Because the wings have so little meat, you might think they would be quick to prepare at home. But restaurants handle their deep fryers in ways that are difficult to recreate. To make wings with juicy, tender meat and lots of broken skin, you need to play a longer game – a hands-off game that can use Buffalo sauce, of course, but plenty of other coatings too.
Wings contain the same elements and challenges as any other part of chicken: fat that needs a rendering, and meat that needs to be cooked without drying out. A wing, however, has a lot more fat in the meat than, say, a thigh. As with other chicken cuts, we want crispy skin and succulent, cooked meat – a balance that is easily achieved with a few tips.
Ever-hungry food scientist J. Kenji López-Alt has advice for this up his sleeve. In his investigation for Serious Eats, he found that a layer of baking powder and salt will raise the skin’s pH and promote browning and crustiness of the skin. We know dried skin has a better chance of getting crusty, and patting it with towels is a good start, but that’s a lot of skin to dry out.
Instead, shower the chicken with salt and baking powder and leave it uncovered while the oven heats up or, better yet, for an hour on your counter or in the fridge overnight. Salt absorbs moisture from the skin, season the meat and keep it juicier.
Judy Rodgers, who made her name at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco, was famous for her early salting, also known as dry brining. She was known to season meat and poultry (and even some vegetables) a few days before cooking. There are plenty of roast chicken recipes out there, but his, using only salt, pepper, and hard-stemmed herbs like rosemary and thyme, is one of the best known. He recommends dry brining the chicken up to three days in advance and roasting it – without oil – in a very hot oven.
With the wings brined and coated with baking powder, you don’t need the deep fryer to get the texture you want. Instead, follow Rodgers’ roast chicken technique and choose a high, even heat method: an oven or broiler with the lid on, which traps direct heat and circulates it around your food (like an oven). .
That big crackle you just created on these wings can be taken even further: sprinkle the wings with more crunchy crunch in a number of combinations: sesame seeds (and a little sesame oil to paste), zest lemon and dried oregano, crushed black pepper and grated Parmesan, red pepper flakes and grilled coconut or zaatar. (That said, I also found them delicious with just a squeeze of lemon or lime.)
The wings will be ready in the same amount of time as if you had roasted chicken thighs – but unlike the latter, the wings allow you to dine with your hands. Let the games begin.
Ingredients
- Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
- 3 pounds of chicken wings or any combination of drumsticks, fins and tips
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, and more as needed
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed
- 4 cups (8 ounces) shishito peppers
- 3 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 lime, finely zested and cut into wedges
Step 1
Line a baking sheet with foil, then lightly grease the foil with oil.
Dry the wings. Transfer the wings to the lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the baking powder with 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp of pepper. Sprinkle and mix to combine. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate overnight. (If you refrigerate the wings, let them come to room temperature before cooking.)
2nd step
When you’re ready to bake, place a rack about 6 inches from the broiling element and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Pat the wings again. Roast the wings, 15 to 20 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy all over.
Step 3
Meanwhile, on a cutting board or in a bowl, toss the shishito peppers with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Transfer the baking sheet of the wings to a heat-resistant surface and spread the shishitos over the chicken. Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until the peppers are burnt in spots. If you want more browning on your wings or peppers, grill them (see NOTES).
Step 4
While the wings are roasted, in a small bowl, using your fingers, combine the sesame seeds, ginger, lime zest and 1 teaspoon of salt until you smell like lemon green and ginger. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and mix.
When the peppers and wings are cooked, sprinkle the seed mixture on top and toss to combine. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze.
For browner wings and peppers, place a 5-inch or closer grate near the heating element. Add the wings and shishitos to a large rimmed baking sheet and toast until charred in spots, a few minutes. (Depending on your grill, you may need to turn the pan halfway so that all of the food is evenly exposed.)
To grill the wings, heat the grill over medium-high heat. Grease the grates with a little oil and cook the dry brined wings over indirect heat, with the lid closed, until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Flip every few minutes. Brown the wings over direct heat.
Nutritional information
Calories: 576; Total fat: 42 g; Saturated fat: 11 g; Cholesterol: 175 mg; Sodium: 1115 mg; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Dietary fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 1 g; Proteins: 43 g.
Recipe from recipe developer and food writer Ali Slagle.
