Crispy wings

Crispy, tasty chicken wings have been my holy grail for a while now. I’ve tried probably a dozen different kinds of pre-packaged buffalo wings, including T.G.I. Fridays’, and none have satisfied. They’ve always turned out soggy and meh, even when I tried making them in the Ninja. Until yesterday. I settled in for some football (WTF was that, Chargers?!) and whipped these up, and they were perfection.

Mmmm. Tasty crispy chicken wings.

• 1.125 lbs of “party wings”
• Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce (or, the way I used to do it old school, Whirl (or melted butter) and Cayenne Pepper Sauce, mixed to taste), 2 Tbsp / pound of wings
• Baking powder (1/2 tsp / pound of wings)
• Ground white pepper, to taste (I use less than 1/2 tsp per pound of wings)
• Kosher salt
• Canola oil, I used about 4 spritzes from my Olivia oil sprayer (which, now that I have, I wonder how I ever lived without)[1]

Start with thawed wings.

Set the Ninja for Air Crisper, 400°F, 21 minutes.

While the Ninja is pre-heating, blot the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel, then toss them in a bowl with the oil, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Arrange on the basket in one layer, making sure to leave gaps between the wings so air can circulate.

Cook for 10 minutes and then flip. Check them every five minutes or so after. I’ve found 15 minutes total cook time to be absolutely perfect (internal temperature > 165°F), but your mileage may vary.

Once cooked, pat them dry again to get rid of any excess oil and then toss in a bowl with a couple of tablespoons of sauce, plate and serve.

 

 

[1] The Olivia delivers “approximately 1 gram (0.04 ounces) of cooking oil per full stroke of the trigger,” and a tsp is 0.167 oz., so 4 spritzes is approximately 1 tsp. A tablespoon is 0.5 oz., so, 12-13 sprays = 1 Tbsp.