Chicken Wings

When I met husband nobody told me about chicken wings. They were this appetizer that people ordered at restaurants that never made sense to me because hello, there's hardly any meat on them. If you had told me then that 14 years later I'd crave them during the week...I'd have called you a liar. My husband has a knack for always getting them when they're on sale, he's taught me how to cook them in the deep fryer, the foreman, and a friend of ours taught me how to make them taste like they'd been fried while baking them. They're forgiving if you leave them in the oven too long, you can season them with anything, and if you really screw it up you can drown them in hot sauce, ranch or bleu cheese dressing. They're kind of awesome in case, like me, you didn't know. They're such a common meal in our house that blogging about them has never seemed necessary. However, every once in a while they come out so amazing that you find yourself wanting to eat all of them and save none for your husband. Tonight was one of those nights.

First, let me talk about technique. I would say that 90% of the wings we make are baked. Sounds crazy, I know, but I think we've kind of perfected it. I have an old 10x13 metal pan that I cover in foil and I place a cooling rack on top of it. The wings go on the cooling rack and the whole thing goes in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour. When they come out, they're crisp and delicious. If you want them crunchier, you can spray them with cooking oil first.

Second, the seasoning. You really can't go wrong here, however you want them to taste. I'm sharing with you my staples. I like to season each side with a different seasoning.

This is Rancher Steak Seasoning. I've only used it on actual steaks once. I love it on chicken.

Next up is Chesapeake Bay. What is actually in this? I don't know. I've never looked it up. This is interchangeable with any kind of Cajun seasoning, in my opinion. I use this on chicken, pork, hamburgers, potatoes, broccoli, green beans - it's good on everything.

Lastly, you have Chef's Choice Lemon Pepper.

This is special. It actually goes on after the wings are finished. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle on both sides. Your mouth will thank you for it.

Do you have a favorite chicken wing?