Crispy Maple Garlic Chicken Wings
These crispy maple garlic chicken wings are sticky, sweet, garlicky, and oven-baked until deeply golden, delivering pub-style comfort without the deep fryer.
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There was a pub near my college campus that had the wings.
You know the kind. Crispy, sticky, sweet, garlicky. Basically everything you want after a long day of pretending to study.
I hadn’t thought about them in years, until one random morning when I woke up literally dreaming about that maple garlic glaze. And once that craving hit, it was game over.
These are my grown-up version. Still messy and addictive, but more balanced and way easier to make at home. No deep fryer, no splatter, just golden, crispy wings straight from the oven.
One of my favorite parts of cooking is reworking recipes that hit that nostalgic nerve from another chapter of life. These absolutely do that.
Why these maple garlic chicken wings work
Starting the wings low and slow gives the skin time to dry out, which is the real secret to getting them crispy without touching a fryer.
A little baking soda might sound odd, but it’s doing important behind-the-scenes work. It helps the skin brown faster and puff up with tiny bubbles, which is what gives you that shatteringly crisp texture once the heat goes up.
And finishing with maple syrup at the end is key. You get that sticky sweet garlic finish without killing the crisp you just worked so hard for.
"We made these to watch football...and they were perfect!"
The baking soda is a real hack; I have made wings before but never got them crispy. This recipe nails it!
Crispy Maple Garlic Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken wings
- 15 garlic cloves divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Maple syrup for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). If using convection, turn it on.
- Blend 5 garlic cloves with the red onion and water until a smooth paste forms.
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken wings and remaining whole garlic cloves with the garlic paste.
- Add the garlic powder, paprika, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Toss until the wings are evenly coated.
- Arrange the wings in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 300°F to dry out the skin.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) and bake for another 10 minutes, until deeply golden and crispy.
- Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle lightly with maple syrup just before serving.
Notes
- Do not skip the low-temperature bake. This step is essential for crispiness.
- The baking soda should be measured carefully. Too much can create an off flavor.
- Add the maple syrup at the very end so the wings stay crisp.
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