Baked Chicken Wings

Being a cowboy from Oklahoma, a lot of people have asked me when am I going to do a baked chicken wing video? Well, hold on to your hat because today is your lucky day.

Baked chicken wings are much crispier and have a depth of flavor that you just don’t get in the fryer. I’ve got three different spice recipes to choose from, so let’s get the fire hot and get to cooking up some chicken wings.

Prepare the Wings

If the wings come from the grocery store and the tough edge of the wing is still attached, just slice it at the joint like in the picture here. 

Chicken Wing Surgery
Chicken Wing Surgery

Tip: Save and freeze the rough part of the wing to boil for broth or fry up for something to chew on later.

Next, feel around in that chicken wing for what feels like an elbow joint. Slice in half and you should have a “wing-ette” and a “drum-ette.” Dry them for a while so they will be crispy when cooked.

Tip: The “wing-ettes” will cook faster than the “drum-ettes.” Bake separately or remove the “wing-ettes” early.

Sauce it Up

Start by mixing up about a half cup of hot sauce – I’m using Crystal’s Hot Sauce – and add just a little teeny drop of Liquid Smoke in there. Be careful with this stuff because it is potent. Then, generously add W sauce to the mix. Give it a good stir and get ready to give those wings a bath.

Dress the Wings

Once the wings are good and dry, we are going to make three levels of heat: Extra spicy, Spicy and Garlic Parmesan.

Extra Spicy:

Soak them in the hot sauce for a minute. If you like your wings extra extra spicy, let them soak a little longer. Shake the excess off.

Put our rib rub spice mixture (detailed below in the recipe) in a paper sack and add the sauced wings, one a time. Shake until covered with spices. Lay out on a wire rack while you repeat, one at a time, until all of the wings are ready to go.

Spicy:

These won’t go into the hot sauce. Shake into the dry rib rub mixture, coat them well, and set up one at a time on the wire rack.

Garlic Parmesan Spicy:

Start with a flour base. I mixed up some flour, some ground mustard, some mesquite seasoning, and some smoked paprika. Dip in the hot sauce and shake up with the flour base. Set up one at a time on the wire rack.

Time to Bake

The key to a good baked chicken wing is full air circulation around the meat, you want to be sure they are on a wire rack. Stick in the oven at 400 degrees F.  

Now, in my case, my wire rack does not fit in my Dutch oven. What am I going to do here? I found a metal grate that fits, and I’m stacking it on some smoked metal horse shoes. If you don’t want any other flavors coming off the horse shoes, you have to smoke them first.

I suggest a metal trivet or smaller wire rack to bake these wings on so you can achieve an elevation of a couple of inches or so to ensure that air circulates all around the meat while cooking.

Spray the metal grate or wire rack with cooking spray to keep the wings from sticking. Place the wings on the rack, and set on a trivet over hot coals. The coals will be around the outside edge of the trivet and on the lid. Cook about 25-30 minutes.

Tip: Be sure to baste the Parmesan wings with minced garlic from the jar as they cook. 

During cooking, rotate the Dutch oven one way and the lid the other way. This will help avoid cold spots or hot spots and cook the wings evenly. Get your favorite dipping sauce, like my Red River Mud or some ranch dressing and dig in. These baked chicken wings are finger-lickin’ good.

Take to your favorite tailgate and enjoy the party.

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Spicy Chicken Wings - Cowboy Kent Rollins

Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs. chicken wings
  • 1 cup Kent’s Rib rub or see substitution
  • 3 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 3 teaspoons ground mustard
  • ½ cup hot sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Dry the wings well with a paper towel and set on a wire rack.
  • In a paper sack add the Rib Rub, garlic powder and mustard. Shake well.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the hot sauce, Worcestershire and liquid smoke.
  • Dip the chicken wings in the wet mixture and let them soak for at least 10 minutes, shaking off any excess.
  • Note: for a less spicy version, omit this step and add the wings directly into the dry seasoning.
  • Add the wings, one at a time, to the sack and shake well to generously coat. Remove the wings and place on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes to dry.
  • Place the rack on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Notes

Kent’s Rib Rub available at KentRollins.com or use: ¼ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, ½ tablespoon seasoned salt

 

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings - Cowboy Kent Rollins

Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs. chicken wings
  • ½ cup flour
  • 4 teaspoons ground mustard
  • 4 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 4 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 3 tablespoons Kent’s Mesquite Seasoning or see substitution
  • ½ cup hot sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • ½ cup of minced garlic in a jar
  • ¾ cup of grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Dry the wings well with a paper towel and set on a wire rack.
  • In a paper sack add the flour, ground mustard, garlic powder, smoked paprika and Mesquite seasoning.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the hot sauce, Worcestershire and liquid smoke.
  • Dip the chicken wings in the wet mixture and let them soak for at least 10 minutes, shaking off any excess.
  • Place the wings, one at a time, in the flour mixture and shake well to generously coat.
  • Remove the wings and place on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes to dry.
  • Place the rack on a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 20 minutes. Baste the wings with the minced garlic and continue cooking for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle generously with the Parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Notes

Kent’s Mesquite Seasoning available at KentRollins.com or use: 1 tablespoon seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, ½ tablespoon coarse ground pepper, 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder

 

1 Comment

  1. Smoked & Fried Chicken Wings - Kent Rollins on June 15, 2022 at 2:29 pm

    […] You’ll want to separate the wing at the joint in the middle like the picture here. I demonstrated how to do this when I taught y’all to bake chicken wings. If you’d like a closer look at the chicken wing surgery, you can watch it here. […]