TJ’s Epic Hot Wings
Delicious hot sauce and irresistible butter combine with super crispy chicken wings and a few extra ingredients to create this traditional but extra tasty and extra crispy hot wings recipe.
This is a pretty basic and traditional hot wings recipe that I took up a notch by adding some of my favorite spices to and some sweetener. I also tweaked it (as compared to how I made it in the past) by adding baking powder. The baking powder simply makes the skin extra crispy and adds a lovely bumpy texture. And lastly, I lightened it up a bit by reducing the butter.
The resulting dish from this recipe is some super spicy and yummy Trim Healthy Mama and keto friendly hot wings!
When serving this recipe, you can make a batch of my homemade ranch dressing (make it with the Greek yogurt version to lighten it up). You can even add some blue cheese crumbles if you like. And don’t forget the celery on the side!
TJ’s Epic Hot Wings
Cook Time40 minutes 
Total Time50 minutes 
Diets 
THM Fuel 
Ingredients
For the Wings
- 2 pounds chicken wings, fresh or thawed from frozen
- 1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon mineral salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Sauce
- ½ cup
Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce (or myhomemade version ) - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon THM Gentle Sweet (optional)
For Serving
- ranch dressing (such as my
House Ranch Dressing ) - celery sticks
- celery leaves, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
Chicken Prep
- Split the wings into flats and drummettes.
- Using paper towels, pat all of the wing pieces thoroughly dry*. This helps the skin to get crispy. Place in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, dill, and pepper. Coat the chicken thoroughly with this mixture.
Oven Frying
- Preheat the oven to 450° F.
- On a sheet pan with a lip (line with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup), place a cooling rack. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the wings on the rack so they are not touching if possible.
- Bake for 20 minutes; flip wings over and bake another 20 minutes or more until cooked through and skin is golden brown and crispy.
Air Frying
- Lightly spray the basket of a 3.5 quart air fryer with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the wings so they are not touching in the basket. Some can be placed upright along the edges. Keep in mind, this may need to be done in multiple batches.
- Fry at 400° F for 8 to 10 minutes; flip the wings and fry again for another 8 to 10 minutes or more until the wings are cooked through and the skin is golden brown and crispy.
Sauce
- Mix together all of the sauce ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the freshly cooked hot wings to the sauce and toss to coat.
I love these. They’re the best.
Absolutely perfect! The baking powder makes it super crunchy and the seasonings are on point.