Learn how to parboil chicken wings, it’s easy, and it cuts down cooking time. Bake, grill, or deep-fry the wings after parboiling to make them crispy and delicious.
Do you want to cook some chicken wings for dinner or at the weekend? Learn how to parboil chicken wings; it makes the whole process so much faster. And if you like chicken, check out our Baked Cajun Chicken Wings, Honey Lemon Pepper Wings, or the Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings.
What is parboiling?
A method of partially cooking food in boiling water, food you intend to finish cooking using another method.
Why should you parboil chicken wings?
- Time: It cuts down on actual cooking time. Usually, wings need about 40 minutes in the oven; when parboiled, you only need to bake them for half that time.
- Grill: This method is perfect for grilling wings. We have a relatively small grill, and we don’t want to have it occupied with just the wings for too long. Parboiling makes them cook faster.
- Meal prep: You can start cooking the chicken a day ahead or in the morning and quickly finish it before serving.
- Healthier: The process removes some of the fat in the skin.
- Crispier: The removal of excess fat makes the pieces crispier as well.
Only three ingredients
- Chicken wings:
- They can be whole or separated into drumettes and wingettes.
- You can parboil as many as you like but ensure that the pot you are using is large enough. If you have lots of pieces, cook them in batches.
- Salt or stock cube:
- Coarse sea salt. Fine sea salt, Kosher or table salt is fine as well, use less.
- To add more flavor, use a chicken stock cube, stock powder, or paste instead of salt.
- Pepper:
- About 5 black peppercorns or ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
Step-by-step instructions
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
- Add salt or stock cube and stir shortly to help them dissolve. Add pepper.
- Add the meat carefully (1).
- Cook for 8 minutes or 10 minutes if your wings are left whole (2).
- Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper.
- Dry well before rubbing with spices and finishing cooking the wings.
Expert tip
Ensure that the parboiled chicken wings are completely dry before rubbing with spices. Place them on kitchen towels and let them dry at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or pat them dry individually.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate them in an airtight container as soon as they are cool.
15-20 minutes on medium heat or until slightly charred and crispy. Flip regularly. Make sure that they are cooked through.
20-30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit/ 230 degrees Celsius or until cooked through and crispy. Check with a meat thermometer. Cook them on a lined baking sheet fitted with a wire rack.
10-15 minutes. Deep-fry them in a large pan, in batches. Fill vegetable oil in the pan, about 3 inches/ 7 cm deep. Heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit/ 180 degrees Celsius. Dry the pieces thoroughly. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Place on kitchen towels to remove the excess fat.
Yes. You can toss them with sauce and continue baking or grilling them for another 5 minutes. Or you can toss them with the sauce just before serving (I do this mostly when the chicken pieces are deep-fried).
Use a meat thermometer; the internal temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit/ 74 degrees Celsius. If you don’t have a thermometer, check the flesh near the bone, it should be completely white; there is no pink allowed.
Whether or not to parboil chicken wings before grilling is a matter of personal preference. Parboiling chicken wings is a quick way to partially cook them and make them more tender. Grilling parboiled chicken wings will only take a few minutes on each side. Keep an eye on the temperature of the grill and make sure not to overcook them. Click on the link to learn How to Parboil Chicken Wings.
More chicken recipes
- Easy Chicken Pomodoro Recipe
- Easy Chicken Fajita Tacos
- Chicken Salad with Cranberries
- Thanksgiving Chicken Recipe (with Gravy)
- Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings
Check out our web story for this recipe!
How to Parboil Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Large pot
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 8 whole chicken wings or 16 split wings
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or 1/2 tablespoon fine sea salt or Kosher, Note 1
- 5 black peppercorns or ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Dissolve the salt or chicken stock cube in the boiling water, add pepper.
- Add the chicken wings carefully.
- Parboil for 8 minutes if the wings are split and for 10 minutes if they are whole. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Dry well before rubbing them with spices.
- Cook them until done; the internal temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit/ 74 degrees Celsius. You can either bake (Note 2), grill (Note 3), or deep-fry (Note 4) parboiled chicken wings.
Notes
- Alternatively, use 1 chicken stock cube (or 1 teaspoon stock powder or paste)
- Bake: 20-30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit/ 230 degrees Celsius or until cooked through and crispy. Check with a meat thermometer. Cook them on a lined baking sheet fitted with a wire rack.
- Grill: 15-20 minutes on medium heat or until slightly charred and crispy. Flip regularly. Make sure that they are cooked through.
- Deep-fry: 10-15 minutes. Fry them in a large pan, in batches. Fill vegetable oil in the pan, about 3 inches/ 7 cm deep. Heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit/ 180 degrees Celsius. Dry the chicken pieces thoroughly. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Place on kitchen towels to remove the excess fat.