This twice cooked chicken wing confit is incredibly easy to make in advance, which makes it great as a starter, main course or buffet dish for a party.
The chicken is marinated in a salt, lemon juice, garlic and thyme, for some true French flavours that really get into the meat.
After slow cooking in the oven the wings are grilled until crispy. All you need to do is serve them with your favourite dip.
Bon appétit!
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🤔FAQs
The verb confire means to preserve or conserve and was often used to describe the process of preserving.
Meat was preserved often by salting it overnight and then slow cooking in fat. The fat was then used as a seal for the meat in a pot to preserve the meat. This is known as a confit.
Duck confit is probably the best known confit dish, using a mixture of salt and fat to preserve the meat. Duck is extremely fatty, so when it's cooked slowly all of the fat renders away. Traditionally the duck was then placed in bowl and completely submerged in the fat.
In this way the meat would keep for several weeks in a cool place or for several months in the refrigerator. Indeed, duck confit is widely available in supermarkets in huge tins. It always made sense to have one on standby when we were travelling, to make sure that we always had a meal if we arrived when the shops were shut, as was often the case!
Of course, this way of preserving isn't required so much when we have access to a fridge, however, it's still a great cooking technique.
Cooking food slowly in its own or added fat, keeps meat and vegetables very tender and ultimately removes most of the fat before eating too, as is the case for pork confit and layered confit potatoes too.
The verb can also refer to make sweets with sugar, this is known as confiserie. Jam, or fruit conserve is known as confiture.
People often believe that duck fat is bad for you, as we are often advised to remove the fat from chicken.
Whilst it is not exactly a superfood, it does contain a good level of monunsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and also vitamins and minerals. These fats can help to lower cholesterol.
In comparison to coconut oil it is much healthier, but it still not as healthy as olive oil.
Any meat that is cooked by the confit method always comes out incredibly moist and tender, so I often cook this way.
In this recipe the chicken wings are marinated then cooked in the duck fat. The fat is all drained away and the chicken is then grilled, (broiled) or popped on the barbecue to get gorgeously crispy. Who can resist crispy chicken wings?
The chicken is tender and juicy, without being greasy. Perfect with your favourite dip or hot sauce.
Of course, there are also lots of ways to vary the flavours and make in advance, so this twice cooked chicken dish is a great recipe all year round.
❤️ Why you will love this dish
- Really easy to cook.
- Makes a great starter, main course or party dish.
- Simple to prepare in advance.
- Juicy meat with a crispy skin.
- Family and budget friendly.
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🥘 Ingredients
- Chicken - chicken wings areeasily available fresh or frozen and are economical to buy. It doesn't matter if they have been jointed.
- Duck fat - this is readily available in jars in supermarkets. However, whenever we have duck I always pour off the fat and keep in a sealed container in the fridge. It will keep for months and will also make the most delicious roast potatoes. If you choose not to use duck fat there are more ideas in the substitutes section.
- Salt - this forms part of the marinade and helps the chicken to take on the garlic and thyme flavours.
- Thyme - dried thyme for its flavour that goes perfectly with chicken and is a classic herb used in French cooking.
- Garlic - garlic cloves.
- Lemon - lemon juice.
The printable recipe card with full ingredient quantities and instructions can be found at the bottom of the article.
🍽 Equipment
- sharp knife
- chopping board
- deep roasting tin
- grill pan and rack or barbecue
- aluminium foil
- zip lock bag
🔪 Instructions
Peel the garlic and chop finely or use a garlic crusher.
Cut the wings into two pieces and discard the wing tips.
If you put them on a board it's possible to feel where the joints are and cut through.
If you have used frozen and defrosted chicken wings, they may be damp. Use some kitchen paper to pat them dry.
Put the garlic, salt, thyme and lemon juice into a resealable bag and add the chicken.
Seal the bag and massage the chicken so that it is coated with the marinade.
Leave in the fridge overnight or as long as you can.
⏲️ Baking Time
When you are ready to confit the chicken wings open the bag slightly and pour off the excess liquid.
Preheat the oven to 150 C / 300 F / 130 FAN / Gas 2.
Put the chicken in a deep roasting dish in a single layer.
Distribute the duck fat over the top and cover the dish with aluminium foil.
Cook for an hour. The chicken should be extremely tender.
Put the chicken on a rack to let any excess duck fat drain away.
💭 Top tip
- At this point the chicken is fully cooked and ready to be grilled. If you aren't ready to cook yet, let the wings cool and then store in the fridge.
Preheat the grill or broiler to medium high and grill for about 10 minutes, turning once.
The twice cooked chicken should be crisp and golden.
