Sauced wings get all the attention, but salt and pepper wings are the connoisseur's pick: shatter-crisp skin, garlic and chilies, and a coarse pepper salt that actually tastes like pepper. They're also the easiest wings you'll ever make.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 lbs chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes
- 1 tbsp baking powder (for baked) or ½ cup cornstarch (for fried)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 tbsp neutral oil or butter
- Pepper salt: 1 tsp fine sea salt + 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper + ½ tsp sugar
Oven method (crispiest for the least effort)
- Pat wings bone-dry, toss with baking powder and ½ tsp salt, and arrange on a wire rack over a sheet pan.
- Bake at 250°F for 30 minutes, then crank to 425°F for 40–45 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. (The low-then-high method renders the fat before crisping the skin.)
Fried method (fastest)
- Toss dry wings in cornstarch; shake off excess.
- Fry at 350°F for 8–10 minutes until golden and cooked through; drain on a rack.
The finish (both methods)
- Grind the pepper coarse and fresh — this is a butcher-grind dish, and the difference between fresh-cracked and pre-ground pepper here is night and day. Set your pepper mill to its coarsest setting.
- In a large skillet, warm the oil and quickly sauté garlic and jalapeño until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the hot wings, sprinkle the pepper salt over, and toss hard so the seasoning sticks to every wing. Shower with scallions and serve immediately.
Tips
- Dry skin = crispy skin. Pat the wings down twice; refrigerate uncovered for an hour if you have time.
- Tellicherry peppercorns shine here — their fruity depth stands up to the crispy fat.
- More coarse-pepper technique in our butcher grind black pepper 101.