Tired of wings drenched it hot sauce? This recipe for spicy dry rub chicken wings uses a seasoned blend of ground dried peppers instead.
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I really like hot Buffalo wings and dry chicken wing rubs as long as there is no traditional breading, they are super low in carbs.
I prefer to bake wings rather than fry them as I try to stay away from deep fried foods.
It’s really easy to cook chicken wings in the oven. For this recipe, I wanted to try a dry rub spice on the wings instead of the regular hot sauce.
I experimented with a couple different blends and decided on this moderately hot version even though I am a fan of the hotter spice mix.
My initial batch of dry rub chicken wings was pretty hot and spicy so I toned down the cayenne pepper so the other members of my family would eat them.
I don’t like disjointing chicken wings so I buy them already separated into the wingette and drumette pieces if available.
Otherwise, you have to twist each joint area and then cut through with a sharp knife to separate the whole wing into three smaller pieces.
You can use whole chicken wings if you prefer like in the Easy Baked Teriyaki Wings recipe. But I like to separate them at the joints because it’s easier to eat that way.
The tip of the chicken wing is usually discarded, leaving the drumette and wingette for these dry rub chicken wings.
Although some folks do eat them, the wing tip is best saved for making chicken stock.
As with my baked coconut flour chicken tenders, I use a regular baking rack to lift the chicken pieces off the pan. This allows them to crisp up in the oven.
I’ve found that putting the pieces directly on the pan can cause sticking as well as some softness.
I also turn the broiler on for the last ten minutes of baking which helps to crisp the outside of each piece.
It is best to spray the rack with a cooking oil unless you have one that is non-stick.
But I find that it’s usually not a problem if a little bit of the chicken sticks to the rack as it usually comes right off.
For even browning, you’ll also want to make sure you flip the wings in the middle of the baking time.
For the chicken wing seasoning, I used spices that I normally have in the pantry to make the recipe simple.
You may want to add ground Chipotle pepper powder, but since I didn’t have that, I used chili powder instead.
I thought it might give the wings a Mexican flavor, but it didn’t. The smoked paprika adds a little sweet pepper taste and the cayenne provides the heat.
For a milder spice, use less cayenne or use more if you like it hotter. Feel free to adjust the spicy chicken wings blend to suit your own taste.
Most of my family doesn’t like spicy wings so I have to cut back on the hotter spices when making the recipe to share with them. Otherwise, these wings would be as hot as fire.
Spicy Dry Rub Chicken Wings – Oven Baked Recipe
Not only are these wings easy and delicious, they are also Whole30 and paleo friendly. My family loves them and I love how quick they are to prepare.
They make a wonderful appetizer for hanging out with friends on game day. I’ve also made them for outdoor parties as they are a fantastic finger food.
For other easy bake appetizers, check out how I make boneless pork ribs in the oven and how to make salt and vinegar wings.
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Spicy Dry Rub Chicken Wings – Oven Baked
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings about 20 wingettes & drumettes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper more for hotter wings
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Instructions
- Dry wing pieces with paper towels to remove excess liquid.
- Place wings in a large bowl and rub olive oil evenly into each piece.
- Combine all seasonings in a bowl.
- Sprinkle half of the season mix onto the chicken wings and rub in. Flip wings and sprinkle remaining half onto wings and rub in.
- Place rack over shallow baking pan with sides (line pan with foil for easy cleanup). Place seasoned wings on rack.
- Bake at 350 degrees °F for 20 minutes, flip each wing, then bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Turn oven broiler on low and broil for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Serve with celery and blue cheese dressing if desired.
Notes
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Nutrition
Additional Info
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
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Lisa MarcAurele has been creating keto friendly recipes since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!
Lee says
I will be trying this recipe tomorrow on the smoker. I usually order Classic wings at places and need to make these with slightly less heat for my wife. How Hot is this recipe?
Looking forward to making these!
Lisa MarcAurele says
It depends on the cayenne spice used. If you prefer them less hot, I’d recommend using half or less of cayenne.
Lee says
Smoked wings for 2 hours at 180 then cranked up the Heat to finish them off. These came out great!
