Chicken Wings (7) Recipe

Trim and dry

If wings are whole, optionally separate into drumette and flat by cutting at the joint or leave whole. Pat the wings very dry with paper towels — removing surface moisture helps them crisp.

Place the wings in a large bowl or on a rimmed tray. Combine kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and baking powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the dry rub evenly over the wings and toss until each piece is evenly coated. Let sit 10–15 minutes at room temperature while you preheat the oven (or refrigerate up to 1 hour for deeper seasoning).

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat oven to 230°C (450°F). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on it. Lightly coat the rack with cooking spray or brush with a little oil to prevent sticking.

Arrange wings

Arrange the seasoned wings in a single layer on the wire rack, spaced so air can circulate around each piece (do not crowd).

Roast until crisp

Roast for 25 minutes, then flip each wing and continue roasting another 15–20 minutes, until wings are deep golden-brown and skin is crisp and internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F). Total time will be about 40–45 minutes depending on wing size and oven.

Make sauce

While wings finish, combine butter, hot sauce, honey and lemon juice in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until butter melts and sauce is glossy and combined (or melt together in microwave in 20-second bursts). Taste and adjust — add more hot sauce for heat or honey for sweetness.

Toss wings in sauce

When wings are done, transfer them to a large clean bowl. Pour the warm sauce over the wings and toss gently to coat evenly. For saucy wings, toss thoroughly; for lightly glazed wings, drizzle sauce and toss once.

Transfer wings to a serving plate. Serve immediately with blue cheese or ranch dressing and celery sticks on the side. If not using sauce, serve wings plain with dipping sauce on the side.

Leftovers: cool completely, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days. Re-crisp in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 8–10 minutes before serving.