Switch up your chicken wing flavor with these curry chicken wings! The curry dry rub has sweet and warming spices with a hint of spice and it’s perfect on juicy chicken wings. We’re using two tricks (combo of baking powder and cornstarch in rub and baking on a wire rack!) to ensure we end up with crispy baked wings, no deep frying necessary.
These are totally suitable for a dinner with some air fryer broccoli or French green beans, (yes, we have wings for dinner at our house!), but they are also a great addition to your game day or party spreads. Serve them up with chili cheese dip, whipped lemon feta dip, or Chipotle copycat corn salsa.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
What You’ll Love About Curry Chicken Wings
- Interesting and different flavor for wings
- Sweet, mildly spicy, and warming blend of spices
- Crispy chicken skin in the oven
- Made with simple ingredients
- Takes just 5 minutes of prep work
- Uses two easy tricks for crispy wings
Ingredients
- Sugar – We’re using a granulated white sugar. You could also use coconut sugar or brown sugar if you prefer.
- Curry powder – You can use your favorite curry powder. I’ve used S&B Oriental Curry Powder as I think it’s a great general curry seasoning.
- Corn starch – This helps create a crispy chicken wing.
- Sea salt
- Baking powder – This is another ingredient that helps create a crispy skin. (It’s also used in my dry brine spatchcock turkey recipe.)
- Garlic powder – You could also use onion powder.
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper – Optional, if you want to add a bit of heat.
- Chicken wings – Look for chicken wing sections, preferably that are already split apart into wingettes and drumettes.
- Olive oil – We just need a mist of oil to help crisp up the skin, so use an olive oil spritzer, Pam cooking spray, or coconut oil spray.
How to Make Baked Chicken Wings
This is an overview on how to make baked curry chicken wings, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
How to Cook Curry Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
Prefer to make air fryer chicken wings? You certainly can! Season and prep the wings the same way, but cook in the air fryer at 360 degrees F for 24 minutes (flip after 12 minutes), then increase heat to 390 and cook another 6-8 minutes, until crispy and cooked through.
FAQs
How do you get crispy chicken wings?
We’re using a few tricks for crispy wings! The first is in the wing coating. Both the corn starch and baking powder help to create a crispy and crunchy skin.
The second is in the baking sheet. Instead of placing the wings directly on the pan so they sit in the juice (not a bad thing, but doesn’t help them get crispy), we place them on top of a cooling rack so that the hot air from the oven can completely circulate around the wings.
TIP: While you may think that spraying the wings can result in a crispy coating, for this recipe, it doesn’t help and actually prevented them from getting crispy! Spray the cooling rack before you put the wings on there.
What kind of curry powder should you use?
I’ve used S&B Oriental Curry Powder, which is made up of the following:
Turmeric, Coriander, Fenugreek, Cumin, Orange Peel, Pepper, Chili Pepper, Cinnamon, Fennel, Ginger, Star Anise, Thyme, Bay Leaves, Cloves, Nutmeg, Sage, Cardamom
What temperature should you cook wings to?
While most chicken recipes will instruct you to cook until 165 degrees F, dark meat is best when it’s cooked to 175 degrees F. Dark meat is safe to eat at 165 degrees F but is better when you let it cook to 175-185 degrees F to fully let the fat and collagen break down. Total time will vary and will depend on the size of the wings.
Are curry chicken wings dairy-free?
While traditional buffalo wings are tossed in a buffalo and butter sauce, these chicken wings are dairy-free.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover easy chicken wings recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How to reheat
Reheat the wings in a 375 degree F oven until heated through.
Can you freeze curry chicken wings?
Yes, you can freeze curry chicken wings in an airtight container (stasher bags and glass storage containers are great) for 2-3 months.
What to Serve with Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
Unlike traditional buffalo wings, I don’t think these curry dry rub chicken wings need a sauce or ranch, but a mint yogurt sauce (raita) would be a good pairing. Then serve them with some raw veggies.
- Red bell pepper strips
- Sliced cucumber
- Celery sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Endive leaves
- Snap peas
- Radishes
More Easy Appetizer Recipes
If you like this crispy chicken wings recipe, you might also like some of these other easy appetizer recipes:
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Baked Crispy Curry Chicken Wings Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Indian
Description
Learn how to make curry chicken wings! This delicious and flavorful curry chicken wings recipe can be prepped in just 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 3 Tbsp. curry powder
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 lbs. chicken wing sections
- olive oil spritzer
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prepare baking dish. Place a wire rack on a sheet pan lined with foil. Spray rack with olive oil.
- In a large bowl, stir together cornstarch, curry powder, sugar, sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if using.
- Toss with chicken wings until evenly coated and spread out on wire rack, with ample space between the wings so they aren’t touching.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, flipping after 25 minutes.
- Cook until they reach 175 degrees F. Dark meat is safe to eat at 165 degrees F but is better when you let it cook to 175 degrees F.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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Goldie
Hi there, looking at the curry wings recipe and was wondering could I fry them in a pan? the spices really sound great!!
Cheers, HG
Emily
I haven’t tried it so not sure, but I think it would work ok. They wouldn’t be as crispy, but I think they would still be delicious. Let us know if you give it a try!