Recipes

Oven-Fried Crispy Chicken Wings

A baking-powder rub and a wire rack get you shatter-crisp skin with zero deep frying.

Prep

10 min

Cook

45 min

Serves

4

Ingredients

• 2 lb chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes, patted very dry
• 1 tbsp aluminum-free baking powder (not baking soda)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Neutral oil spray, for the rack
• Your favorite dipping sauce, to serve

Instructions

1. 01Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Set a wire rack inside a foil-lined baking sheet and spray it with neutral oil.
2. 02Make sure the wings are completely dry — pat them again with paper towels if needed, since any surface moisture will steam instead of crisp.
3. 03In a large bowl, whisk together the baking powder, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper.
4. 04Toss the wings in the spice mix until every piece is evenly, lightly coated.
5. 05Arrange the wings on the rack in a single layer, skin side up, without touching.
6. 06Bake for 20 minutes, flip each wing, then continue baking for 20-25 minutes more, until deep golden and crackly-crisp.
7. 07Let the wings rest on the rack for 5 minutes, then toss with sauce or serve dry-rubbed with dip on the side.

Tips

• Baking powder (not soda) is the whole trick — it raises the skin's pH so it browns and crisps instead of just drying out.
• Don't skip the rack: it lets hot air circulate under the wings so the skin crisps on all sides instead of steaming against the pan.