My personal chicken wing dry rub uses 13 different spices to form a harmonious mix of vibrant, bold flavor that will take your wings to a whole new level. Perfect for any way you cook your wings.
Dry Rub Chicken Wings Recipe
Are you hungry for chicken wings, my friends? I sure am! I have a lot of chicken wings recipes here on the site, but my Chicken Wing Dry Rub recipe is one of my go-to blends for big flavor.
If you want to make your next batch of chicken wings sing with deliciousness, give this spicy blend a go.
What You'll Love About My Chicken Wing Dry Rub
- This is my personal blend of 13 different spices that form a harmonious mix of flavor that will take your wings to a whole new level.
- I use 4 different chili spices - including smoked paprika, ancho, smoky chipotle, and cayenne - for the perfect blend of piquancy and flavor.
- This wing rub works on any chicken wings, no matter how you cook them. Whether you're grilling, baking, frying, air frying, you name it, my chicken wing rub will make those wing rock!
Let's talk about how to make dry rub chicken wings, shall we?
Chicken Wings Dry Rub Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Smoked Paprika. Adds deep smokiness.
- Ancho Powder. For a rich, earthy flavor.
- Cayenne Pepper. Adds a spicy kick. Adjust to your preference.
- Chipotle Powder. Smoky and vibrant.
- Garlic Powder.
- Onion Powder.
- Brown Sugar. Just a touch of mellow sweetness.
- Ground Cumin. Warming and just a bit nutty.
- Dried Oregano. An herbal touch.
- Ground Mustard. Extra zing.
- Ground Cinnamon. Subtle, but impactful.
- Salt and Black Pepper. To taste.
- Baking Powder. Helps achieve crispier skin.
- Chicken Wings. For rubbing and cooking!
How to Make Dry Rub Chicken Wings - the Recipe Method
Combine all of the homemade dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix well and store until ready to use.
When you’re ready to cook your chicken wings, pat the wings dry with paper towels. Get them as dry as you can for crispier wings.
Toss the wings with oil in a large bowl, then fully coat the wings with the dry rub with even coverage. Cover and refrigerate.
Rest the wings for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for more maximum flavor development.
Cook your wings as desired!
- Grilled Chicken Wings. Grill over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes.
- Baked Chicken Wings. Bake at 250 degrees F (120°C ) on a baking sheet on a single layer 30 minutes, flip and bake at 425 degrees F (220°C ) for another 30 minutes.
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings. Air fry at 250 degrees F (120°C ) for 15 minutes, then flip and air fry at 400 degrees F (200°C) another 15-20 minutes, shaking occasionally.
- Want fried wings? See Fried Chicken Wings.
- See all of my Chicken Wings Recipes.
Boom! Done! Your dry rub chicken wings are ready to serve.
How Much Seasoning Should I Use?
Use 1 tablespoon chicken wing dry rub per pound of chicken wings. However, you can adjust as necessary. For more lightly seasoned wings, use 1 tablespoon for every 2 pounds.
This dry rub also works great with boneless chicken or other cuts of chicken.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- You can adjust the heat factor of the wing rub as needed. For a spicier blend, double the cayenne and increase the amount of chili powders. For a milder blend, omit the cayenne and use more smoked paprika.
- Rest the rubbed wings in the refrigerator overnight for more flavor development.
- Dry rub wings are great on their own, or you can serve with your favorite dipping sauce or wing sauce. They're great for game day or all for yourself.
Storage & Leftovers
Store your chicken wing dry rub in a spice container or airtight container and keep in a dry, cool place, like a cabinet or pantry. It will last 6 months or longer this way, though spices tend to lose potency after 6 months.
Store leftover chicken wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days. To enjoy them again, reheat them in an air fryer or toaster oven until warmed through, or use your oven at 275 degrees F (135 C) until ready.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my chicken wing spice rub recipe. And the chicken wings! Let me know how they turned out for you. I'd love to hear it! Cheers!
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Amazon Affiliate links, my friends! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
- Fajita Seasonings. You'll love this for chicken fajitas.
- Taco Seasonings. Great for tacos, but try it on chicken wings!
