There’s no such thing as low-fat chicken wings. I was shocked to see that people actually posted recipes online claiming that their chicken wings were “low-fat.” The reality is that the wings are the fattiest part of the chicken, and usually, they’re covered in batter (more fat), fried in oil (even more fat), and tossed with a sugar based sauce (sugar which then turns into fat). Usually, the best thing you can do is to bake it and try to lower the fat content as much as possible.
Even with all of these “negative” aspects of chicken wings, there’s no denying that they’re delicious AF. Because of that sole reason, I decided that there must be a better way than to make it fat lathered in fat, fried in fat, and tossed in fat. The solution was to dust it with a dry rub that would stick on and bake it lightly sprayed with Pam. I mean, it may not be carrots and hummus in terms of calories and fat, but it tastes a lot better and we all deserve a treat every now and then ;).
This dry rub took a couple tries of perfecting, but honestly can easily be adjusted to anyone’s preference. As long as the base texture of Panko and flavour of smoked paprika is present, the taste and extra-crispy mouth-feel should always be perfect. Let’s get to it!
Dynamite Cajun Dusted Chicken Wings
Ingredients & Costs
- 1 small package of chicken wings ($3.67)
- ½ cup of Panko ($0.11)
- 1 Tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1 Tsp Chili powder ($0.04)
- 1 Tsp Garlic Power ($0.02)
- 1 Tsp Salt ($0.01)
- ½ Tsp Cumin ($0.02)
- ½ Tsp Black pepper ($0.02)
- 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)
Serves 2, takes 40 Minutes
Total Cost = $3.99* for 7 wings!
Compared to the $8-12 at restaurants with Satay!
DIRECTIONS
First, preheat your oven (I used a toaster oven for this!) to 400°F, then combine all ingredients in a mortar (or food processor), and grind it all together!
Make sure to grind it to make it as fine as possible.
Once the dry-rub looks about this texture, you can stop! The next step is to prepare the wings. If there is excess skin or fat on the wings, just cut them off. I find this makes it less soggy. Next, rinse all the wings under tap water so make sure there’s enough moisture to make the dry rub stick to the skin.
Dust some of the dry rub on, and really rub it in so it sticks on until no skin is exposed.
By the end, they should look something like this! Make sure the put your wings on an elevated rack so air can go under the wings and make it so that they don’t get soggy on the bottom.
Spraying a little Pam (Canola Oil) on the wings is optional, but it makes it a little more crispy!
After about 30 minutes, flip them around, and broil them until they’re golden brown. And voila! You have yourself some delicious Cajun dusted (and a little less fatty) chicken wings!
INGREDIENT COSTS
I’m referring to a Loblaws (a generic grocery chain in Canada) weekly flyer and their website.
Small pack of chicken wings – $3.37
1kg Windsor Table Salt ($1.69) – $0.17/100g
300 g Cayenne Pepper from Bulk Barn – ($3.17) – $1.07/100g
227 g Kikkoman Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs – ($3.69) – $1.63/100g
65 g Smoked Paprika – ($2.99) – $4.60/100g
700g Club pack of Garlic Powder – ($7.49) – $1.07/100g
400 g Suraj Cumin ($3.49) – $0.87/100g
400 g Surag Ground Black Pepper ($7.79) – $1.95/100g
150 g No Name Chili Powder ($2.99) – $1.99/100g
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