For all three methods you’ll need at least these to get started:
- Chicken wings
- Kosher salt: (1% of chicken weight)
- Equipment: Baking sheet w/ wire rack
Method 1 - basic dry brine (just salt)
The easiest way to get a crispy oven wing is to salt & your wings in the fridge overnight.
How do you do it?
- Toss the wings with 1% kosher salt by weight, and then arrange them on a wire rack. Let them dry out uncovered in the fridge overnight.
- on high heat (~400°F/200°C) for 45 minutes or until golden brown & crispy, checking every 20 minutes to flip them or rotate the pan.
Why does it work?
The salt will draw out moisture from the skin, and also ensure the meat gets seasoned and stays juicy during .
Method 2 - leveled up dry brine (baking powder & cornstarch)
For this method, you’ll also need
- Baking powder (1% of chicken weight)
- Corn starch (1% of chicken weight)
How do you do it?
- Toss the wings with 1% kosher salt, 1% corn starch, and 1% baking powder by weight, and then arrange them on a wire rack. If you have time, you can dry brine uncovered in the fridge overnight too!
- Roast on high heat (~400°F/200°C) for 45 minutes or until golden brown & crispy, checking every 20 minutes to flip them or rotate the pan.
Why does it work?
Baking powder lowers the PH of the chicken skin for better browning, and corn starch will gel any moisture that will crisp up when baked. This is a great shortcut to golden, crispy wings if you didn’t get a chance to dry brine wings in advance.
- Disclaimer: Don’t accidentally use baking soda unless you want your wings to taste like soap. We learned the hard way.
Method 3 - confit & double fry
If you want the ultimate contrast between a juicy interior and a shatter-level crisp exterior, the confit / double fry method is the way to go. This requires , but you can do half the frying in advance and even bulk freeze wings to be easily finished later.
- This method is a bit more involved, so check out this guide and infographic which has all the information you need.
