These Persian chicken wings are baked to crisp perfection and slathered with a tangy spice rub that will make you think you’re eating kabab that you slaved over for hours. This recipe comes together quickly, requires no long marinating time and will bring smiles to all of your guests.
What is it about eating chicken wings that makes it not just more fun but so much more delicious than regular chicken? Is it because they are small snack size food and snacks are so much more fun to eat?
When you think chicken wings, you probably thinking of the spicy mainstay. And yeah, those are pretty addicting. But sometimes you want to enjoy a meal without flames shooting out of your mouth.
Chicken wings, no matter what flavor you add to them, are just plain fun eats. They make a great appetizer, snack and yes, enjoy them as a main dish.
And crispy wings to boot? Without using a messy deep fryer? I’m all in!
Why you absolutely must try this recipe
Ever since I created this chicken dry rub recipe, my kids ask me to make it ALL THE TIME. I first used this rub on boneless chicken thighs to make Persian chicken kabob in the oven.
I use the same rub over fish, especially salmon – fabulous! Our current obsession is using it as a chicken wing rub.
Life changing.
Now when my daughter has friends come over, she asks me to make these chicken wings. What was on our super bowl menu? My easy white queso and you guessed it, these chicken wings.
And if we end up with any leftovers, you can bet that there is fight over who gets to them first!
What makes these wings so irresistible? Well the flavor is just like char-grilled jujeh kabab, Persian chicken kabob. Traditionally chicken kabab has yogurt in the marinade, which makes a wonderful meat tenderizer.
By using my chicken wing rub, these beauties are dairy free. My sweet little nephew has a severe dairy allergy and this is one dish he can thoroughly enjoy.
And instead of skewering these little wings and grilling them, which you totally could, I bake them crispy in the oven. So easy and still just as tasty
The dry rub is full of flavor. A little citric acid gives it the lemon zing and turmeric and saffron gives it the gorgeous yellow color and fragrance. And because it is a dry rub, you do NOT need to plan dinner to far ahead. It does not need a long marinating time.
This spice rub is so popular with my family that I now make it in bulk, bottle it up and give it as gifts. Along with my chili lime seasoning – crazy delish!
These Persian wings truly are finger lickin’ good!
Ingredients needed
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy
- Chicken wings: You can use this recipe with both bone-in chicken wings.
- Saffron: You want high quality saffron. The amount you need depends on the quality. If you find that your rice is not a vibrant yellow, you are probably using a lesser quality saffron. Choose long crimson colored strands of saffron, not orange or yellow. You will also need a mortar and pestle. If you purchase already ground saffron, you could be getting colorants that are added and not pure saffron. This is why I recommend buying strands of saffron.
- Turmeric: Turmeric is bright yellow, aromatic and offers a different flavor than saffron. Turmeric and saffron are not interchangeable, but two totally different spices and flavors.
- Paprika: There are many varieties of paprika, from smoked to sweet, so use your favorite.
- Citric acid: So usually in chicken marinades, we use an acid like lemon juice. But since this is a dry rub, I use citric acid to tenderize and flavor the meat.
- More spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, dried mint, salt and pepper.
Tools to Use
Step-by-step directions
1. Combine spices in a small bowl. Remove any of the wing tip in your chicken wings. These can burn easily.
2. Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels and place them on a greased cooling rack placed on top of a foil covered baking pan. You want to use a rack that is oven safe like this one.
3. Season the wings liberally on both sides and place them in one layer on the rack.
4. Bake at 425ºF for 30-40 minutes, flipping them over halfway into the baking. My oven runs very hot, so if yours does too, then bake at 400ºF. They are done when the edges are lightly browned.
Expert tips and recipe FAQs
If you are making large batches of wings, you might have to work in batches. You do not want to overcrowd the baking sheet while it bakes because you want the hot air in the oven to circulate around the wings so they will get crispy all around.
I usually make two batches of wings (about 5 pounds) and keep the cooked wings warm in a second oven or warming drawer. Or while everyone is watching the game and enjoying the wings, I have the second batch cooking for round two!
You can serve up these chicken wings alone or with other great sides like garlic hummus, mast o khiar (Persian yogurt and cucumber) or salad shirazi. You can also make it a meal by serving it with Persian rice.
If you do end up with any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Simply reheat in the microwave.
You can easily grill these wings. If you want them kabab style, gently slide the marinated wings on wide metal skewers. Set up your grill for two zone heating, so you have direct and indirect heat. Place the skewers over indirect heat for about 10-15 minutes, rotating the wings halfway through. Place the wings over direct heat for a few minutes to sear and char the wings a bit. Be careful as flareups can happen.
Most dry rubs do not require sitting on the meat for hours or overnight. I usually coat the chicken and let it wait while the oven preheats. You can also leave the dry rub on for several hours for the spices and citric acid to really penetrate the meat.
The dry rub sticks to the chicken wings very well without the addition of oil. This rub also contains citric acid which helps add zing but also tenderizes the chicken. You end up with delicious crispy wings!
Persian Chicken Wings
These Persian chicken wings are baked to crisp perfection and slathered with a tangy spice rub that will make you think you’re eating kabab that you slaved over for hours. This recipe comes together quickly, requires no long marinating time and will bring smiles to all of your guests.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- ¼ teaspoon ground saffron
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon paprika (smoked or sweet)
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley, measured then crushed with your fingers
- ¼ teaspoon dried mint, measured then crushed with your fingers
- ¼ teaspoon citric acid
Instructions
- Combine spices in a small bowl. Remove any of the wing tip in your chicken wings. These can burn easily.
- Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels and place them on a greased cooling rack placed on top of a foil covered baking pan.
- Season the wings liberally on both sides and place them in one layer on the rack.
- Bake at 425ºF for 30-40 minutes, flipping them over halfway into the baking. My oven runs very hot, so if yours does too, then bake at 400ºF. They are done when the edges are lightly browned.
Notes
If you are making large batches of wings, you might have to work in batches. You do not want to overcrowd the baking sheet while it bakes because you want the hot air in the oven to circulate around the wings so they will get crispy all around.
I usually make two batches of wings (about 5 pounds) and keep the cooked wings warm in a second oven or warming drawer. Or while everyone is watching the game and enjoying the wings, I have the second batch cooking for round two!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 947mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 26g
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my eMail list, too!
