~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings(II)... using baking powder.

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings(II)... using baking powder. So here is the second recipe I promised to share awhile back... where you can bake up some delicious crispy chicken wings. No frying involved. 

This method involves using baking powder to crisp up the chicken skin. It's all science, but the result is fantastic. In a nut shell, the baking powder draws out the moisture, breaks down the protein and helps the meat brown. All this gives you the crispiness we enjoy from fried wings... but without actually frying. The method works... and makes for some wonderful hot wings!

I first came across this method a year or two ago but finally managed to make it recently. While the method used only 3 ingredients (chicken wings, baking powder and salt) , I managed to add my own personal touch... adding a bit of pepper and potato starch to further reduce moisture. This is the recipe I'm sharing today, but feel free to skip the potato starch. It works without it. 

I ended up looking at a couple of recipes and decided to combine them...  used the lower amount of baking powder found in one recipe and applied the baking technique of the other recipe. And in the end I managed to make my own version and liked the result.  

For this batch I simply went the traditional route... glazing them with hot sauce and butter:). Hope you enjoy... 

Note: While I posted 2 different temperatures(Cook's Country version), I've also done these wings at 450 deg F as well, with wings having an overnight rest in the fridge uncovered. Baking time will vary, but they bake up nice and crisp by 40-50 minutes or so... Either way you choose, the result will be crispy wings:). 

You will need: inspired by SeriousEats and Cook's Country.

3.5 lbs chicken wings( 12 whole wings= 12 flats+12 drumettes)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 TBS baking powder
1 TBS potato starch(can be optional)
black pepper to taste

Hot Sauce:
3 TBS butter, melted
1/3 cup Franks hot sauce

Directions:
1. Cut up chicken pieces into flats, drumettes, and wing tips. Reserve tips for stock by freezing them.
2. Mix salt, baking powder, potato starch and pepper in small bowl. 
3. With a paper towel blot chicken pieces from excess moisture.
4. Sprinkle baking powder mix all over wings, coating evenly. 
5. Line a tray with parchment paper and place wings in single layer without overlapping.(alternately place wings on a rack and then place them on a baking tray.
6. Place wings in fridge for several hours... this helps the wings dry up further. I placed mine in the fridge in the morning and baked in the evening... about 8 hours later. 

  • Preheat oven to 275 deg F
1. Combine melted butter and hot sauce. Set aside until needed.
2.. Bake wings for 20 minutes at 275 deg F, then increase heat to 425 deg F and continue cooking for another 45-50 minutes, or until wings are nicely browned and crispy. 
Note: If you feel the wings aren't browned enough, increase heat to 450 Deg F the last 10 minutes of baking.
3. Remove wings from oven and place in a large bowl. Drizzle hot sauce over wings and toss to coat. Serve immediately. 


6 comments:

Linda said...

I love chicken wings. Thank you so much for sharing.

Ellie said...

Linda, Oh, you are welcome! Happy to hear you enjoy chicken wings too:)... Hope you enjoy!

yung@foodyoo.com said...

Really good tip here. Using baking powder to create crispy chicken wing. Deep fry is very oily, baking is a more healthy choice. Guess we can enjoy crispy chicken wings more often from now on. :)

Ellie said...

Yung, Yes, much better when the wings are baked:)... a bit healthier, don't have to waste oil and no mess. The nice part is that they bake up crispy, so you don't really miss the frying.

Thanks a bunch for stopping by!

boB said...

I've tried this recipe before. Be careful with the salt as it REALLY comes through after the bake. Also, make sure to tap off all the excess powder you can.

Finally, a word about frying. If you fry at the right temperature, and take out before all the water content is gone, the amount of oil absorbed is very minimal. A recent test by Food TV showed that 8 pieces of chicken absorbed 2 TBS of oil among all 8. So, if you aren't hearing that sizzle, then you are absorbing oil, because that is the water content pushing back against the oil.

Still, this is a great alternative.

Ellie said...

boB, Thank you for stopping by and sharing your tips... agree with you about the importance of not salting too much, as the b. powder is also a salt.

And thanks for the info on the frying part... these tips are SO important in getting the final product right. So, I really appreciate your kindness and sharing them here.

Agree that this is definitely an GREAT alternative to frying...