Spice-rubbed chicken wings
We do wings a lot around here. Whenever organic chicken wings or organic chicken drumsticks are on sale, as they happened to be at Whole Foods this week, I grab a bunch to store in the freezer. Sometimes I prefer the buying just drumsticks because they tend to be juicier and have more meat than the other chicken wing parts. They secret to my famous chicken wings is the spice rub: a very simple seasoning of salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried thyme or dried oregano. In fact, I use this very same spice rub whenever I make pork chops. My little sous chef son loves to help sprinkle the spices all over the meat, it’s a perfect toddler kitchen task! I spread the wings out onto a large broiler sheet pan so they have enough room to crisp and caramelize. If you over-crowd your baking dish of choice, whether glass or a smaller aluminum baking sheet, the wings will steam and not develop that ever-so-satisfying crunchy skin. I like to season the wings several hours before baking them so as to allow the spices to dry-marinate the chicken; the salt, garlic powder, and smoked really permeate the meat and skin giving the wings a well-rounded punch of flavor. My husband loves chicken wings with rice, so we usually eat our wings with steamed jasmine rice and whatever vegetable we have in the fridge, usually broccoli or green beans. If you are a saucy wing person and like a little bit of heat and tang, I recommend Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce to dip on the side.
Spice-rubbed chicken wings
4 lbs. organic chicken wings or drumsticks
2-3 tsp. smoked paprika
2-3 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. dried thyme or oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
Spread the wings out on a large broiler baking sheet. Season heavily with salt and black pepper, being sure to coat all around the wings. Next, cover the wings with the smoked paprika, granulated garlic, and dried thyme. Use your hands to massage all the spices into the meat and thoroughly cover all of the chicken. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight if needed. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the wings for about 45-60 minutes, flipping halfway through to caramelize and crisp both sides of the chicken pieces. You can even finish off the wings under the broiler if you like them extra crispy! Serve with steamed jasmine rice and broccoli.
