 160°F (71°C).
  2. Make your sauce(s). For aji amarillo, sauté the peppers, onion and garlic until soft (skip this if using paste), then blend with the vinegar, oil and seasoning. For habanero, blend everything until smooth. For honey garlic and Buffalo, simply mix.
  3. Set aside 1–2 tablespoons of each sauce for tossing at the end.
  4. Arrange the wings in a single layer in vacuum bags — one sauce per bag — and add the sauce. Chill the bags for 30 minutes, then vacuum seal.
  5. Cook for 4 hours.
  6. Heat the broiler to high and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil.
  7. Remove the wings from the bags, drain and pat the skin very dry.
  8. Broil for 10–15 minutes, turning once halfway, until the skin is crisp and blistered.
  9. Toss each batch in its reserved sauce and serve.

Notes

  • Wearing gloves when handling habaneros is strongly recommended.
  • For the crispest skin, refrigerate the cooked, dried wings uncovered for an hour before broiling, or finish in an air fryer at 400°F.

Make-ahead party trick

Cook the wings up to 3 days ahead, chill the bags in ice water and refrigerate. On the day, just dry and broil — perfect for game day. Cooked, sealed wings also freeze for 2–3 months; thaw in the fridge before crisping.

New to sous vide? Read our introduction to sous vide and vacuum sealers.

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