Lisa MarcAurele says
Sounds awesome Lee!
Lynn says
Absolutely gorgeous, best ever wings I have ever had!
Mom says
Have you ever made these ahead? Would you need or want to reheat them? If so how do you suggest doing that? Thanks for help
Lisa MarcAurele says
You can make them ahead and reheat in a low temperature oven. The microwave works too if in a rush, just make sure it’s only 50% power.
Karhy says
These were fantastic!
I used less cayenne & added baking powder on fresh wings
Better than restaurant wings.
Thank you for the recipe
Kelly says
How much baking powder did you use?
Rebecca says
Has anyone tried this on boneless wings.? Just want to know if they worked out or if I have to add some flour?
Lisa MarcAurele says
I have and it works out. Just make sure you adjust the cayenne amount down if you don’t like them too spicy.
Robert F. says
Absolutely delicious! Just the right amount of heat for me. I am going to add some Frank’s Red Hot ‘Buffalo’ spice to the next batch to try and get that a little more of that authentic Buffalo wing experience. Happy New Year!
Lisa MarcAurele says
A little extra spice is always nice for me! Best wishes to you in the New Year!
John Helsel says
This recipe is awesome. Easy and delicious.
Lisa MarcAurele says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the wings John!
Fatima Attia says
Just made this recipe. My super carnivor husband said it was the best chicken he’s ever had, and asked me to add it to my recipe book, and add it to our rotation! They were absolutely incredible and 100% Keto for me ??????. We love all your recipes, but this one was just amazing!!
Lisa MarcAurele says
Sounds like a big win! My husband loves these too but I need to tone down the spice for him as he doesn’t like spicy food as much as I do.
Rose says
Very yummy and easy! I used the steaming because my chicken was frozen and they turned out crispy and flavorful.
Jplashka says
Was on a cleanse, needed a hotwing that was gluten free, sugar free, and fermented sauce free. Found the recipe and thought I’ll give it a go for Grey cup Sunday. The flavor was unreal…cleanse or not, I’ll be doing this rub time and again. Gonna apply this on a beer can chicken this weekend….thankyou!!!!
Lisa MarcAurele says
So glad the rub worked out well for you! Hope it works on the beer can chicken too.
Pete says
I’ll be using this rub for wings tomorrow night. One trick for crispier wings is to steam them for about 30 minutes, then cooling and drying them in the fridge before staring the recipe. Steaming them renders some of the fat, yielding a crispier wing.
Lisa says
Great tip! I’ve added that to the recipe notes.
Michaela says
Yum! This is a good recipe, although I felt the rub was missing a little. I played with herbs and added rosemary, thyme, and celery seed, and then just the smallest touch of brown sugar to round it all out. They were the favorite of the party!
Lisa says
Thanks for sharing your version! The touch of sweetness is a good way to enhance the flavor.
Bruce Parkinson says
Excellent rub…thank you.
Lisa says
You’re welcome Bruce! Enjoy!
Andrew says
I made these in our Actifry, using the snack basket. They turned out great! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Lisa says
Thanks for sharing. I’ll be trying them in the air fryer next time.
Ryan says
Absolutely awesome wings!!
Lisa says
Glad they worked out!
Robot Asimov says
I did not enjoy these at all.
Lisa says
It’s simple to make some adjustments to the seasoning to taste.
Nancy says
I’m going to make these tomorrow. Can you tell me what was wrong with them?
Margo says
Please forgive my ignorance, but where do the carbs come from as none of the ingredients have them? What am I missing?
Lisa says
Some of the spices do contain carbs.
Rashie C says
Hands down the best wings I’ve EVER made…I’ll be making these often (but I’ll have to triple the recipe next time!)
Thanks a ton!
Darryl says
Great job. Just got done making them. After they were done we dipped some of them in a wet hot sauce which made them taste more “Buffalo” These tasted great.
Steve says
Superb! I cooked longer than recommended, but otherwise a perfect recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Troy Jarrell says
Hands down the best baked wings I have ever tasted. I have eaten lots of wings in my 50 years but none close to this. These will be my go to from now on.
