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Baked Maple-Bacon Chicken Wings & Drumsticks

Published: February 4, 2021

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Cornbread and Corn Muffins

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Who doesn’t love a good chicken wing or drumstick? There are so many delicious ways to eat them and my baked maple-bacon chicken wings and drumsticks recipe is just another great way to prepare these chicken parts and enjoy them. Sweet and sticky with lots of bacon flavor, these are a favorite around here. Just be sure you have plenty of napkins…they are wonderfully messy.

Let’s get started with this dish.

CHICKEN PREPARATION

1. Rinse the chicken wings and drumsticks and pat them dry with paper towel. Generously season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Toss the wings with the baking powder in a large bowl.

2. Place wings on a rack set on top of a baking sheet and put in the refrigerator uncovered overnight. This will dry out the skin and make the wings crispy without frying them.

SAUCE PREPARATION

1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and cook the bacon until nearly crisp. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain off all but a tablespoon of the bacon fat.

2. Whisk in the ketchup, maple syrup, applesauce, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer the sauce for about 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Set aside.

CHICKEN PREPARATION – Part two

1. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature (20 minutes). Bake in the oven on the rack sitting on the tin foil lined baking sheet for approximately 30 minutes on 400 degrees F. The tin foil will make clean up a breeze. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until cooked through and crispy.

You are now ready for the final step.

2. In the skillet with the warm sauce, toss chicken wings to coat completely. Serve the chicken on a big platter with plenty of napkins on the side. Dig in and enjoy.