How to Make Chicken Wings

An excellent snacking food for all, well-cooked chicken wings are fabulous for anytime serving. Be it a special occasion or a simple family gathering, they are favorite finger foods for everyone. But, the unfortunate part is, many of us end up ordering them from outside, thinking homemade chicken wings do not taste up to the mark. Go through the basic steps to make chicken wings crispy, and you will never feel like having restaurant style, baked chicken wings afterward.

Making Chicken Wings in the Oven

There are different ways to prepare chicken wings, and selecting the best recipe depends on your taste buds and health goals. While deep-fried chicken wings taste great as finger food appetizers, they are very high in calories. So, concerned with the high chicken wings calories, most health conscious people drop the idea of deep frying method. Rather, they are baked or grilled with less oil and fatty ingredients. Here's a step-by-step guide for preparing chicken wings in the oven.

• Baked chicken wings taste delicious with less ingredients. Using seasoning in large amounts overpower the mild flavor. So, keep the chicken recipe ingredients minimum for cooking tasty appetizers.
• Purchase 12 - 14 fresh chicken wings (preferably buffalo wings) and prepare them by trimming off the tips. This is just to ensure that they do not get burnt during baking. Wash and rinse them under running water and keep in a colander for draining.
• Place rack in the center of the oven, and preheat oven at 375 F. Also prepare the baking dish by lining with a heavy-duty tin foil. This simple preparation will help in easy cleaning of the baking dish afterwards.
• The next step is seasoning the wings. Ingredients that you can use are salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dry rosemary and other flavorful spices. In fact, you have the choice of using your preferred seasonings for making baked chicken wings.
• In a shallow pan, add the cleaned chicken wings. Sprinkle the seasoning ingredients moderately over them. Then drizzle olive oil (or melted butter) over the wings. Oiling helps in locking moisture for yielding moist, tender chicken wings, which otherwise get dry during baking.
• With your fingers, work on each chicken wing pieces for even coating of seasoning spices and oil. Arrange them in the prepared baking dish in one layer. Bake them for 40 - 50 minutes, or until the skin looks golden brown and crispy. Allow baked chicken wings to cool down for 5 minutes before serving.

This was a complete guide for the best way for making chicken wings. So, the next time you crave for baked chicken wings that taste so good, prepare them on your own, instead of visiting pricey restaurants. That way, you can also alter the recipe ingredients and their quantities as per your preferred taste. If desired, you can also make flavorful chicken wings in a slow cooker. Although it takes a longer period for cooking (7 - 8 hours in low heat setting and 4 hours in medium-high heat setting), they taste awesome.

How to make chicken wings in a crock pot, you ask? You will need a savory sauce to make tender wings. In a saucepan, mix 1 cup each of pineapple juice, orange juice and cider vinegar, along with cup each of ketchup and sugar. Add some onion slices and a dash of freshly ground pepper for added flavor. Pour this into the crock pot and arrange the prepared chicken wings. Slow cook for 8 hours at a low heat setting. By this time, the sauce will get absorbed completely, resulting in soft, tasty wings. Serve them with celery or a spicy dip sauce on the side.