Food in the Time of ‘Rona: Smoked Chili Dry Rub Wings
And we’re back! Day 30 of Quarantine (for me, at least) and I’m tired of dishes and stressed out about gaining the #Quarantine15. But, the show must go on.
This week, I’ve had a taste for takeout/bar type foods- teriyaki chicken, pizza, wings and the like. So this past Friday after a four hour “nap”, I hauled ass and decided on a Pizza & Wing Night to complement my new HBONow access (thank you, Della). I played around with some seasonings and came up with a dry rub for party wings (the frozen kind, no need to be bougie here) and it came out FIRE. I’ll share the pizza dough and sauce recipe another day but below, check out my recipe for Smoked Chili Dry Rub wings. Enjoy!
Note: this rub can be used for things other than chicken! I have some vegan friends (hey, Gab) and this would be phenomenal to toast with chickpeas or tofu as a protein addition.
6 Servings
Ingredients:
4 lbs party wings (yes, the bag from the frozen section)
4 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
Dry Rub Spice Blend
1 tbsp (approx.) each:
smoked paprika
onion powder
kosher salt
garlic powder
thyme (fresh)
black pepper
oregano
2 tbsp (approx.) each:
light brown sugar
chili powder
paprika
cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and top with a wire rack. (Note: If you don’t have a wire rack to layer in your sheet pan, that’s okay. It’s not the end of the world if your house isn’t a chef’s supply store. Just nix it and if needed, put the wings under the broiler for the last two minutes to make sure they’re crisp. I did not use one, personally!)
Pat dry wings- it is very important that the wings are dry so that they don’t steam in the oven. Toss with oil.
In a bowl, mix your dry rub ingredients together. Coat the chicken wings with the mix— use your hands and massage the rub into the wings to fully cover.
Layer chicken flat on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes on the bottom rack.
Serve with your choice of dipping sauce.
Images: Author