Dry Rub Chicken Wings

Sometimes it’s all about the sauce when it comes to chicken wings and sometimes it’s all in the rub! This dry rub chicken wings recipe has lots of spicy, sweet seasoning that makes these very memorable wings!

These easy dry-rubber chicken wings are always a hit! made with just a few ingredients and steps of actual prep the wings always turn out perfectly.

I love that the dry rub turns into a flavorful sticky mix that holds on to the chicken so well. Every bite is a wonderful blend of sweet and spicy flavors in every juicy chicken bite.

What Are Dry Rub Chicken Wings?

Dry rub chicken wings are coated in a spice mixture instead of a sauce mixture like these Memphis BBQ Wings and these Sticky Stout Baked Chicken Wings.

Both styles of wings are baked and both are finger-licking good. Dry rub wings have a caramelized, spiced exterior that is a nice change from saucy wings.

You can always adjust the spiciness to your own level of heat if desired. We have a nice mild blend of sweet and spicy going on with the recipe as written but you’re more than welcome to kick it up a notch by adding in more spice.

Ingredients

• Frozen (thawed) Drumettes
• Frozen (thawed) Chicken wings
• Vegetable oil
• Brown sugar
• Paprika
• Chili powder
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Cumin
• Salt
• Dried rosemary

For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

How To Make Dry Rub Chicken Wings

For this recipe, I use bagged, frozen (and thawed) wing and drummette pieces that have been rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel. If you are wondering how to get a dry rub to stick to the wings, the key is to drizzle the naked wings with a little vegetable oil before smothering them with the seasoning blend.

To prepare your rub, combine a heap of spices like paprika, chili powder, onion powder, cumin, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and brown sugar. in a bowl.

You have to have brown sugar! For one thing, it will balance out the heat from the spices, but also the sugar will caramelize the rub to give you the perfect wing coating!

Place all your ingredients in a large bowl and toss until the wings are completely coated!

How to Bake Dry Rub Chicken Wings In The Oven

Place the wing on a foil-lined baking sheet and place a baking rack over top of the foil. Spray your baking rack and arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer.

The baking rack will allow the chicken to cook all over and the foil will catch any spills or drips. The wings will take about 45 minutes total to bake.

You could still serve these with your favorite wing sauce on the side but it is NOT necessary!

Recipe Tips

• Make sure your wings have thawed completely and that you pat them dry. This will prevent a wet wing, the seasoning will stick to the skin much better if the wings are dry, to begin with.
• Feel free to substitute or add more or different seasonings. Cayenne pepper or white pepper would add more spice and would blend nicely. Oregano and basil can be added as well.
• Make sure you do not crowd the baking pan. An even layer of wings will ensure that they all cook evenly. The wings will need to be turned only once during baking.

If you are looking for a different dry rub combination, you could try a Cajun Rub, a Smokehouse rub, your favorite BBQ rub, a peppery rub, a coffee-based rub, a poultry rub, a Moroccan style rub, or even a Greek-style rub. Use the same method with any of these rubs!

What You Will Need For This Recipe:

• Paper towels
• Large bowl
• Baking rack
• Large baking or sheet pan
• Tongs

Just a reminder to be sure to wash your hands when touching raw poultry.

Make your game day (or any occasion) great with these easy wings! You and your guests are going to love the flavor of these wings! They really do fit the expression, “finger-licking good”. I hope you enjoy!

FAQs

How to Make Chicken Wings With Dry Rub In A Crockpot

If you are looking for more of a “fix it and forget it” dry rub wing, then you can certainly use the crockpot for this recipe! I would take the time to brown the chicken wings in a skillet after rubbing them with the seasoning. This will ensure the wings have a nice exterior and flavor!

Note: This recipe will also work with an air-fryer or as deep-fried wings! So if you want to try using your air fryer for these wings then go for it!

How to Air Fryer Wings

This easy recipe works well as an air fryer chicken wings dry rub too! You can even make a batch of lemon pepper dry rub wings, cajun dry rub wings, or ranch dry rub wings and this would still work out well. Simply take your rubbed wings and place 12 inside of your air fryer. Cook at 380 degrees F for 20 minutes. Flip the wings 10 minutes into the cooking process. Then turn the heat up to 400 degrees F and cook for an additional 2 minutes at the end to get them really crispy. The wings are finished when they are 165 degrees F.

What To Serve With Dry Rub Chicken Wings

These chicken wings pair beautifully with dips like this Parmesan Ranch Dip and this Blue Cheese Dip. Both are creamy and cool; they are the perfect backdrop to the seasoning in these wings.

These bacon-wrapped roasted potatoes and the spiced aioli served on the side would be a perfect partner to these wings! But don’t forget that you can keep it simple with just a plate of cut veggie sticks like carrots and celery too!

How To Reheat Dry Rub Chicken Wings

While you can certainly microwave these dry rub wings (or any wing really), I find the best method is to reheat the wings in the oven.

Arrange your leftover wings on a foil-lined baking sheet and reheat at 350 for about 15 minutes. This will help them to crisp back up as they cook.

Using an air fryer is also a good idea for reheating chicken wings if you want them to go back to being crisp. Microwaves are a faster form of reheating food but will give you a soft or somewhat soggy of a texture when the wings are reheated.

Want more chicken wing recipe ideas? Try these Cajun Dry Rub Chicken Wings, Lemon Pepper Dry Rub Chicken Wings, Garlic Parmesan Wings, Thai Spice Chicken Wings.

Continue to Content

Yield: 25

Dry Rub Chicken Wing

Print

Sometimes it's all about the sauce when it comes to chicken wings and sometimes it's all in the rub! This dry rub chicken wing recipe has lots of spicy, sweet seasoning that makes these very memorable wings!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 64 oz package frozen, thawed drumettes
• 1 64 oz package frozen thawed chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a baking rack over top.
2. In a small bowl, combine the dried seasoning; stir.
3. Rinse and pat chicken pieces dry.
4. Place the wings in a large bowl and drizzle with oil, tossing each piece so that they all get coated.
5. Sprinkle rub over chicken and rub the seasoning into each piece.
6. Arrange wings on the prepared baking sheet.
7. Bake wings for 30 minutes, turn and then bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Yield

24

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 520Total Fat 38gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 124mgSodium 703mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 1gSugar 4gProtein 26g

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