I love chicken wings. But having fried food on a regular basis jacks up your calorie count substantially. The healthier alternative would be to bake your favorite fried foods instead (fries, potato chips, wings, etc.). However, when you bake chicken the skin usually ends up rubbery and chewy. I came across a recipe from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and Cooks Illustrated and man, was I blown away. This recipe is stupidly simple, inexpensive, and absolutely delicious. If you have been refraining from wings because you don’t eat fried food, you have to try this recipe. NOTE: The recipe calls for baking powder not baking soda. Keep that in mind!
Ingredients:
4lbs. chicken wings
5 teaspoons baking powder (NOT BAKING SODA / BI-CARB SODA!!)
3/4 teaspoon salt
Oil spray
Recipe:
If you are organized enough, uncover the chicken wings and leave them in the fridge for a few hours to dry out. Otherwise, use a paper towel to pat the wings dry.
Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.
Preheat oven to 250F/120C (all oven types - standard/convection/fan).
Line a baking tray with foil, then place a rack (like a cooling rack) on the foil. Spray the rack with oil spray.
Place wings in a large bowl or in a Ziplock bag. Add the baking powder and salt, then toss to coat evenly.
Place the wings on the baking tray in a single layer with the skin side up. They should just fit snugly. They will shrink when they cook because the fat renders out so don't worry if they look too snug.
Place wings on the lower middle oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.
Move wings up to the upper middle rack and increase the oven temperature to 425F/220C. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through.
Remove baking tray from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Toss wings in sauce of choice or serve it on the side to dip / drizzle on the wings, then serve.
I paired these wings with Noble Made Buffalo Sauce, which is a gluten free and paleo friendly buffalo sauce that is relatively low cal.
Enjoy!
