Dry rub chicken wings are rubbed with a smoky and sweet coating and then baked to crispy perfection.
Kicking off this Mitten Movie Night with a chicken wing recipe that will make sure you don’t miss saucy wings at all.
When I was thinking about what to make this weekend, I remembered some really great wings that we had in Florida. While there, we stayed in a condo so we hit the local Costco and grabbed some already made-up dishes from the deli area to save money on eating out. That is where we got these tasty chicken wings from. We heated them up in the oven and paired them with a giant salad.
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When we got home sadly our local Costco did not have them. So light bulb moment, I will make my own dry rub chicken wings at home!
Full disclosure, I have never made wings before. If you read my post about Wing Sauce Sliders, you would know why and how I just finally came around to buffalo sauce, let alone chicken wings. But I was willing to give them a try because they smelled so good and they didn’t disappoint.
So off to the internet, I went to check out how some of my favorite bloggers make dry rub chicken wings. Then since I don’t have a grill, how to bake chicken wings?
What beer pairs well with dry rub chicken wings?
The beer: Greenbush Brewing, Star Chicken Shotgun.
These sweet and smoky dry rub chicken wings pair great with my hubby’s favorite style of beer, an IPA.
Poultry and IPA’s work well together but add the spice of the rub and crispy skin and you have a perfect combination.
The ingredients and why they work so well together
- Chicken wings. Whole chicken wings, chicken drummies, or a combination of both can be used for this recipe.
- Dry rub. You will more than likely have all the ingredients for this spice mixture in your pantry.
- Oil. Pour the oil over the top of the wings before baking to help the spices coat the chicken and it helps create a crispy skin as they bake.
- Butter. Top with melted butter before serving.
- Dipping sauce. I like to use chunky blue cheese with these.
How to make dry rub chicken wings step-by-step
For the rub, I visited Bewitchin’ Kitchen and followed the recipe for Sweet n’ Smoky Rib Rub. It had all the spices I thought were in the rub I was basing these on. It turned out great, and I didn’t need to go out and buy any fancy ingredients. I had all of them in my spice cabinet.
Next, I headed over to The Chunky Chef’s site and followed the directions for baked chicken wings from her Epic Dry-Rubbed Chicken Wings recipe.
To a large bowl, I added the wings and then drizzled them with 2 tablespoons of oil.
Sprinkle the wings with the dry rub over the top.
Then rub all the wings with that good flavor.
On a prepared cookie sheet, put down aluminum foil and a wire baking rack.
Lay the seasoned wings on the baking rack and put them into a preheated 400-degree oven for 45 minutes. Be prepared because if you make these the house will smell downright amazing!
Once the chicken was done, I decided to use a part of The Suburban Soapbox’s Grilled Old Bay Chicken Wings recipe.
At the end of the recipe, it called for melting 4 Tbs of butter. Pour it over the chicken.
Toss to coat the chicken with butter.
FAQ’s
Yes. Follow the package directions to thaw the wings before adding the dry rub to them.
Yes. Keep the seasoning simple before cooking if covering the wings in a sauce after cooking so that it doesn’t take away from the flavor of the sauce that you use. If using a dry rub, add the seasoning before cooking.
Use a meat thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the chicken wing reaches 165 degrees F.
Storage
Store the chicken wings in a covered container and refrigerate. Reheat in the oven for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees. You can also reheat them in the air fryer for 6 minutes at 400 degrees, flip them, and air fry them for 4 more minutes.
More recipes to feed hungry guests
Make a bowl of blue cheese dressing to dip them into. And here you are……..
From our home in the Bottom Left of the Mitten to yours ~ Enjoy!
Dry Rub Chicken Wings
Equipment
- large bowl
- tongs
- baking sheet
- baking rack
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings I used fresh but you could use frozen, just follow package directions for thawing them
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Mix together the paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, peppers, coarse kosher salt, dry mustard, chili powder, cayenne powder, and cumin in a small bowl.1 tablespoon Spanish paprika, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- To a large bowl, I added the wings then drizzled them with 2 Tbs oil. Sprinkle the wings with the dry rub over the top. Then rub all the wings with that good flavor.4 pounds chicken wings, 2 tablespoons oil
- On a prepared cookie sheet, cover with aluminum foil and add a baking rack. Lay the wings on the baking rack, then put them into a preheated 400-degree oven for 45 minutes.
- When chicken is done, melt 4 Tbs of butter. Toss to coat the chicken with butter.4 tablespoons butter, melted
- Serve with blue cheese dressing on the side. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Tips for making this recipe:
- You can use frozen chicken wings for this recipe just make sure to thaw them out according to the directions on the back of the bag.
- Make sure that the center of the thickest part of the chicken wing registers at 165 degrees F to make sure they are cooked thoroughly.
- To store: add to a covered container and refrigerate. Eat within 3 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer.
Originally published in June of 2018. Updated photos & recipe March 2021.
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Last Updated on March 28, 2023 by Erin@BottomLeftoftheMitten
These look like they are packed with flavor! I love the use of mustard powder and brown sugar…. that sweet savoury hit will be wonderful!
Yes, the sweet and savory does go very well together. Thank you, Claire!
It’s wonderful, I cut the very end tip of the wing off, and added it to the broth pot pieces. The remaining pieces looked so appetizing. They were a hit with the guys.
Wonderful! I am so glad everyone enjoyed them.
This is the only dry rub recipe I use for wings and drumsticks. Excellent taste!!
So glad that you like it. Tammie!
Can the wings be prepared with the rub in advance? Is there any advantage to letting them sit in the spices for a long period of time?
While I don’t think this would add much flavor by making them in advance, because it’s not really like a marinade that is meant to flavor all the layers of the meat, I don’t think that there would be any problem with making them in advance to have them ready to go into the oven when it comes time. I hope you enjoy them!