How to Bake Chicken Wings

Well, cooked chicken wings and legs are favorites for those who crave for poultry dishes. Amongst the various cooking options, baked chicken wings are popularly served appetizers in parties and special gatherings. Or these tasty finger foods can be served as healthy snacks in substitution to fried chicken recipes. But, most of us end up ordering them from restaurants, thinking homemade oven-baked chicken does not taste great. If you want to learn how to bake chicken wings at home, the following info will interest you.

Baking Chicken Wings in the Oven?

Apply your culinary skills and you can make scrumptious baked chicken wings like a professional chef. Believe me, you don't need to visit pricey restaurants to take a bite of yummy baked chicken thighs and wings. You just need to follow correct tips for chicken preparation, seasoning, oiling and cooking time, and baking tasty chicken wings is just a few steps away.

Preparatory Step
Prior to starting the actual cooking method, keep some things in mind for baking tasty chicken wings. Always keep the kitchen area clean and use good quality cookware. Begin with washing your hands properly and keep the required supplies handy. If available, use only fresh ingredients, including chicken and seasoning spices. The point is to purchase 3 pounds chicken wings from a trusted meat store (not from supermarkets). Make sure you check their food safety considerations before adding it in your shopping cart.

Cleaning the Chicken Wings
Considering that you have purchased fresh chicken wings, clean them thoroughly under running tap water. What you can do is fill a large bowl with water, and add the chicken wings. Rinse each of the wings individually and keep in a platter. If possible, add a mixture of lime juice and vinegar for further cleaning of the meat. After you are done with lime treatment, dab them dry with absorbent paper towels, and place in a bowl. Now, your chicken wings are ready for oiling and seasoning.

Seasoning the Chicken Wings
The next preparatory step is proper seasoning of the meat. To make moist baked chicken, rub the cleaned chicken wings with oil. For the seasoning part, mix 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, pepper and salt in a large bowl. To this, add wings and combine with seasoning mixture for even coating. If time permits, marinade the wings in a mixture of your favorite seasoning spices for some time. In case you are in a hurry, just season the wings and keep in it for half an hour. For more info on cooking chicken wings, you can refer to how to cook chicken wings.

Baking the Chicken Wings
If you are not sure about how long to bake chicken wings, remember that the ideal cooking time differs with the temperature setting and thickness of meat pieces. Preheat the oven to 400 F for at least 10-15 minutes, before you actually start with cooking chicken in the oven. Prepare an oven-safe baking dish by lightly brushing with non-sticky oil. Place your marinated or seasoned chicken wings in this dish in one layer. Reduce oven heat setting slightly before baking, say 375 F. Bake them in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, flipping once in between cooking, say 15-20 minutes.

Serving Baked Chicken Wings
When juices from the baked chicken wings come out clear, you can be sure that the chicken wings are done and ready for serving. Allow them to cool down and let the internal cooking continue for 5-7 minutes. But, if you like the taste of crispy chicken, you can grill further to make them crunchy, like restaurant style chicken wings. Serve with spicy dip sauce and your favorite veggies on the side.

So, isn't baking chicken wings easy for you? Instead of trying regular chicken recipes that you have been preparing for many years, bake moist and flavorful chicken wings to satisfy your taste buds. They are perfect for serving in main course, or as easy appetizers and snacks. Also, by serving baked chicken wings, you are controlling the daily calorie intake of you and your family members. Isn't that great?