Baked Chicken Wings With Shawarma Seasoning

Crispy baked chicken wings with shawarma seasoning served with a side of toum garlic sauce is exactly what I want to eat after a long week. This is the Middle Eastern equivalent to hot wings but without the heartburn.

These baked chicken wings are just as crispy as fried chicken wings and they don't need dredging or any sort of coatings. Cook these bad boys bare with only the shawarma dry rub for a simple and delicious meal. You can also prepare butter roasted potatoes in the same oven while these wings are cooking. Top it all off with some homemade toum garlic sauce.

What I Love About This Recipe

Chicken shawarma, characterized by a gigantic rotating skewer of layered marinated chicken, is one of my favorite ways to eat chicken. The only problem is that it's hard to replicate at home. These crispy baked chicken wings with shawarma seasoning have chicken shawarma taste but also the deliciousness of crispy wings. The secret dipping sauce for these wings is a side of toum garlic sauce. It's literally the best of both worlds.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken wings and drumettes: I get the organic party chickens wings from Costco that comes in a 3 pack of around 5 lbs total. For this recipe, I used 2 of the 3 packages of the wings and drumettes. The next best place to gets wings and drumettes in the US is WholeFoods or Central Market. If you don't have either of those options just try to get some good quality chicken wings at your local grocery store. Some grocery stores (like in Abu Dhabi), don't separate the wing from the drumette in the chicken wing packs. If your wing comes fully attached, you will need to cut the wing at the joint.
• Chicken shawarma seasoning: I buy my chicken shawarma seasoning from the store, however, you can make your own at home pretty easily. I really liked this shawarma seasoning recipe if you want to make it at home. If you make the shawarma seasoning at home, only use the seasoning for these wings. If you add yogurt and oil, the wings will not crispy up like they should.
• Toum garlic sauce (Optional): I highly recommend making this toum garlic sauce for these shawarma inspired chicken wings.

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.

How To Make Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Set the oven to convection 400℉ (205℃). If your oven doesn't have a convection fan, set the oven to 425℉ (220℃).

Wash and pat dry the chicken wings and drumettes. Add the chicken shawarma seasoning and salt. Mix the chicken wings with your hands evenly coating all surfaces of the wings.

On a large baking sheet, add a layer of parchment paper. Add the chicken wings and drumettes with the fattiest side facing up.

Hint: Don't overcrowd the baking sheet, otherwise, the wings won't crisp up.

Place the baking sheet in the middle of the hot oven for 40 minutes, or until they are crispy. Do not turn the wings over throughout the baking process.

Serve with a side of toum garlic sauce and butter roasted potatoes.

Tips and Tricks

• Do not add fat or liquid to the wings. The trick for crispy baked wings is to cook the wings at the right temperature with only a dry rub. The drier the wings the more crispy they get in the oven. The wings don't need added fat either because they already have a lot of fat from the skin of the wings.
• Cook butter roasted baby gold potatoes at the same time. The butter roasted baby gold potatoes cook at the same temperature as the wings, so they can be cook in the same oven. The cook time is different (at 25 minutes), so the baby gold potatoes can not share the same pan as the wings. When I make this recipe, I get the wings in the oven, then work on the butter roasted potatoes. Once the butter roasted potatoes are in the oven, I work on the the toum garlic dipping sauce. Everything from start to finish takes about 45 minutes.

Variations and Substitutions

Crispy baked chicken wings can take on many different variations depending on the type of seasoning added.

• Chili flakes - Add some chili flakes for spice.
• Plain salt and pepper - If you would like bare wings, just salt and pepper them.
• 7 spice + garlic powder - If you don't have chicken shawarma seasoning, you can substitute 7 spice and garlic powder.

Equipment

The best way to prepare these crispy baked chicken wings is with a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I don't recommend using aluminum foil because the wings will stick. Parchment paper makes cleaning up easy.

A food processor is needed to make the toum garlic dipping sauce.

A chef's knife, cutting board, and second baking sheet are needed to make the butter roasted potatoes.

Storage

I don't recommend reheating these wings because they will be soggy. I also don't recommend freezing these wings after cooking. This recipe is best to make the day it's eaten within 30 minutes to an hour of coming out of the oven.

FAQs

Sides For Chicken Wings

Middle Eastern Fusion Recipes

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