Baked Chicken Wings with a Spicy Cupboard Marinade

Baked chicken wings are one of those happy accidents that come together when you raid the cupboard, mix whatever looks promising, and leave the oven to do the work. These were made on a football Saturday — an early kick-off had thrown the whole day out of shape, so the wings went into a marinade before the match and into the oven when I was ready. Two hours of marinating, thirty-five minutes of baking, and absolutely nothing to do in the kitchen while the game was on. Served over a simple salad, they made for a very satisfying meal - all the more so when your team wins 3–0 away from home.

Marinated, baked, demolished – Casa Adora

Ingredients for Baked Chicken Wings

• Chicken wings
• Olive oil
• Paprika, a good sprinkling
• Ground black pepper
• Worcestershire sauce, a dash
• Garlic powder
• Pinch of chilli powder
• Splash of peri peri sauce

METHOD

Slit the fleshy parts of each chicken wing with a sharp knife — this helps the marinade penetrate and the skin crisp up in the oven.

Mix the olive oil, paprika, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, chilli powder, and peri peri sauce together in a bowl. Add the wings and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and leave to marinate for at least two hours — in this case, for the duration of a football match.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C). Arrange the wings on a baking tray in a single layer and bake for around 35 minutes until deep golden and cooked through.

Serve over a simple green salad.

THE FLEXIBLE CHEF'S NOTES

Baked chicken wings reward a long marinade — two hours is good, overnight in the fridge is better. The peri peri sauce adds heat and a little sweetness; leave it out if you prefer something more straightforward. The cupboard approach is the whole point here: swap in smoked paprika, add a little honey, use hot sauce instead of peri peri — it's hard to go wrong.

And if you love wings like I do then here are a couple more ideas: Crispy Sesame Wings and Easy Buffalo Wings

This recipe is part of my Chicken Recipes — The Flexible Chef's Complete Collection — browse the full collection for more easy chicken dinner ideas. It also features in my Chicken Wings Recipes collection — oven baked, deep fried, slow cooker and van life wings from Casa Adora and the road.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef