Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

In Newsletter Content by Brandon St. Clair

Recipe from Phil Sheridan

Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds chicken wings, halved at joints, wingtips discarded
  • 2 Tablespoons baking powder *aluminum free
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Buffalo sauce:

  • 1/3 cup Frank’s Wings Hot Sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon water

Instructions:

 Adjust your oven rack to the upper-middle position. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

  1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack (I use a cooling rack) on top. Spray the rack with non-stick spray.
  2. Use paper towels to pat the wings dry and place them in a large bowl. It is important to dry them REALLY well!
  3. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder in a small bowl. Then sprinkle the seasoning over the wings, tossing to evenly coat.
  4. Arrange wings, skin side up, in single layer on prepared wire rack.
  5. Bake on the upper middle oven rack, turning every 20 minutes until wings are crispy and browned. The total cook time will depend on the size of the wings but may take up to 1 hour.
  6. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer wings to bowl and toss with sauce.

For Buffalo Sauce:

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat stir together all sauce ingredients. Mix well until sugar has dissolved.
  2. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before adding to wings (or prepare the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate).

For Crispy Wings, DO THIS:

  • Dry them well!  After removing your wings from the packaging, be sure to dry them REALLY well.  Use paper towels to blot away any moisture, pressing firmly on the wings.  The less moisture left in the skin, the crispier your wings will be!
  • Use Baking Powder. Baking powder will help ensure that your wings brown nicely and it also helps create that desired crispy coating.

Baking Temperature Matters!

We all want our oven baked chicken wings to taste like they were fried, right?  Or at least have that delicious crispy texture. Aside from the tricks listed above, it is also important to get the correct oven temperature.  The ideal oven temperature for crispy baked wings is 425°F.