Here's a really simple hot wings recipe. I used full wings, however you can separate them with kitchen shears, or ask a butcher to do it. I didn't separate the wingettes and drummettes until after baking them.

I had no idea hot wings were so easy to make. I paired them with a creamy ranch dressing, sliced carrots and celery but feel free to add other sides and vegetables.

I used my dairy-free ranch dressing but again, free free to use a blue cheese dressing (see the recipe headnotes), or the ranch dressing from my cookbook, Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, 2nd edition, page 83 (it's also in the 1st edition).

As for getting the wings crunchy without deep frying them, again, it's easier than I thought. Read the recipe head notes for more.

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Baked Hot Wings

There are a few hot sauce brands that are made simply of red cayenne peppers, vinegar, and salt, such as Arizona Peppers Organic, Tabasco Pepper Sauce; then Melinda's and Frank's have some additional ingredients.

The wings definitely get crispy after baking when you use a wire rack over a baking sheet. I add parchment paper below the wire rack for easy cleanup. To get them extra crispy, leave them uncovered in the refrigerator for a few hours or even over night to dry out the skin.

Cutting the wings to get a wingette, drummette, and wing tip: Sometimes I don't cut the wings, but when I do, I freeze the tips for chicken stock. To cut them yourself, use kitchen shears and snip through the center of each joint. Another option is to ask the butcher to cut the wings for you.

If you don't have hot sauce, sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, ¼ of salt, and a tablespoon of vinegar in the melted butter.

To make blue cheese dressing, combine a 1 cup of ranch dressing and add about ¼ cup of blue cheese.

Servings: servings

Calories: 324kcal

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings (cut into pieces, see headnotes)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted or ghee
¼ cup hot sauce

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C, or gas mark 6)
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and a wire rack on top of the paper.
Toss the wings in the salt, or sprinkle it over the chicken.
Arrange the chicken on a wire rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the wings are crispy and browned.
Make the dressing, and slice up carrot and celery sticks.
Make the wing sauce by combining the hot pepper sauce and melted butter.
Toss the wings in the wing sauce and serve with the dressing, carrots and celery.