Crispy Garlic-Butter Chicken Wings
2 pounds party chicken wings, drums & flats
1 Tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder, NOT baking soda!
Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1-2 pinches of cayenne pepper, or to taste
Cooking spray
1/2 stick salted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped chives, for garnish
Ranch or blue cheese dressing, for serving
Dry the wings very well with paper towels. You want them to be as dry as possible. Then, place the wings in a bowl. Add the baking powder, salt, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Toss the wings with the dry rub until they are well coated. Set aside.
Oven-Baked Wings
To bake the wings, preheat the oven to 425° Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or tin foil. Then, place an oven-safe wire rack on the sheet pan. Grease it well with neutral oil or cooking spray.
Place the wings skin-side up in a single layer on the wire rack.
Bake the wings for 20 minutes. Then, flip the wings and bake them for another 20-25 minutes until the wings are crispy on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 165° at the thickest part. Remove the wings from the oven and let them rest for about 5 minutes. Salt them, to taste, as soon as they come out of the oven.
Air Fryer Wings
To air fry the wings, grease the basket of an air fryer with cooking spray. Place the wings skin-side up in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Fry in batches if you need to.
Fry the wings at 400° for 10 minutes. Flip the wings and fry them for 6-8 more minutes until they’re crispy on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 165° at the thickest part. Let the wings rest for 4-5 minutes. Salt them, to taste, as soon as they come out.
While the wings are cooking, make the garlic butter. Combine the butter and garlic in a small saucepan. Cook the garlic butter over medium low heat, until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant.
Once the wings have rested for 4-5 minutes, transfer them to a large bowl. Drizzle the garlic butter over the wings and use tongs to toss the wings until they’re evenly coated.
Garnish the wings with the fresh chives. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve the wings immediately with ranch or blue cheese dressing. Enjoy!