Bake the wings first with just oil.
If you’ve never made chicken wings before, this rule might sound odd, but you don’t actually bake your wings with the sauce. Chicken wings take about an hour to cook through and get crispy—most sauces will burn by the time the meat is safe to eat. So we like to toss the wings in oil and season with salt and pepper before baking.
Bake on a wire rack.
Soggy chicken skin = no bueno. Line a large baking sheet (make sure it’s rimmed, to contain the fat drippings) with a metal wire rack. (Most cooling racks work, just be sure it’s oven-safe.) The wings need the hot air to circulate underneath the skin to ensure crispiness.
Ingredients
2 lb. bone-in chicken wings
1/4 c. vegetable oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 stick melted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Caesar dressing, for dipping
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400° and line a large rimmed baking sheet with a metal rack. Toss wings with oil and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer wings to prepared metal rack and bake until golden and crispy, about 50 minutes.
Make sauce: In a large bowl, stir together melted butter, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes. Add wings and toss until completely coated.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve with Caesar dressing.
