With Superbowl Sunday only two weeks away and over 20 people coming over to watch the game, I set out to find a yummy chicken wing recipe to serve. As far as I'm concerned, crappy wings = crappy party. This recipe was the first on my list to try. I've never used a dry spice rub on wings before - every recipe I've ever made required a sauce that was slathered onto the wings after they've been baked in the oven or fried. I was very curious to see what dry-rubbed wings would taste like.
Smoky Chicken Wings
adapted from Steamy Kitchen
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken wings
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Mix all ingredients of the dry rub in a large bowl or sealable bag.
Add the wings and toss to coat evenly.
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil (this is an important step unless you want to spend an hour scrubbing your pan after cooking). Lay a baking rack on top of the baking sheet and place the chicken wings on top of the rack.
Bake for 20 minutes, flip the wings and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
The wings turned out good - just not Superbowl Sunday good. The brown sugar left a nice crust on the wings and the smoked paprika gave off a red hue reminiscent of char siu. iI think the wings could have used a little more salt. I am definitely a fan of more saucier wings with a wet marinade. Onto the next wing recipe!