Best Dry Rub for Chicken Wings

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Total: 2 hr (includes brining time)
  • Active: 15 min
This dry rub works well on oven-roasted wings but would also be a great option for the air fryer or grill. Don’t use this on deep-fried wings, however, as the sugar will burn in the oil. Baking powder, which is an alkaline, speeds up the browning process for the wings — just be sure to use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid an unpleasant aftertaste. Tossing the wings in the salt-vinegar solution adds a bit of tang and helps distribute the flavor of the salt throughout.
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Ingredients

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3 pounds chicken wing segments (flats and drumettes)

Nonstick cooking spray, for the wire racks

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground chipotle

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

  1. Combine the vinegar and salt in a large bowl and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the wings and toss to coat in the vinegar mixture. Brine in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
  2. When ready to cook, remove the wings from the refrigerator. Position 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Set 2 wire racks over 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Spray the wire racks with cooking spray.
  3. Combine the brown sugar, baking powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, chipotle, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the wings and toss well to coat the wings evenly in the spice mixture.
  4. Divide the wings between the 2 prepared racks and roast, flipping the wings and rotating the sheets from top to bottom after 20 minutes. Continue to roast, flipping the wings again, until crisp and tender, 20 to 30 minutes more depending on the size of the wings. Serve immediately.

Let's Get Cooking!

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Ewedgar

We loved this recipe for Super Bowl Sunday. Super easy, super delicious. Absolutely super crowd pleaser. I cooked them on my grill, (it was easy to maintain 450 degrees) and they were super tender.

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