The microwave gets a bad reputation in serious cooking circles. This is unfair. For chicken wings, it solves a genuine problem — wings cooked straight on a barbecue or in a hot oven risk burning the outside before the meat near the bone is properly cooked through. The microwave works from the inside out, releasing moisture and starting the cooking process before the wings go anywhere near high heat. The result is crispy microwave baked chicken wings that are cooked all the way through, not charred on the outside and pink at the bone.

THE METHOD

Two stages — microwave first, oven second. The baking powder in the seasoning is the other trick: it draws moisture to the surface and helps the skin blister and crisp in the oven.

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken wings
• ½ tsp baking powder per 500g wings
• Olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• A pinch of cayenne
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the baguette:

• 1 wholemeal baguette
• Hummus
• A sauce of your choice
• Finely sliced red onion
• Thinly sliced tomatoes
• A handful of lamb's lettuce

How to Make Crispy Microwave Baked Chicken Wings

1. Pat the wings dry and toss with a little baking powder.
2. Arrange on a microwave-safe plate lined with kitchen paper. Microwave on medium-high (600–700W) for 3–4 minutes to release moisture and begin cooking.
3. Pat dry again. Coat with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan). Place the wings on a rack over a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes per side, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy.
5. Rest for 5 minutes, then strip the meat from the bones.

To make the baguette:

6. Slice a wholemeal baguette in half. Spread hummus on one side and a sauce of your choice on the other.
7. Fill with the shredded crispy chicken, red onion, tomatoes and lamb's lettuce. Wrap in a napkin and eat immediately.

The same microwave-first approach works well for drumsticks too — anything on the bone where you want to guarantee the meat is cooked through before the outside catches. If you enjoy cooking chicken wings, the collection is growing: RidgeMonkey Spicy Chicken Wings, Baked Chicken Wings with a Spicy Cupboard Marinade, Easy Buffalo Wings, Crispy Sesame Chicken Wings, Crispy Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, Baked Chicken Wings with Sticky Honey and Hot Sauce, and Slow Cooker Chicken Wings with Parsnips.

FOOTNOTE

This crispy microwave baked chicken wings recipe is part of the Chicken Recipes hub — a complete collection of chicken and poultry recipes from Casa Adora and the road. Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef.