My grandma was the true retro grandma. From the Campbell’s soup cans lining her pantry to the Jell-O molds and coupon clippings on the table. Her food was not fancy; it was simple, often inexpensive food, cooked with love. This time of year, with the Super Bowl right around the corner, there’s one dish of hers that always comes to mind (and eventually lands on my table, too): her chicken wings.
These wings are, to me, the platonic ideal of a wing. With just a few ingredients, they’re simple and straightforward, and they’re all about the chicken, not the sauce. They’re crispier wings, dry-rubbed and juicy, with no wet wipes required after eating. Luckily, she passed down her recipe to my aunt, who, in turn, passed it down to me. The best part of her version? They have just four ingredients and couldn’t be easier.
The Secret to My Grandma’s Chicken Wings
My grandpa was an athletic trainer at our local college, the University of Washington—I still have his Rose Bowl ring to prove it—and they would have a lot of football staff over for parties. My grandma would make these wings, and everyone adored them and asked for the recipe.
Her secret? Lawry’s seasoning salt. Yes, like every grandma, she had a store-bought shortcut to flavor. The wings get a good coating of flour, Lawry’s, and, of course, a generous amount of butter (like every good grandma recipe), and that’s it.
Despite just four simple ingredients, it’s incredible how much people lose it over these wings. My kids beg for them, my friends request them, and each time I make them, people want the recipe, too. So I’m passing on her recipe to you, just as it’s been passed down to me.
My Grandma’s Chicken Wings Recipe
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Melt one stick of butter in a large roasting pan or on a sheet pan in the oven as it heats up. Shake about 3 to 4 pounds of chicken wings in a large bowl with a mixture of all-purpose flour and a few good shakes of Lawry’s salt (measure with your heart).
Once the butter melts and bubbles, pull the pan out of the oven and place the coated wings in the pan with the hot, melted butter. There’s no need to toss them, but make sure they’re evenly spread out in the pan so each will be equally exposed to the heat. Top with an extra few shakes of Lawry’s, and that’s it.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, then flip the wings over. Bake until golden brown and crispy, 25 to 30 minutes more. My grandma served them hot out of the oven with bottled blue cheese dressing and carrot sticks—nothing fancy needed!
They taste so, so much better than the sum of their parts. From time to time, I’ll even use the same technique with chicken drumsticks for a quick and easy dinner that’s a surefire family favorite.
If grandmas teach us anything, it’s that the ingredients can be humble and the recipes simple, so long as you cook with love.