- Turkey Rub Seasoning. Get that turkey roasting! Great for turkey wings.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Chicken Wing Dry Rub Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 4-5 pounds chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon oil like olive oil or avocado oil
Instructions
- Combine all of the dry rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix well and store until ready to use.
- When you’re ready to cook your chicken wings, pat the wings dry with paper towels. Get them as dry as you can for crispier wings.
- Toss the wings with oil in a large bowl, then generously coat the wings with the dry rub with even coverage. Cover and refrigerate.
- Rest the wings for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for more maximum flavor development.
Cook your wings as desired!
- Bake at 250 degrees F (120°C ) on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, flip and bake at 425 degrees F (220°C ) for another 30 minutes.
- Air fry at 250 degrees F (120°C ) for 15 minutes, then flip and air fry at 400 degrees F (200°C) another 15-20 minutes, shaking occasionally.
- Grill over medium heat for 20-25 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Bill Welychko says
Mike, Great recipe! My preference is a hot, not quite “Chernobyl hot” wing so I added in a little less than an 1/8 of a teaspoon of dehydrated ghost peppers out of the garden to the mixture. Then went on to mesquite smoke them in my BGE. They looked and tasted incredible.
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!!! I love the ghost addition, Bill. That's how I like it as well, just a touch of extra heat. I love it. Glad you enjoyed the wings!
Pennyg Mitchell says
Hi Mike. Made these today. Decidedly delicious but definitely not crispy! This recipe calls for only one half teaspoon of baking powder, while all your other wing recipes call for 1 tablespoon of baking powder. Definitely cooking these for my Italian friends this summer but should I amend to 1 tablespoon? They will love them either way!
Ciao!
Mike Hultquist says
Hi, yes, you can add more if you'd like. A lot depends on how you are cooking the wings. One thing I like to do to ensure crispy wings is to rub them down the night before, then cover and set them into the fridge overnight. The skins dry out even more. Let me know if this helps! I hope your friends enjoy them!
Penny Mitchell says
Thanks. Will try 1 tablespoon and put them in the fridge the night before I bake them. Might have to do a trial run before I go in June, but nobody this end will mind!
Paul:-) says
Mike, Patty,
I made these last night exactly to your recipe...empty plates all around!
the addition of Baking Powder did give a really crisp skin, thanks for letting that trick out to everyone. No accompaniment needed. Next time I'll double the recipe as we all found them rather addictive.
Oh, nearly forgot. Mum has an Air Fryer so we cooked them in it. They are still something of a novelty to me but I was pleased with the results and the time saving: So quick when compared to Oven baking.
Cheers,.
Paul:-)
Mike Hultquist says
Glad they were enjoyed.
nancy j dureck bowman says
Hi Mike
how many lbs of wings will this rub be good for?
Mike Hultquist says
Nancy, I typically use 1 tablespoon chicken wing dry rub per pound of chicken wings. However, you can adjust as necessary. Enjoy.
Tom Vituccio says
Mike, I have a question regarding the total heat content of a meal, such as a pot of chili or sauce, when you add a chopped hot chili pepper. Since peppers come in different sizes and have vastly different heat content, I was wondering how they compare when added to a meal. For instance, I weighed a jalopena pepper (45gm), a serrano pepper (15gm), and a cayenne pepper (3gm). Using the average SHU content of each pepper, I thought of multiplying the average heat content by the weight to come up with what could be construed as a cooking guide to heat added to a meal. A 45 gm jalopeno at 5,250 average SHU would be 236,250 SHU-g, a 15 gm serrano at 16,500 average SHU would be 247,500 SHU-g, and a 3 gm cayenne at 40,000 average SHU would be 120,000 SHU-g. If this is a reasonable guestimate of added heat, it would seem that one jalopena and one serrano would give pretty much the same result, but it would take 2 of the much hotter cayennes to give the same result. Am I on the right track here?
Mike Hultquist says
Tom, yes, I think it makes sense. Multiplying SHU × grams is a estimation method for comparing how different peppers affect the heat of a dish. It's a good way to think about heat balance when cooking.