The 350 Degree Oven: Adventures in Mika's Kitchen: Oven-fried Chicken wings

So I've been on a KFC kick lately. But man do the calories add up (as my 3 pound weight gain over the last few weeks can tell you)! This recipe was an effort to 1) use up the giant frozen chicken wings in the freezer and 2) to substitute something healthier for my KFC cravings.

In the end, some of the breading stuck slightly to the metal rack, but enough of the breading remained to give the wings good flavor and texture. I really liked the way it turned out, and have already made it twice now. The second time around, I tried baking the wings directly on a greased cookie sheet - I found that by using a plastic spatula to scrape under the wings before turning over, the breading didn't stick as much.

The tabasco in the marinade does not make the wings too spicy - it just adds a little subtle flavor. My confession: I cheated by not defrosting the chicken. I just stuck the frozen wing pieces into the marinade, and let those sit overnight and well into the next day in a ziploc bag (in the refrigerator, of course). By the time I was ready to bake them, the wings were thoroughly defrosted and well-marinated.

Oven-fried Chicken Wings:
Marinade:
8 large chicken wing pieces
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1 T. dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. tabasco sauce
Coating:
1/4 c. wheat germ
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 T. sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp. baking powder

1. Combine the chicken wings and all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Combine thoroughly, then put into a ziploc bag. Allow the chicken to marinate overnight, or at least 8 hours. (I got these super sized chicken wing pieces at Costco - they are actually the size of regular chicken drumsticks). If you are using smaller normal sized wings, you could probably coat about 14-16 pieces).

2. Remove the bag from the refrigerator, and allow to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

3. Combine all coating ingredients in a large ziploc bag, and shake to combine.

4. Shaking of excess marinade, place 2 wing pieces in the coating bag at a time. Shake to coat, then remove.

5. Place the coated wings on an oiled rack, placed on top of a cookie sheet. (Line the cookie sheet with foil to make clean up easier.) Spray the wings with non-stick cooking spray.