Spicy Baked Chicken Wings
I love spicy chicken wings! I usually season my wings with salt, pepper, and some other seasonings that I have in the pantry but this time I chose to brine them. I think I used a tad bit too much salt so I am adjusting the salt amount in the recipe. Please feel free to omit the brining solution, but I like brining. I noticed, in order to get the chicken pieces well browned, you must not overcrowd them. The parchment paper helps tremendously...I recommend it! You can turn the chicken pieces quite easily without having the skin stick to the pan. Also, you can use any hot sauce you like. Try changing the flavor by using a honey/bbq flavored sauce....really, you can actually use any sauce/flavors you want. The classic, spicy hot sauce has margarine added to it. I never use margarine...I suppose you can use butter, but I prefer to limit the calories and skip it altogether. Plus, the chicken wings are normally fried, and my version is baked.
I love spicy chicken wings! I usually season my wings with salt, pepper, and some other seasonings that I have in the pantry but this time I chose to brine them. I think I used a tad bit too much salt so I am adjusting the salt amount in the recipe. Please feel free to omit the brining solution, but I like brining. I noticed, in order to get the chicken pieces well browned, you must not overcrowd them. The parchment paper helps tremendously...I recommend it! You can turn the chicken pieces quite easily without having the skin stick to the pan. Also, you can use any hot sauce you like. Try changing the flavor by using a honey/bbq flavored sauce....really, you can actually use any sauce/flavors you want. The classic, spicy hot sauce has margarine added to it. I never use margarine...I suppose you can use butter, but I prefer to limit the calories and skip it altogether. Plus, the chicken wings are normally fried, and my version is baked.
- brine:
- marinade:
- 25 chicken wings
- 6 cups water (up to 8 cups)
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt (up to 4 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoons onion powder
- 1/2 cup cilantro loosely packed
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- spicy sauce:
- 1 cup frank's hot sauce
- 1/2 stick butter melted (optional)
- sides:
- celery
- bleu cheese dressing
- Carbohydrate 1.97763593752302 g
- Cholesterol 35.74375 mg
- Fat 41.701097398529 g
- Fiber 0.26225781608163 g
- Protein 5.50874515625289 g
- Saturated Fat 6.94262183169169 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (106g)
- Sodium 2307.31480276006 mg
- Sugar 1.71537812144139 g
- Trans Fat 2.08678151803533 g
- Calories 399 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl make brine by mixing all ingredients together until salt dissolves. Set aside.
- Wash and clean wings...cut off small wing tips if needed.
- Place in a large bowl.
- Pour brine over the wings making sure that they all fully immersed in liquid.
- Cover.
- Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
- I left mine overnight.
- Drain.
- Pat dry.
- Make marinade by placing all the ingredients in a food processor.
- Apply the marinade all over the wings.
- Take out a jelly roll pan and place a piece of parchment paper.
- Lay chicken wings being careful not to overcrowd.
- You want them to brown evenly and not boil and steam.
- If need be use 2 pans.
- Place in a preheated 425 deg oven and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Turn once and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until nicely crisp and browned.
- Just check them.
- Place the hot wings in a large bowl and pour the hot sauce over them.
- You can add some melted butter to the hot sauce if you like.
- But, I didn't.
- Mix to fully glaze each piece.
- Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing and plenty of napkins.
Throwing raw chicken straight into a hot oven guarantees rubbery skin and unevenly cooked meat. Brining alters this outcome entirely by restructuring the muscle proteins so they retain moisture during dry-heat cooking. Submerging twenty-five wings in a solution of six to eight cups of water and three to four tablespoons of kosher salt for up to twelve hours seasons the meat thoroughly from the inside out. Skipping this resting phase leaves the interior dry once the exterior achieves proper coloration.
Fresh garlic and cilantro processed into the oil marinade deliver sharper aromatic compounds than dried powders ever could. Whole garlic cloves crushed directly into the food processor release allicin quickly, which binds to the oil and coats the skin evenly. Drying the wings thoroughly with paper towels after the brine bath is non-negotiable; surface moisture prevents the oil from adhering and forces the meat to steam instead of roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Overcrowding the jelly roll pan destroys texture by trapping steam underneath the wings. Using two pans guarantees adequate airflow around every piece so the fat renders properly over thirty minutes before turning. Parchment paper eliminates sticking completely without adding extra fat, allowing seamless flipping halfway through the cooking time before an additional fifteen-minute roasting window achieves deep browning.
Tossing the hot wings immediately in a cup of Frank's hot sauce with optional melted butter ensures the sauce clings to the crisped skin rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Serve alongside chilled blue cheese dressing and crisp celery sticks to balance the intense heat of the vinegar-based sauce.
