February in the Kitchen – Best Ever Crisp Chicken Wings

I’ll start out by admitting I did not invent this trick for baking chicken wings that taste as if they were deep fried. I read about it on two other blogs and they got it from Cook’s Illustrated. But, they don’t have my amazing recipe for Teriyaki Sauce.

Let’s start with the wings…what’s the trick, (actually there are two tricks)? Baking Powder, yes, baking powder is trick one. Coating the wings in a thin layer of baking powder draws moisture to the surface so it can evaporate. Trick two (where is Dr. Seuss?) is baking first at a low temperature to melt the fat under the skin, then increasing the heat to brown and crisp the wings.

Best Ever Crisp Chicken Wings

4 pounds of chicken wings, cut into wingettes and drumsticks
2 tablespoons of baking powder (you may need a bit more)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
Olive oil spray

Best baked chicken wings

Pat the wings very dry on paper towels (leave them uncovered in the fridge for a few hours if you have the time)
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and place racks in the lower third and upper third of your oven.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place racks on the foil to keep the chicken above the fat which drips into the pan. I used cake cooking racks. Spray the racks with cooking oil to make clean up easier.
Place the baking powder in a large plastic bag; add the chicken wings a few at a time and shake the bag to coat them. You will need to do this in batches.
Once lightly coated with baking powder, place them on the racks in one layer. They will shrink slightly so it’s ok to put them close together.
Bake in the lower third of the oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, move the wings to the upper third of your oven and increase the heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Bake at the higher temperature for 40 to 50 minutes. Ovens vary a lot so check them at 40. If your oven has “hot spots” rotate the tray half way through.
Remove the tray and let the wings cool for 5 minutes before coating with your favorite sauce.

Chicken wings with Teriyaki Sauce

I tossed them with my favorite very best teriyaki sauce which I make in large batches (we really like it and I find lots of uses). It’s great on plain rice as well. Look for that recipe in the next post and here.

I think I’m going to take these to Fiesta Friday #55 at Angie’s The Novice Gardener. Come take a look at the wonderful food that is being served at the party.