Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

So you want to make a big batch of chicken wings for game day, but you don’t want to mess around with a fryer. Good news! These baked chicken wings are as golden brown and crispy as can be—no deep-frying required.

The technique is quite simple: Trim the wing tips, then toss the wings in cornstarch, oil, and spices, and bake. Yes, that’s it. The real star of this recipe is the dusting of five-spice powder, which brings an aromatic, savory, mouth-tingly punch to the oven-crisped wings. Coat your cooked wings in wing sauce or serve ‘em dry: The spice blend stands up on its own (though the hot-sauce-spiked dipping sauce doesn’t hurt).

A few tips for achieving the crispiest, I-can’t-believe-they’re-not-fried wings: To start, pat the wings dry with a paper towel, removing excess moisture. A toss in cornstarch (or a cornstarch substitute) helps the wings achieve maximum crispiness while still keeping them gluten-free. Spread the wings in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, being careful not to crowd the pan. (Pro tip: You can also achieve extra-crispy skin-on chicken wings in an air fryer.) Finish the hot-from-the-oven wings with a sprinkle of kosher salt to ensure they’re well-seasoned.

This chicken wings recipe is ready for riffing: Use drumettes if that’s your thing—or mix up the seasonings. Make a BBQ rub with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Coat them in Buffalo sauce and serve with a sidecar of ranch or blue cheese dressing for classic Buffalo wings. Or, toss them in lemon juice and zest, black pepper, and Parmesan for a lemon-pepper moment. Any variation of these crispy baked chicken wings will make an all-star addition to your slate of Super Bowl appetizers.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘The New Easy’ by Donna Hay. Buy the full book on Amazon.