Oven Baked Double Crunch Kung Pao Wings — crispy, spicy, oven-only method

The recipe uses a texturing technique commonly used for fried wings: coat in a seasoned flour mixture, dip in an egg wash, then re-coat in the flour mix. That builds a dry, crispy crust that bakes up well. A light spray or brush of oil on the baking surface and a halfway flip help browning. The sauce is cooked briefly on the stovetop so the flavors meld and it thickens enough to cling to the crust.

Key ingredients and quantities (as supplied)

• 3 pounds chicken wings, cut into sections, tips removed
• Coating: 2 cups flour, 6 tablespoons powdered ginger, 1 teaspoon cayenne, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• Egg wash: 2 eggs + 4 tablespoons cold water
• Kung Pao Sauce: 2 tablespoons peanut oil, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon crushed chile paste or chili flakes, 1/4 cup rice wine, 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, a few drops toasted sesame oil

1. 1Mix the coating ingredients thoroughly.
2. 2Whisk eggs and water for the egg wash.
3. 3Trim, dry, and section the wings.

1. 1Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for about 35–40 minutes, turning once at roughly 20 minutes. Drain briefly on a rack or paper towels.
2. 2For the sauce, sauté garlic in peanut oil, add chile paste, then add remaining sauce ingredients all at once and simmer until slightly thickened.
3. 3Drizzle the sauce over the baked wings and toss lightly to coat.

• Spray or brush a light film of oil on the wings or baking surface to improve browning.

• Serve as an appetizer or party finger food.
• For a full meal, add fried rice or spicy noodles. The author specifically suggests these pairings to make a complete family meal.

• Yield: 12 servings.
• Per-serving nutrition figures provided in the original post list about 551 calories, 33 g total fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 2055 mg sodium, 24 g protein. Those numbers were auto-calculated and presented as guidelines.

This recipe originally appeared on Rock Recipes in May 2012 and was presented again with step-by-step instructions and photos. The author recommends the double-dip coating method used for fried wings but adapts it for oven baking, producing a crunchy result without frying.