This baked chicken wings recipe is for people who are wondering how to make the chicken crispy on the outside but remains juicy and moist inside without deep-frying in oil.
So, if you’re planning to have chicken wings/drums for lunch or dinner, or to bring to a party anytime soon then this recipe will help you get that crispy chicken skin and juicy meat you’re hoping for. How? By using some helpful techniques.
TECHNIQUES
1. Use Baking Powder
“When baking powder is mixed with salt and coated on chicken it dries out the chicken skin leaving it crispy and crunchy,” said Christine Pittman, Author of The Cookful.
Chef John Mitzewich, an American chef behind the YouTube channel Food Wishes, also highlights the strange but effective technique of coating chicken wings with baking powder before baking.
He said, “through the chemical reactions the surface of the chicken becomes bone-dry, and eventually crisps up to something very similar to what would come out of a deep fryer.”
Recipe 1: Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings
What I’ve made is an adaptation of chef John’s Crispy Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings recipe using baking powder.
I like this recipe for its simplicity. How simple? Here’s how:
- Make the chicken spice rub and coat the wings with it.
- Bake the chicken.
- Whisk the sriracha mixture until the glaze is smooth.
- Coat the chicken with the glaze.
It doesn’t feel like cooking at all!
I’ve tweaked a few things to adjust the flavour and level of heat to suit my taste. But I have provided the link (above) to the original recipe in case you want to try that, too.
WHAT DID I CHANGE?
I used 1 teaspoon of salt for the spice rub and not 1 tablespoon as shown in the original recipe. I also added more sriracha sauce and reduced the amount of honey in the glaze.
I like the taste of sriracha to shine and tone down the sweetness to a hint.
Overall result? My baked chicken is juicy even after baking in the oven for almost an hour. The skin is quite crispy, and I’ve enjoyed the sriracha glaze slathered generously on the chicken.
What’s the takeaway? – learning about a technique and using one helps us get to our desired outcome.
The next one…
2. Parboiling
It’s partially cooking the chicken first before baking it in the oven to make it crispy. Food and lifestyle blogger and creator of Fifteen Spatulas food blog, Joanne Ozug says, “it helps get rid of some excess fat, so wings are crispier.”
Recipe 2: Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
For other chicken recipes, check out:
* Spicy General’s Tso’s Chicken
* Chicken ala King
* Spot on Chicken Adobo
* Baked Chicken Breast & Butter Garlic Rice with Kale
How To Make Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings
Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp baking powder (aluminum-free)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1.2 kg chicken wings
Honey Sriracha Glaze
- ¼ - ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup sriracha chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp sesame oil
- sesame seeds, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220 C (425 F). Get a baking sheet and line with aluminum foil. Put an oven-proof wire rack over the aluminum foil.
- In a small bowl, whisk baking powder, salt, black pepper, and paprika. In a large bowl, put all the chicken wings together. Take ½ of the baking powder mixture and sprinkle onto chicken wings. Toss to coat. Add remaining baking powder mixture over wings and toss again. Place chicken onto the wire rack.
- Bake chicken wings for 20 mins. Turn and bake for another 20 mins. Turn again and bake for 15 mins or more until golden brown and crispy. Remove wings from the oven and place in a bowl.
- In a small bowl, add the honey, sriracha sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and whisk together until it becomes a smooth glaze. Pour over wings and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Serve immediately.