Fitness / May 30, 2024

Chicken Wings

“Ain’t no thang but a chicken wing on a string!” -White Men Can’t Jump (1992)

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We’ve all heard the phrase, “Ain’t no thing but a chicken wing!” from helpful heroes in the movies. You might have even said it yourself (and we forgive you for that, but only this once!), thinking it must mean chicken wings aren’t a big deal! But anyone who loves to get their hands dirty with saucy flavor knows that chicken wings are featured at almost every major restaurant for a reason. Tantalizing chicken wings are like a Hollywood blockbuster: they have broad appeal and come in all sorts of flavors! And just like a good flick, there ain’t NO thing like a chicken wing!

With the amount of sauce slathered on your fingers and face, chicken wings can eat like a messy horror film! Or, if hot and heavy romantic cinema is how you roll, savor chicken wings’ sweltering heat and sink your teeth into spicy bites of scrumptious skin. If you’re looking for a light-hearted and nuanced experience, you can serve up wings in a dry rub of subtle herbs with complicated relationships and subplots!

Whether you like your wings (or your movies) hot and saucy or dry and dramatic, you’re guaranteed to come away from the plate (and the theater) satisfied yet somehow hankering for more!

Are chicken wings Healthy?

Chicken wings are a flavorful source of protein, B vitamins, iron, and other beneficial fatty acids! Dolled up in a sauce of your own making means you get all the delicious benefits of capsaicin and herbs! Even the cartilage in the joint of the wing, that chewy part most people discard for being bone, is full of collagen!

Chicken wings fit into paleo and keto diets with their high-protein, no-carb wholesomeness; however, you’ll need to swap out real chicken for a vegan substitute to make this an animal-free experience! I always recommend seitan as a substitute for chicken but there are other store-bought vegan options that can be a good choice!

Poultry Fiction

Much like with movies, you can ask a hundred people what kind of chicken wings they like and get a wide range of responses. There might be a large demographic of people who love their wings tossed in classic buffalo sauce, just as much as there may be a few outliers eagerly gobbling up curry-spiced chicken on the bone! Just as I love a Hollywood hit as much as a foreign darling, here are a couple of recommendations for making flavorful (and entertaining) wings!

Rush Hour – Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Sauce – Get that one-two sweet and spicy punch out of this fusion classic, using a blend of garlic salt, coriander, lime juice, honey, and black pepper in a sauce of 1/2 cup of orange juice and 1/3 cup of sriracha!

The Blind Side – Nashville BBQ Sauce – Warm your heart with a sweet sauce made from 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/3 cup of cider vinegar, and 1 1/2 cups of ketchup (along with spices like chili powder, paprika, ground mustard, and black pepper)!

Alien – In Spice No One Can Hear You Scream Sauce – Mix 1/4 cup of sriracha, 12 ounces of soy sauce, a little chili oil and honey (and ginger if you’re not already on edge!) in a bowl with 4 drops of blue food coloring to make your wings spicy, messy, and fearfully flavorful! Just remember to wipe your hands before you cover your eyes!!!

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds chicken wings, halved at joints, wingtips discarded
2 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Hot sauce for tossing (totally optional – try your favorite or one of our suggestions!)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat

Set up oven and rack.

Prepare

Line baking sheet, prep wings.

Season

Mix spices, coat wings.

Bake

Arrange on rack, bake until crispy.

Rest

Rest, toss with sauce.

Devour!

FAQs & Tips

How do I prep and store these wings?

Chicken wings store well enough in a foil-wrap package, and can be easily taken right out of the fridge and dropped into an air fryer or put into the oven to reheat evenly! You can heat your sauce on your wings or separately and give them a fresh tossing when both are ready to serve!

How do I make a dry rub for my chicken?

If you don’t want sauced wings, dry rub is the way to go! Try coating your wings in a dry mixture of your chosen spices and herbs before baking if you want to skip the saucing process entirely! Or, if you want Inception levels of spice, coat your wings in a dry rub and toss them in sauce!

How do I keep my wings from getting dry?

Wing meat is naturally juicy and delicious! The important thing to prevent your chicken from drying out is thorough and even heat! Rapid temperature changes break down the tissue in meat and release the moisture within. If it’s too rapid a change, your chicken’s moisture will seep out into the pan rather than stay in the wing! Always ensure your chicken is fully cooked (165°F internal temp) but don’t run the risk of drying it out!

Serving Suggestions

Baked chicken wings like these go perfectly with your favorite movie and any number of FoodFaithFitness’s favorite appetizers and crowd pleasers! Serve up baked chicken wings along with pan-fried broccoli for that food-for-the-soul Hallmark movie you’ve been wanting to watch! Live the luxurious life with baked chicken wings, truffle fries, and a white-collar drama! Baked chicken wings and sweet potato tater tots make perfect nostalgia food for your childhood’s favorite film!

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

“Ain’t no thang but a chicken wing on a string!” -White Men Can’t Jump (1992)

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 507kcal

Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken wings halved at joints, wingtips discarded
2 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Hot sauce for tossing optional

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425°F and adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position.
Line a baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on top, and spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray.
Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels, ensuring they are completely moisture-free for optimal crispiness.
In a small bowl, mix together the baking powder, salt, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Sprinkle this seasoning mix over the wings and toss to coat evenly.
Arrange the wings skin-side up in a single layer on the prepared wire rack.
Bake the wings for 40 minutes, turning them every 20 minutes, until they are crispy and browned.
Let the wings rest for 5 minutes after baking, then toss them in hot sauce if desired before serving.