After perusing TikTok, I decided to try 3 different varieties:
Hot Wings
Garlic Wings
BBQ Wings
But after making all these wings, it occurs to me that chicken wings are after all the least desirable part of the chicken. Not much meat and a whole lot of rubbery, fatty skin. To make the most of these shortcomings, we make the skin as crispy as possible, and then coat them with a ton of flavor.
My first batch of wings, below, was far from crispy. Maybe this is because I didn’t dry them first; maybe it’s because a convection oven really isn’t a substitute for an air fryer. But even if they had been crispy (and therefore tasty), they’re still super unhealthy and fattening.
But these sauces I came up with – they were delicious!! So why not make chicken thighs (or even boneless skinless breasts??) with these same yummy sauces??
Anyway, on to the wing recipes….
I started with a package of 6 wings that I split into flats and drums, leaving me with 12 wing pieces; so each of my 3 varieties got 4 wings. Unfortunately I forgot to dry the first 2 batches and those were the ones that got either baking powder or corn starch mixed into the seasonings. And I think those are each intended to make them crispier?? But the wet skin makes them soggy. Oh well …
All three got a pour of olive oil on them before adding the seasoning blend; and then I cooked all 12 together in my convection oven (which is supposed to work like an air fryer??) at 400° for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through.
A note on the coating: Watching people on the videos coat the wings in seasonings and flour, it looked very wasteful to me so I used just the amount needed to actually coat the chicken, with none to throw away. But I’m not sure that all the pieces actually got well coated that way? Maybe there’s something to be said for excessive coating amounts.
Hot Wings:
These were the most basic. I just seasoned them with about a teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground pepper; and then just for kicks I also stirred in about 1-1/2 – 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Then I stirred up some butter and Louisiana hot sauce in a pan and drizzled them over the wings. They were super tasty! Fresh pepper is actually a flavor. LOL They were my least favorite of the three; but that speaks to how good the others were. 🙂
Garlic Wings:
These were my favorites. But what’s not to love about anything coated in garlic butter? LOL The seasonings on these were about 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, 1T of garlic powder and a scant tablespoon of onion powder. Then I added about a tablespoon of cornstarch. Then I made a sauce out of a couple tablespoons of butter sauteed in a pan with a bunch of fresh chopped garlic and some parsley.
BBQ Wings:
These just got a heavy shake of the BBQ rub I’ve got leftover in my cabinet from the last time I made ribs. I’m sure it’s got smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt & a pretty healthy portion of brown sugar. These were fantastic. No need to add any BBQ sauce!