Dry Rub Chicken Wings Recipe

The best dry rub chicken wings recipe! These baked spice rubbed chicken wings are moist, and tender inside, with golden brown crispy skin on the outside. Easy, simple, and quick, it is ready in less than 45 minutes and can be served with side dishes like chips, celery, carrots, fries, sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, or any other side of choice.

Dry Rub Chicken Wings Recipe (Spice Rub Chicken Wings)

This oven baked dry rub chicken wings recipe is pretty straightforward. Like I mentioned above, it's easy, simple, and quick. I can say it's one of the best chicken wings recipes that make use of a few simple ingredients but with great outcomes.

The dry rubbed chicken wings skin comes out caramelized, and crispy while the meat inside is tender and moist. A taste will have you craving for more.

Whether you plan to invite friends over for a movie night, have a mini celebration in your backyard, sleepover for both adults and children in your home, a family evening get-together, reunion, or appetizers for gamedays, this spice rub wings recipe should be your go-to for making delicious baked wings that will get everyone asking for more.

It can be served on its own, with sauce or dip, vegetables, and many other foods.

These homemade dry rub wings can be made in the oven or in the air fryer and you do not need to plan a grocery shopping trip because the ingredients for these baked chicken wings are probably already in your kitchen cabinet.

Let me show you how to make dry rub chicken wings in easy steps.

Related: Pan fried chicken wings, spicy chicken wings

Dry Rubs Variation

Apart from the rubs used in this recipe, other spice rubs that can also be used on chicken wings are:

Wings seasoning

Chicken seasoning

Piri Piri seasoning

Cajun seasoning

Italian seasoning

Lemon pepper seasoning

Ingredients

The detailed ingredient list, measurement, and directions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Chicken wings

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Paprika

Cumin

Thyme

Black pepper

Brown sugar

Bouillon cube (Optional)

Salt

Oil

How to Make Dry Rub Chicken Wings

Here’s how to make the best dry rub wings in the oven:

Remove the chicken wings from the package. Washing the wings is optional.

Place the wings in a dry kitchen tray and pat dry with a paper towel to remove moisture.

In a small bowl, add and mix all the dry ingredients- garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, parsley, black pepper, paprika, brown sugar, cumin, and salt.

Add the dry rub, and oil to the wings and mix till wings are evenly coated in the rub.

Place a baking rack on a baking tray. To avoid a messy tray after baking, you can line the tray with foil or parchment paper.

Arrange the seasoned chicken wings on the baking rack.

Put the baking tray in the oven- the middle part and set the oven at 400F/200C. Bake dry rub wings for 20 minutes. Flip/turn the chicken wings and bake for 20 more minutes.

Bring the wings out of the oven.

Serve with sides of choice, sauce, or dip.

How To Make It in the Air Fryer

It's quicker to make it in the air fryer than oven. Here's how to make dry rub wings in the air fryer:

Remove the chicken wings from the package.

Place the wings in a bowl and pat dry with a paper towel.

In a small bowl, add and mix all the dry ingredients- garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, paprika, parsley, brown sugar, cumin, and salt.

Add the spice rub to the chicken wings bowl and mix till wings coated in the rub.

Arrange chicken wings inside the air fryer basket in a single layer.

Air fry for 20 minutes or until chicken wings is golden brown on the outside, moist and tender on the inside.

Remove chicken wings from the basket and serve.

What to Serve With

You can serve with a variety of foods including the ones listed below:

French fries

Sweet potatoes

Jollof rice

Celery

Onion rings

Air fryer vegetables

Mac and cheese

Air fryer sliced potatoes

Sauces/dips -Barbeque, Ranch, Mango Habanero

How To Store

Follow the below instructions to store leftovers:

In the fridge: Place leftover wings in an airtight container or Ziploc bag, and put it in the refrigerator where it will retain its taste and preserve well for up to 3 days.

In the freezer: This is the best way to store baked dry rub wings if you'd like to preserve them for more than 3 days.

Put the chicken wings in an airtight container or Ziploc/freezer bag, make sure you label with the date and store in the freezer where it will be preserved for 6 months without losing its taste, color, and moisture.

To Reheat:

In the oven: Preheat the oven to 360F/180C. Place wings on a baking sheet and reheat for 8 minutes or till heated through.

Use a meat thermometer to check the inside temperature.

Remove from the oven and serve.

To reheat in the air fryer: Arrange wings in the air fryer basket, and air fry at a temperature of 160C/340F for 5 minutes or till warmed through.

Tips For Making Baked Dry Rub Chicken Wings

• Mix the seasoning well so the spices and herbs are well combined before seasoning the wings with it.

• For variety, you can choose to season the wings with different dry rub like lemon pepper, peri peri, cajun, etc.

• After seasoning the chicken wings, if you have enough time, put the wings in the fridge to marinate for few hours.

• To make cleaning up easier, line the baking tray with foil or baking paper before placing the oven rack on it.

• Arrange the wings in a single layer leaving a bit of space between them. Don't overcrowd the baking rack.

• Let the wings rest for 3 minutes before serving.

FAQs

How do you get a dry rub to stick to wings?

First, pat the chicken wings dry to remove excess moisture before applying the rub to them. You can also lightly coat the wings with oil so the seasoning sticks.

Are dry rub wings healthy?

Oven baked dry rub wings contain lower calories than deep-fried wings and can be eaten in moderation as part of a healthy diet.

Do you put dry rub on wings before or after cooking?

You apply dry rub to wings before cooking although there are some rubs that you can also put on the wings after cooking. An example of such dry rub is suya spice.

How long before cooking do you apply dry rub?

It can be applied just before cooking but if you have the time, apply 30 minutes to 4 hours before baking.

Why do I need dark brown sugar in my dry rub chicken wings?

Although the dark brown sugar is optional, however, if you desire a caramelized crust, adding the dark brown sugar will give you that result.

Why should I use a baking rack instead of just the baking tray?

Using the tray only will bake the chicken in the excess fat and sauce while the baking rack will keep the chicken out of the excess fat that drips into the baking tray.

More Chicken Wings Recipe

Chicken wings marinade

Air fryer chicken wings

Oven baked chicken wings

Instant pot frozen chicken wings

Air fryer frozen chicken wings

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