How to Parboil Chicken Wings

Have you ever learned how to parboil chicken wings? The results are extra crispy chicken wings that are even tastier than regular chicken wings!

The process of parboiling chicken wings is super simple and allows your wings to cook faster, regardless of whether or not you grill, bake, or fry them.

What is Parboiling?

The process of parboiling involves gently, partially cooking a food so that when you come to cook it completely, the time it takes is drastically reduced.

You are probably already familiar with rice, which cooks much more quickly than regular rice when parboiled first, or even vegetables like parboiled sweet potatoes, green beans, broccoli, potatoes, carrots, or even mixed vegetables.

It is also common to parboil Brussels sprouts, green beans, or even peppers.

More common than you may think, many people also opt to parboil meats such as chicken, ribs, brats or sausage.

You can then cook to taste by grilling, roasting, or frying the meat without losing any of the juiciness.

Why Parboil Chicken Wings?

There are a couple of reasons why parboiling wings makes sense — and once you've tried it you'll wonder why you've never done it before!

The first is that parboiling chicken cuts down on your actual cooking time. If you're planning on serving wings for dinner, you can parboil them up to 24 hours before.

Then all you'll need to do just before dinner time is pop them in the oven to finish cooking them and crisp them up.

But the really great thing about parboiling chicken wings is the effect it has on the skin!

Parboiling renders down some of the excess fat, so that when you drain the wings, you are left with a nice thin layer.

When you place the wings in the oven to finish cooking them, this thin layer of fat will crisp up beautifully, with no soggy bits!

How Long to Parboil Chicken Wings

Wings tend to be fairly uniform in size and take just 15 to 20 minutes to parboil.

Once you finally get to the stage of baking them in the oven at dinner time, they should only take about 30 minutes to reach cooked, crispy perfection!

That's a real bonus on a busy weeknight.

How to Parboil Chicken Wings: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to effectively parboil your wings!

First, add your chicken wings (drumsticks and/or flats according to preference) to a heavy bottom pot.

Note: If you're preparing a large number of wings, multiple batches may work best. Alternatively, use something like a stockpot, which is nice and deep.

Next, add a large pinch of kosher salt, 3 bay leaves, and around 1 tablespoon of peppercorns. This is optional and flexible based on the flavor profile you ultimately want! You could also try paprika or other seasoning.

The exact amount of peppercorns you use will vary according to the number of wings you are cooking, and your preference.

Cover the wings completely with water or, for extra flavor, try using apple cider or chicken stock. It should look something like this.

We know — it might feel weird to be boiling meat. But stick with us!

Heat over medium-high heat until the water comes to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Some people prefer to just boil on high for 7-8 minutes or so, but we find that giving it a little extra time at a lower temperature is preferable.

Carefully remove the chicken wings and pat dry once they are cool, then prepare as desired. Or store them in the fridge for up to a day!

After parboiling, you can still marinate, cover in dry rub, or follow whatever process you normally would! The point is just to give you the opportunity to do some of the cooking in advance and to give you a crispier skin in the end.

How to Use Parboiled Chicken Wings: Recipe Ideas

The possibilities for how to use parboiled chicken wings are endless. Here are a few ideas:

• Parboil chicken wings before deep frying — they will be crispy and delicious!
• Parboil chicken wings before grilling for nice, even cooking.
• Parboil chicken wings before roasting or making dishes like these BBQ Chicken Wings or Bloody Mary Chicken Wings.
• Parboil chicken wings before smoking them to reduce your overall cooking time.