Instead of marinating the chicken, we dress it after it’s been cooked, when it’s still hot and can absorb the marinade through and through. Feel free to experiment with different citrus (limes and oranges are delicious too) and different herbs.
kitchen gear
-
Cutting board
-
Sharp knife (adult needed)
-
Measuring spoons
-
Rimmed baking sheet
-
Aluminum foil or parchment paper
-
Tongs
-
Pot holders
-
Large bowl
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on whole or split chicken wings
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Grated zest and juice of 2 scrubbed lemons
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, thyme, or oregano, or a combination
- 1 teaspoon olive or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (if you like)
Instructions
-
Turn the oven on and set the heat to 450 degrees. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
-
If using whole wings, put the wings on the cutting board. Stretch them out until you see three distinct parts: The meatiest part is the drumette, the middle is the wingette, and the other end is the wing tip. Carefully cut off the wing tips and save them to make chicken stock, or throw them away.
-
Put the chicken wings, skin-side down, on the lined baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
-
Once the oven temperature has reached 450 degrees, put the baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Use pot holders to remove the baking sheet from the oven and use the tongs to flip each wing over. Put the baking sheet back in the oven and bake until the wings are golden and crisp, about 20 minutes.
-
Put the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and all the other ingredients in the bowl and mix well.
-
Using the tongs, transfer the chicken wings to the bowl. Gently mix over and over until almost all the lemon mixture is absorbed by the chicken. Serve right away, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.
