By Kira Wills, Guest Blogger, Girl Meats Fork
So many people I know love chicken wings. You know, those squishy, messy, greasy, spicy little chicken arms that usually more bone than meat. I never got why they were so popular, maybe it’s all the alcohol traditionally consumed while eating them. I don’t really like them and certainly never crave them. The only time I eat a chicken wing is when I make or bring home a roast chicken. It’s the first piece I taste, and that’s usually meaty and salty and delicious.
My mother has been admirably working to lose weight for months. She exercises with a determination I can admire—usually while I’m in the kitchen making something not-so diet friendly (Can cooking be considered cardio?). Even my mother, who can eat only one potato chip, is only human and her cravings for fast eventually grew to overpower her willpower. “I want fried chicken wings. I want Popeye’s!” She proclaimed after an hour on the treadmill.
I promised her I’d make her some chicken wings that would settle her craving, but wouldn’t negate all of her had work.
So I set out on the ‘net, sorted through recipes with glazes and sauces and 25 ingredients, and created one that I love with a bit of trial and error on the mix of spices. These wings are baked, not fried, yet the skin is still crispy and the meat is still tender and flavorful. Now, these are chicken wings I’d like to knock back while watching a football game and drinking beer.
And they passed not one, but two tests. First, my mother LOVED them and declared her fast food craving had been satisfied. Second, my father, who puts hot sauce on pancakes, ate these wings without it.
Mission accomplished just in time for New Year’s Day parties or the Superbowl!
Rosemary Spice Chicken Wings
Ingredients
3.5 to 4 pounds chicken wings (about 12 to 18 wings)
1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for drizzling
1 ½ tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons seasoning salt, such as Lawry’s
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne*
Salt
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.
Remove the tips of the chicken wings with kitchen shears or a knife. Clean wings of any stray hairs or extra fat with shears.
Thoroughly rinse wings and pat dry with paper towels. In a large bowl or large pan, drizzle chicken wings with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mix with hands until all wings are evenly coated. Add all spices except salt and mix until all wings are evenly coated.
Place skin side up in a single layer on baking sheets, allowing a bit of space between each wing. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the wings, and rub over the top to distribute. Finally, sprinkle each wing very lightly with salt.
Bake in the oven until wings are a deep golden brown and the skin is crispy, about 45 to 55 minutes. Rotate pans halfway through cooking process so wings will brown evenly.
Serve immediately.
*Measurements of spices and herbs are based the amount of wings being made.
*You can make the wings as spicy as you like. I prefer a bit of back heat. Increase the cayenne and even add some red pepper flakes if you’d like more of a kick.
