Lemon Pepper Chimichurri Wings

I suspect that even some of the best cooks ask the question, what the heck is a “wet” chicken wing? The answer is more straightforward than you might think. A wet lemon pepper wing is simply an order of wings with more luscious lemony sauce on your chicken.

It doesn’t matter if it’s summer or winter, having wing cravings don’t subside. They’ve become a comfort food and are perfect for many gatherings. Online, sticker shock emerges when you search for the best wings near you. What used to be a biproduct has a gourmet price tag! So why not make them yourself?

Wet vs. Dry Wings: The Face-Off

There are two distinct schools of thought regarding chicken wings of any flavor. Should they be dry and crunchy or tossed in a rich, flavorful sauce? Do not bring up this question at the dinner table unless you want a hardy (and sometimes heated) debate.

Crunchy Wings

There’s something really satisfying about biting into a lemon pepper chicken wing and hearing that defined crunch. But since this recipe starts with frying the wings, there will still be a crispy element at the foundation. From there, you’re just building more flavor.

Wet Wings

Before going further, please realize there is a massive difference between a wet chicken wing and a soggy one. The best wet wings achieve a balance between maintaining the skin’s crunch and the sauce ratio. Don’t overdo it! 

You are going to need far more napkins for wet wings vs. fried. So, bring your bib and napkins! Jack says, “if you don’t need hand wipes after wet wings, you didn’t use enough sauce!

How to Separate Chicken Wings

Not all bags of chicken wings come in a ready-to-fry form. Some need “disassembly.” So, if you’re looking at a bunch of whole chicken wings, here’s what you do.

1. Place the chicken wing on your cutting board skin-side down. If you don’t have a good cutting board, here are some guidelines for buying one. 
2. Get out your handy, dandy Chef Knife
3. Look at the wing. Find the first ridge between the drum and wing portion.
4. Cut across the ridge (longways) just beside that connection point.
5. Now find the ridge between the wingette and tip. Cut through to separate those two pieces.
6. Now you’re ready to cook!

Drums vs. Flats

You know the annual discussion that breaks out around Thanksgiving over dark meat and light meat? It’s pretty much the same with chicken wing drumettes and flats. What’s the difference?

Drumettes look like a baby drumstick. Wingetts (flats) come from the middle of a whole chicken wing. The tips are the pointy end of the entire wing, consisting primarily of bone, cartilage, and skin. 

People who adore crispy skin typically reach for the flats. Meanwhile, drumette aficionados say they are more flavorful. 

IMO, Chicken wing tips aren’t really worth fussing over. Toss them in a freezer bag for your next batch of stock.