Chicken Wings

Game Day Chicken Wings are a really classic staple in the fall and winter and this recipe is huge on flavor, crispiness, but low on calories.

From the kickoff of football season to the Super Bowl, I am excessively making these chicken wings. I should actually make them year-round, but there’s something special about saving them for football season as my fiancé Tom and I are huge football fans. We couldn’t agree less on our NY Giants & Philadelphia Eagles rivalry, but at least having food like this makes things a little better!

The only problem I have with this is that in general, game day food (aka bar food) is loaded with calories and unhealthy fats. I want to enjoy the game, but I don’t want to ruin all the work I put into my workouts for the week. I want to basically have my cake, eat it, but not feel guilty about it. The reason this recipe has stuck for several years now is because the wings are still crispy and flavorful like fried coated wings, but are just baked in the oven and don't have any batter on them.

So, cleaning up the classic buffalo wing that is usually dredged in flour, fried, and then tossed with a mixture of butter and hot sauce starts with flavor. I mix together paprika, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin. You can add cayenne to make it spicier – but I’m a wimp and can’t handle anything hotter than mild.

First, toss your wings with just a little bit of olive oil and then season the wings with the spice blend. Coat with your choice of hot sauce, the amount will also depend on how hot you want them. About ¼ cup for mild on 1 ¼ pound of wings. Let this marinate just for about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425.

Set up a baking sheet with some aluminum foil (makes clean up super easy) and spray with nonstick spray. Lay the wings out on the tray – do not overcrowd or they will steam instead of getting crispy. I usually stick to about 12 per tray. Bake for 20 minutes flipping halfway through.

They’re done when the skin starts to get golden brown and looks partially caramelized. If it chars a little that’s okay too – its full of flavor! You can toss them in some more hot sauce before you eat as well if you like them saucy.

5 from 3 votes

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Chicken Wings

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ pound of skinless chicken wings
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Paprika
• 1 tbsp Garlic powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Pepper
• ½ tbsp. Chili powder
• 1 tsp Cumin
• Cayenne optional for hot
• ¼ cup Hot sauce

Instructions

1. Mix together paprika, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin.
2. Toss wings with olive oil and then season with the spice blend.
3. Coat with your choice of hot sauce and let this marinate for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat your oven to 425. Set up a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray. Lay the wings out on the tray. Bake for 20 minutes flipping halfway through.

Recipe Notes

• A serving size is 6 wings