Lisa says
I’m so glad you like them Troy!
Vani says
My wings are still in the oven but the time is almost done and they don’t look crispy.
VBE
Lisa says
Put them under the broiler if needed.
Michele says
I put these on parchment paper and cooked them under the broiler. They were excellent. Note: I added 1 1/2 tsp Rosemary.
Lisa says
Thanks for sharing the tip on cooking under the broiler! Rosemary is always a great spice to add.
Jennifer S. says
We’ve recently gone lchf in my house and I’ve been struggling to find recipes that are not only flavourful and satifsfying but easy to make. These wings of yours totally fit the bill. I made them, following your recipe exactly and WOW was I a hero!! They are no in the regular rotation. Thanks so much!
Lisa says
You’re welcome Jennifer! Thanks for stopping in. 🙂
Chris says
Tried these on the BBQ grill last night, turned out so good! Perfect flavour and just the right amount of heat for my taste. Definitely making this again, might even try the spice blend on some pork chops tonight (BBQ’D again – i’m Australian lol…) thanks heaps! ☺
Lisa says
I never thought to cook these on the grill. May give that a try.
Candy says
What if I don’t have a rack?!any suggestions ?
Lisa says
You can put in directly on the pan, but I find it crisps up better on a rack.
sarah says
I usually do a wet marinade for my wings but, I thought Id try a dry rub. Not only are these wings well seasoned, ( I agree, not too much) they came out crispy, flavorful and fall off the bone tender! I did keep the wings whole and baked at 400 degrees for 50 minutes with a quick, 5 minute broil and flip at the end to get those extra crispy favorable edges.
Lisa says
Thanks for the tips Sarah!
Mary Rose van Kesteren says
Do you put spiced wings on baking rack or on foil? Both are mentioned in your instructions. Otherwise look great.
Lisa says
I line the pan with foil then put a baking rack on top of the foil. That way any drippings are easily cleaned up.
Tom says
That is some damn good chicken.
Lisa says
Agree!
diana claar says
I use a similar recipe but instead of baking I freeze them and then deep fry. They are spicy until I put them in the deep fryer. When they come out they are not spicy. ???????? HELP
Lisa says
Sounds like the spice is lost in the oil. You’d need to reapply the spice after frying.
Brian Moman says
Don’t bother spicing something you’re going to deep fry if it’s not breaded. The spices just wash off in the oil. Instead, fry them naked and them toss them in the spices right after frying.
Marci says
Just made these today for the Superbowl…Absoultely delicious!!
Lisa says
Glad they worked out for you Marci!
Colbert says
Just tried this recipe using chicken breast strips instead of wings. DELICIOUS.
Lisa says
Sounds yummy and easier to eat!
Elizabeth says
About to flip them here pretty soon. Hopefully they taste as good as they smell! Thanks for the recipe!!
Lisa says
Hope they worked out Elizabeth!
William says
Best rub I have ever had. Made the chicken wings 3 times now,every one loves them. I mix all the spices and then put them in a shaker. Put chicken on rack and then shake spices over top and again when I turn the chicken.
Lisa says
Using a shaker is a great idea!
Jocelyn R says
Hi there! Just came across this recipe and will try it tonight! My question is, are the wings frozen at the time that you put on the dry rub? Or do you use thawed wings?
Thanks!
Lisa says
I used fresh wings, not frozen. You might be able to adjust the cooking time to use them frozen, though.
Elba O says
I made these for Super Bowl Sunday. They were a hit! Making them again, tonight, while we watch the Oscars. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Lisa says
Thanks for writing in Elba! Glad they went over so well!
KalynsKitchen says
Good Morning! Just letting you know that I featured this recipe (and another one from your site) in a round-up of 50+ Low-Carb and Gluten-Free Superbowl Appetizer Recipes. Hope a lot of people will click over from my site and check it out!
Lisa says
Thank you! I’ll give the round-up a share.
Geni says
Instead of baking the wings, try grilling them… I discovered this years ago and now always grill my wings instead of frying. Use medium to low heat to keep them from burning.