Garlic & Herb Baked Chicken Wings

There's something called the Super Bowl coming up this weekend. Maybe you've heard of it. I think it involves football. But I most definitely know that it involves chicken wings.

Normally chicken wings are slathered in the good stuff like butter, hot sauce, and more butter. And we can't forget BBQ sauce. But if you've been reading this blog, you know I can't eat any of that deliciousness right now. But that's okay. There's more to wings than hot sauce and butter. Really, there is... You can enjoy chicken wings when you're doing the Whole30®, even on autoimmune protocol (and even if you're not, you can eat these too). Just leave out the butter. And all that other good stuff.


Seriously though, these are just as good.

There was a time in my life where I frequented a particular pizza place. But it wasn't for the pizza (okay, it was sometimes for the pizza). It was for the wings. Italian Parmesan, I think they were called. And they were good. On the many nights when we would polish off a few dozens wings, the Italian ones were typically in the mix. And yes, I may have eaten most of them myself.


Garlic & Herb Baked Chicken Wings 


What you need: 

2 - 2 1/2 lbs chicken wings and/or drummettes
3 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil, divided
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp zest
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp crushed dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper (omit for AIP)
1/2 tsp ground cumin (optional, omit for AIP)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or basil)

Optional: 2 tbsp parmesan cheese (omit for AIP)

How to make:

Pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Put them in a bowl and salt and pepper them (keeping in mind that more pepper equals spicier wings). Mix 1 tbsp coconut oil, lemon juice, dried herbs and spices and pour over the wings. Shake or stir to evenly distribute. Spread wings out on a baking sheet or in a glass pan. Or preferably, lay them out on a wire rack over a foil-lined tray. Bake at 425 degrees for 30-45 minutes (mine took 30) or until juices run clear and chicken is cooked through (with an internal temp of 165 degrees F). Meanwhile, mix together the remaining two tbsp of oil with the chopped parsley. Remove wings from oven and toss with parsley mixture.

*I get most of my dried herbs and spices in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs.


Notes:

• If you have to separate your wings, check out this post. (And learn how to make your baked wings crispy.) 
• You can flip the wings halfway though cooking if you want. I didn't flip mine. I cooked them in a glass baking dish. They came out crispy. If you want them crispier, you can always broil them shortly after cooking. 
• Sometimes I mix my herbs/spices with my oil and just rub it all over the chicken. That's an option if you want it.
• I crush my herbs with a mortal and pestle, mostly when I'm using rosemary because I don't like big pieces of it on my chicken. You can do this or grind the herbs in a spice/coffee grinder if you wish.
• If you don't like a particular herb, you can leave it out or add more of another.
• These will typically take about 30 minutes for small or normal size wings, not the Tyson super-sized wings. 

Here are some other recipes you might like for entertaining:

• Brussels Sprouts Chips with Lemon Zest
• Crispy Grain-Free Zucchini Coins with Roasted Red Pepper Dipping Sauce
• Heavenly Good French Onion Dip
• No-Fuss Kale Chips
• Salmon (or crab) Cakes with Cilantro Lime Remoulade (egg free)
• Coconut-Ghee Mayo (How to make mayo by hand plus tips to save broken mayo)
• No Bake Coconut Banana Cream Bites  (egg and nut free)
• No Bake Mini Coconut Lemon Tarts (plus Berry versions) (egg and nut free)
• No Bake Mini Pumpkin Pies  (egg and nut free)

And my post on Freezing Lemon and Limes: HERE


If you're cooking something up for the Super Bowl, what real food dishes or appetizers are you making?