I like LOVE chicken wings and this Carolina Reaper Baked Chicken Wing recipe hits the spot! So much so, that when I’m consuming them, I closely resemble a rabid, wild animal, that hasn’t eaten in days weeks; which is why I prefer eating them in the comfort of my own home where I can borrow my son’s bib and my cats don’t judge me. Because all lady-like etiquette goes out the door (not that I really had much, to begin with).

How to Make Healthy Crispy Chicken Wings

I’m going to let you in on one of my pet peeves. Soggy chicken wings. I can only think of a handful of things in life that are more disappointing than when I’m at a restaurant, impatiently waiting for my chicken wings, then being handed soggy chicken wings where the skin isn’t perfectly crispy and the layer of fat underneath the skin isn’t fully rendered out, so what you’re left with is a rubbery, chewy, disappointing, sad little chicken wing. Well, I have THE BEST fool-proof method of making ultra-crispy, crunchy, and even HEALTHIER wings at home, in the oven!

(Yes there really is a god, and here is the answer to your prayers, and yes that is my son’s tiny hand in the corner trying to steal a chicken wing.)

The Hottest Chicken Wings Ever!

In my dry rub, I used a tiny amount of this Carolina Reaper powder from Sonoran Spice Company. This stuff is made from THE HOTTEST peppers in the world! Many people are under the impression that the world’s hottest pepper is the Ghost Pepper. WRONG! On the Scoville heat scale, the Ghost Pepper tips the scale at an average of 855,000 SHU and the Carolina Reaper, between 1,400,000 to 2,200,000!!!


Basically, the Carolina Reaper vs. the Ghost Pepper, is like Ali vs. Frazier, for all you boxing fans; pure power vs. popularity. This pepper is 880 times spicier than a jalapeno! So whether you just really love spicy food like me, or you just want to ruin someone’s day by destroying their taste buds (aka, your in-laws), you NEED this powder.

The Carolina Reaper Powder – Be Afraid

When I first received this in the mail, I wanted to know just how spicy this stuff was, so the first response was to stick my finger in the container and lick it off (NOT recommended by the way). I only got a few tiny specs, but my nose was running, my eyes were watering, sweat was coming down, and I was sneezing for the next hour. It probably should be renamed “Carolina WEEPER” powder… (NOTE TO SELF- they really weren’t lying when they say this stuff is hot!) but surprisingly enough this pepper does have some sweetness to it. It causes a slow burn, about 30-60 seconds before you start feeling the burn, but be careful because even though these wings won’t taste extremely spicy at first, you’ll have a good sweat kicking in within the next 30 minutes; which in my personal preference, should be the case in any good hot wing!

I only added 1/4 teaspoon per 2 lbs of chicken wings, which made them hot, but not too spicy. If you prefer mild-medium wings, you may want to add 1/2-3/4 of that amount (this container will last you and whoever else is in your will, a LIFETIME!) I know there’s going to be the tough guys out there that think they can handle double, triple, maybe even quadruple the amount of Carolina Reaper powder that I put, so go ahead, add more. By all means, add a full teaspoon! Just make sure your mommy is there to hand you a box of tissues when you’re crying, and maybe even a sharp pair of scissors in case you need to amputate your tongue.

Nutrition

Calories:1217kcal |Carbohydrates:27g |Protein:93g |Fat:78g |Saturated Fat:22g |Cholesterol:377mg |Sodium:2686mg |Potassium:809mg |Fiber:1g |Vitamin A:1705IU |Vitamin C:3.5mg |Calcium:59mg |Iron:6.5mg