Trick I picked up from watching my neighbor prep chicken wings

I was hanging out on my porch last Saturday and my neighbor was out there getting wings ready for the air fryer. He showed me something simple but genius. He pats the wings dry with paper towels and then lets them sit uncovered in the fridge for about an hour before cooking. He said it dries out the skin more so you get that crispy texture without having to use a ton of oil. I tried it later that day with a batch of 12 wings at 380 for 25 minutes and they came out way crunchier than my usual method. I also started tossing them in a little baking powder with the seasoning and that helps too. Anyone else got a weird drying technique that works for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

paulmitchell12h ago

Yeah the fridge trick is solid but you gotta watch the timing. I leave mine uncovered on a wire rack for at least 2 hours, sometimes 4 if I'm doing a big batch. The baking powder tip is legit too but make sure you don't overdo it or you'll taste it. I also flip them halfway through the air fryer cook and give them a little spritz of spray oil right at the 15 minute mark. That extra shot of heat on the oil really locks in the crunch without making them greasy.

claire_hart538h ago

Toss them in cornstarch instead of baking powder next time. I swear by it, gives an even crunchier shell without any weird aftertaste. Also try dropping them in ice water for 10 minutes before drying and refrigerating. That cold shock tightens the skin up even more. Just pat them real dry after or you'll be fighting steam instead of getting crisp. I wasted too many batches figuring that one out, trust me.