Serve with your favourite dips.
🥗 Side Dishes
Serve the chicken wing confit with some of these salad ideas.
- Fennel and Pear Salad with Blue Cheese
- Raw Mushroom Salad
- Edamame, Broccoli, Feta and Asparagus Salad
- Celeriac and Carrot Remoulade
- Tarragon Potato Salad
- Pomegranate and Pistachio Couscous Salad
- Tomato and Onion Salad
- Courgette Salad
- Broad Bean Salad
Or try some of these sauces and dips.
🥙 Substitutions
- Duck fat - olive oil or vegetable oil can be used.
- Dried Thyme - use dried mixed herbs or tarragon.
📖 Variations
- Spicy - before grilling, drizzle over some hot sauce or some smoked paprika or a teaspoon of chilli powder.
- Chicken - use the same technique with chicken thigh, legs or drumsticks. The cooking time will need to be increased to about 1 hour and thiry minutes.
🍣 Storage
- Refrigerator - cool, cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - place in sealed bags or containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- To reheat - reheat in the oven at 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4 for about 20 minutes.
🍱 Prepare in Advance
- Put the chicken wings in the marinade and leave for up to 24 hours before cooking.
- When the wings have cooked in the oven, cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days before grilling. Consume the same day.
- Alternatively, cook and grill the chicken, then cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Put the chicken on an oven tray and reheat in the oven at 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4 for about 20 minutes.
Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais
More French starters to try
📋 Recipe
Chicken Wing Confit
Equipment
- sharp knife
- chopping board
- deep roasting tin
- grill pan and rack or barbecue
- Aluminium foil
- zip lock bag
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken wings 22 pieces when cut
- 300 g duck fat
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ lemon juice juice of half a lemon
Instructions
- Peel the garlic and chop finely or use a garlic crusher.
- Cut the wings into two pieces and discard the wing tips.
- Put the garlic, salt, thyme and lemon juice into a resealable bag and add the chicken.
- Seal the bag and massage the chicken so that it is coated with the marinade.
- Leave in the fridge overnight or as long as you can.
- When you are ready to confit the chicken wings open the bag slightly and pour off the excess liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 150 C / 300 F / 130 FAN / Gas 2.
- Put the chicken in a deep roasting dish in a single layer.
- Distribute the duck fat over the top and cover the dish with aluminium foil.
- Cook for an hour. The chicken should be extremely tender.
- Put the chicken on a rack to let any excess duck fat drain away.
- Preheat the grill or broiler to medium high and grill for about 10 minutes, turning once. The twice cooked chicken should be crisp and golden.
Notes
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
French Appetisers
- Duck Croquettes2 Hours 20 Minutes
- Pâté Forestière15 Minutes
- Caviar Canapés7 Minutes
- Chicken Rillettes2 Hours 15 Minutes
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Do you have a question or did you make the recipe? Please leave a rating as it helps other readers to discover this dish. Your name and email are required to avoid spam comments; they are never used for any purpose or shared with third parties.
However, due to spam comments, I do have to moderate each one, so don't worry if you cannot see your comment immediately. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can.
Ieva
Confit is such an underutilised cooking method... We love confit potatoes and duck legs, but chicken was something new to us. Nonetheless, we absolutely loved the recipe - very clear instructions, lovely texture of the chicken and very simple ingredients. Thanks for the recipe - we're adding it to our confit favourites!
Michele
These wings were perfect! I followed the instructions to the tee and they came out so tender and delicious. I will definitely make these again!
Kate
They were so tender- literally falling off the bone. Delish! Thank you for the excellent recipe. Will try some more of yours soon. Cheers!
Stephanie
This chicken dish is a winner! I would not have thought adding the duck fat would make such a difference. The final result was flavorful - and looked and tasted like I actually know how to cook (thanks to the detailed instructions in this article!)
Anjali
We made this for dinner last night and the chicken turned out perfectly! It was tender and super flavorful too!
Gina Abernathy
Perfectly cooked chicken every time. Lovely taste and my guests loved this recipe.
Biana
These chicken wings look like so much fun! A great idea for a summer appetizer.
Sisley
I made these for a family garden party and they were divine. Everyone loved them.
Dannii
This chicken was perfectly cooked. 10/10 - I will definitely be making it again.
Tavo
Hey there! I just had to drop by and share my thoughts on your post about the Twice Cooked Chicken Wing Confit. Let me start by saying, wow! These wings were absolutely incredible. The way you managed to achieve that perfect balance between tender and crispy is truly impressive. The flavors were spot-on, and the seasoning added a delightful punch. I could tell that a lot of care and attention went into the cooking process, and it definitely paid off.