Tuesday, December 5, 2017

BAKED LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN WINGS

They're crispy, easy, so flavorful and perfect for football Sunday's! You have GOT to try this fool-proof oven baked chicken wing recipe!




I don't know about you guys, but I totally have my game day staple foods. I'm talking nachos, buffalo chicken dip, potato skins, chips & dips, you name it. But you know what else goes along with those game day foods? Calories... that's what. So today I'm sharing with you guys one of my so easy you can't mess it up but still so good you'll wanna eat every last wing, Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wing Recipe. 

Traditional fried wings can run up to 150 calories per wing, that's not including the sauce! Eat 5 of those babies and you're looking at a full 750 calories, not including the ranch and definitely not including the sides. 

The good news is this is a lightened up version of your favorite finger food and the best news is that they are completely customizable! (Is that a word? You can completely customize them? There we go.)

Want Buffalo Sauce wings? Cook the wings with oil then toss in Frank's Buffalo Sauce after cooking.
Want a dry-rub ranch? Coat with oil and a Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packet before cooking. 
How about Caribbean? Toss 'em with oil and Mrs. Dash's Caribbean seasoning before cooking. 

(A good rule of thumb; Dry rubs = oil + seasoning before cooking, Sauces = oil before cooking + toss in sauce after)




For my wings, I use the frozen wingettes (both wings & drumsticks) and let them thaw in the fridge for 1-2 days before cooking. I'll often purchase a few 2.5lb bags when they're on sale and keep them frozen until a few days before we're hosting. My hands-down favorite wing flavor (and this recipe) uses McCormick Perfect Pinch Lemon & Pepper seasoning. 

The key to this recipe and making your wings crispy is patting your wings as dry as possible before cooking. Since I use once-frozen now-thawed wings, they often sit in the juices from thawing until I remove them from the bag. Before cooking, I lay them flat on doubled-up paper towels then pat dry with another wad of paper towels. They should almost be tacky to the touch.

I know, I know, super wasteful with the paper towels but I promise you it's worth it!

Once your wings are dry(ish), put them in a bowl with the olive and seasoning and toss gently. Then put them on the cooling rack on top of the foiled cookie sheet with plenty of space between each. I would recommend putting no more than 15 wings per cookie sheet so they have room to cook evenly.

*NOTE: The first time I made these I had a super dirty oven and set the smoke alarms off in my house. Running around attempting to shut them the heck up, while opening windows, calming the dog down, turning on every fan in the house and praying the Charlotte Fire Department doesn't show up is NOT FUN. I would recommend a somewhat clean oven and even putting a large sheet of heavy duty foil on the entire rack below the rack your wings are on just in case any oil drips. You don't want the oil dripping onto the heating elements or it WILL smoke.  



I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as everyone else does. It's guy approved, crowd approved, and gut approved!

If you make them (lemon pepper or not!) be sure to tag me (@lightweightplate) so I can see your beautiful plates! ENJOY!





print recipe

Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
The perfect, lightened up gameday food!
Ingredients
  • 2.5lbs Frozen Chicken Wingettes (thawed)
  • 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 3 tbsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
  • Lemon wedge for garnish
Instructions
1) Preheat oven to 400 degree and foil a cookie sheet. Place a cooling rack on top of the foiled cookie sheet and spray the cooling rack with non-stick cooking spray.
2) Pat thawed chicken wings dry with paper towels (do not rinse!). You want them as dry as possible to make the skin crisp up.
3) Toss wings with oil and seasoning (you can adjust oil and seasoning as needed, depending on how many wings you have).
4) Place wings on sprayed cooling rack over foiled cookie sheet. TIP: Cooking them on the cooling rack instead of directly on the cookie sheet allows the wings to cook evenly from all directions instead of cooking faster where they are touching the cookie sheet.
5) Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour depending on your wing size.
6) Serve with carrot sticks, celery and ranch for dipping!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield:



2 comments:

  1. Wow! I made these to the T and it came out perfect! At first I was reluctant because I thought the wings would come out soggy, but when i tell you these are crispier than fried chicken wings!!! They really are! As i am non vegetarian so this is best food for me. Thank you.

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