I Don't Fry Chicken Wings Anymore! The OVEN Trick I Learned in a Restaurant

Welcome, today we're making super crispy chicken wings without frying. I'll show you the ultimate trick used by top restaurants. But first, let's cut up the wings. Look closely at the small bump on the wing. Cut right here and it'll come apart easily, even if your knife isn't particularly sharp. Cut between the bones and the wing separates easily. I'll show you again, right here, between the two bones. Any knife will cut cleanly through. For super crispy chicken wings without frying, since we're baking them, we need three simple tricks. First, dry the wings really well. It sounds obvious, but it's easy to overlook. For truly crispy wings, they need to be very, very dry. So use paper towels and pat them thoroughly dry. That's how they'll get super crispy. One side first, then the other. It takes a little effort, but remove as much moisture as you can. You probably washed them thoroughly before cooking, which leaves a little water on the skin. Remove all moisture before they go in the oven. It seems obvious, but this is where we often go wrong, baking wings with excess moisture on the skin. That keeps them from getting crispy. Once the wings are completely dry, set them aside and move on to the next trick. Some chefs use cornstarch for extra crunch, but today I have something different. The trick is baking powder. About 15 grams, one standard supermarket packet is enough. Replace starch or flour with baking powder and you'll get that extra crispy finish. Now add a little garlic powder. The amount is up to you. For about two pounds of chicken wings, I use one heaping tablespoon plus two teaspoons of salt. Add a little black pepper for a special kick. One teaspoon of paprika and the seasoning mix is ready for the wings. The next trick is crucial. It's all about how we bake them. So trick one, dry them well. Trick two, use baking powder. We'll also make a special sauce that won't soften these super crispy wings. I'll show you now. Sometimes after the wings rest for a while, they release a little more moisture. Be careful and pat them dry again if needed. Okay, great. Now they're dry enough to turn out super crispy. Add about two teaspoons of olive oil or rather two tablespoons. That's plenty for super crispy wings. Toss well so every bit of skin is coated in olive oil. It adds crunch and helps the seasoning stick to every part of the wings, boosting their flavor. Add the seasoning in batches so it distributes evenly. We want every wing coated all over. This new baking method is what truly gave me different results. Remember for super crispy wings, pat them dry. Add about 15 grams, roughly half an ounce, of baking powder and bake them as I'm about to show you. Lining the pan with foil makes cleanup much easier so you don't spend hours scrubbing in the kitchen. Nobody likes that. As you can see, I'm adding very little black pepper. My daughters hate it, but I'm slowly getting them used to the flavor because it's healthy and delicious. Use a pan large enough to keep the wings from touching. They'll cook more evenly and get a little crispier. They look great. We're baking these wings a little differently. Usually, wings bake at high heat so they crisp out side while staying tender inside. For the first 30 minutes, bake them at just 285 degrees Fahrenheit. This dries the wings completely. Use convection with top and bottom heat for about 30 minutes. A sauce that works beautifully with super crispy wings is honey mustard. If you don't like honey mustard, skip this part. Two generous teaspoons will be more than enough. For the honey, I use tablespoons. Two large tablespoons will be perfect. From here, you can finish the sauce two ways with plain yogurt or mayonnaise. Today, I'm using mayonnaise. Two heaping tablespoons will do. Then add a little salt to taste. Half a teaspoon should be enough, but as always, taste the finished sauce and adjust the salt gradually. Check the wings. This is the first bake and they already look incredibly delicious, even crispy. To finish, bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for another 20 minutes. This gives us the super crispy finish we want. Keep the convection fan on with top and bottom heat for about 20 minutes. And there it is an amazing oven baked result with just two tablespoons of oil. I like serving them this way with the sauce in the center. The wings only touch it right before you eat them so they stay crispy. I hope you enjoy these super crispy wings as much as I do. As you can see, it's easy to make, incredibly crispy, just as good as fried wings, and absolutely delicious. If you found this helpful, subscribe. I post recipes like this regularly. Thanks for watching and commenting. Enjoy!