Just figured out why my chicken wings were soggy every time

I heard a guy at the hardware store say he pats his wings dry with paper towels and then lets them sit uncovered in the fridge for 2 hours before air frying. Tried it last night with a batch of 12 wings and they came out way crispier than usual. Has anyone else tried the fridge trick or do you do something different for crunch?

2 comments

2 Comments

uma3064d ago

Oh man I gotta say I actually hate the fridge trick. Every time I've tried that my wings come out dry and chewy on the outside with the meat getting weirdly tough, I just toss them straight from the package into the air fryer and they turn out way better.

angelaellis4d agoMost Upvoted

Have you ever read that America's Test Kitchen article on wing texture? They actually did a whole breakdown on the fridge trick versus other methods. I remember they said the key is patting the wings bone dry before refrigerating them, not just letting them sit. If there's any moisture left on the skin, it can trap steam and cause that tough, leathery texture you're describing. I've had better luck using their method where you toss the wings in a little baking powder and salt, then leave them uncovered in the fridge overnight. It sounds weird but it really helps the skin crisp up without drying out the meat.