Next Level Chicken Wings

Next Level Chicken Wings use a unique spice blend for poppin' wings that you'll want to eat again and again.

Prep a bulk batch of the spice blend in advance so you've always got finger-licking chicken wings just a short bake away.

And, these wings are gluten free, paleo, and Whole30-friendly!

Do I need to flip chicken wings when baking?

If you're baking the chicken wings on a wire rack over the baking sheet, you shouldn't need to flip them. I don't, anyway!

Without the wire rack, it's best to flip them halfway through if you want really crispy wings. To be honest, I usually skip it though! Gotta keep things simple when you can.

What's in Next Level Chicken Wings

Besides the chicken wings, here are the spices you'll need:

• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• paprika
• turmeric
• coriander
• chipotle powder
• baking powder

With a little heat and a lot of deep smokey flavor from the paprika and turmeric, this spice blend quickly became a hit with my spouse. These are his top chicken wings!

Originally, I was looking to make a spice blend that would incorporate turmeric. Why? Turmeric is basically a superfood.

I know, I know, crappy buzzword. But for real. Turmeric is the anti-inflammatory king. This spice contains curcumin, which is a super potent antioxidant known to be a mental booster. Turmeric also supports cardiovascular health, joint health, digestive health and mood.

That's a lot of benefit for a humble spice.

Baking powder: a secret ingredient for crispy baked chicken wings

Originally, baking powder wasn't in the ingredients list of this recipe, but upon updating it I knew I needed to add it in.

Turns out that baking powder is the SECRET WEAPON for crispy baked chicken wings. Seriously, it works every time!

My pro tip is just to make sure you don't add TOO much baking powder. If you add too much, you'll detect the off metally flavor.

I tested these wings both with baking powder added and without, and in a side by side blind test my spouse preferred the wings with baking powder just because they were more crispy.

But wait, doesn't baking powder have corn starch? Most store-bought baking powder does. So, to make a corn-free baking powder, mix together equal parts baking soda, cream of tartar, and arrowroot flour.

What to serve with this recipe

These chicken wings are dry-rubbed - no sauce - so all the flavor comes from a simple little spice blend.

Next level chicken wings pack in quite a bit of heat, so they'd be great served with ranch or blue cheese — something to cool the pallate.

Of course, wings are best served with fresh celery and carrots!

More chicken wing recipes to try

• Baked Garlic Buffalo Chicken Wings (Paleo, Whole30)
• Baked Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings
• Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
• Mango Habanero Wings (Whole30, Paleo)
• Sweet and Spicy Baked Chicken Wings

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