Crispy Oven Baked Garlic Chicken Wings

It is National Chicken Wing Day today! Seriously, who can keep up with all these national food days? There is one almost every week. I heard about today’s one through the morning news. This recipe is a complete coincidence. Last week, Bryan requested chicken wings for dinner. While I was browsing, I found this oven baked chicken wings recipe from RecipeTin Eats. Nagi is a very creative food blogger. Her recipes are easy, impressive and never disappoint. The idea of making crispy wings without frying sounds almost impossible. These wings will absolutely change your mind. I made them with a Chinese twist. The result was amazing! Even it is summer and it is hot, I know you may hate to turn the oven on, but don’t let that stop you! Once you try the wings, you will want to make them again and again.

My twist is all about the marinade. When it comes to Chinese food, marinade is always needed. Soy sauce, pepper, oil, sugar are usually the basics. These wings are no exception. They were marinated for 5 hours. To make sure the garlic flavor comes through, I added garlic powder. Patted them dry and tossed with baking powder. Simply baked them in the oven until crispy. To finish off, lightly tossed the wings in a wok with nicely browned minced garlic. You can serve them as appetizers or serve them as a meal along with hot steamed rice and side vegetables.

You should also check out the different versions of these chicken wings from a couple of my blogger friends. Kathleen from Hapa Nom Nom did a smoky spicy chipotle dipping sauce. Maggie from Omnivore’s Cookbook made a Korean BBQ sauce.

Now, off you go! Time for chicken wings. 😉

Crispy Oven Baked Garlic Chicken Wings

2 – 3 servings

Ingredients:

–   2 pounds chicken wings

–   2 tablespoons soy sauce

–   1½ teaspoons sugar

–   1 teaspoon garlic powder

–   ½ teaspoon ground white pepper

–   1 tablespoon baking powder

–   ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

–   3 tablespoons garlic (minced)

–   ½ tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for baking rack

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken wings, soy sauce, sugar, garlic powder, and white pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 5 hours in the fridge.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on it. Wipe a thin layer of oil on the rack.
3. Preheat the oven to 250˚F (130˚C). Arrange racks in lower and upper thirds of the oven.
4. Pat dry the chicken wings with paper towels. Place them in a large zip-loc bag. Add the baking powder and salt. Seal the bag and shake to coat the chicken wings evenly.
5. Place the wings skin side up on the prepared rack. Bake on the lower shelf in the oven for 30 minutes. Move the baking sheet up to the top shelf. Turn up the heat to 425˚F (220˚C). Bake for another 35 – 40 minutes until dark golden-brown and the skin is crispy, rotating the tray halfway through. Remove from oven.
6. While the wings are resting, in a wok or large pan over medium heat, warm up ½ tablespoon oil. Add the garlic and cook until they just start to turn brown. Add the chicken wings. Toss to combine. Transfer to serving plate. Serve immediately.

Tips:

1. Pat the wings as dry as you can. The drier they are, the easier they can crisp up.
2. Since my chicken wings were marinated, they got browned faster in the oven than non-marinated wings. I took them out 5 minutes earlier than Nagi’s recipe.

(Adapted from RecipeTin Eats)