My wife and I argued over the best way to cook frozen chicken wings

She insisted on cooking them straight from frozen, but I thawed mine overnight in the fridge first. The thawed wings came out crispier and cooked through in 15 minutes, while hers were still soggy in the middle. What's your go-to method for frozen proteins?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery3561mo ago

Thaw them, no contest. The outside just gets soggy if you cook from frozen, it steams instead of crisping. I pat them dry with a paper towel too, that extra step makes a huge difference. You can't rush good wings.

robert_hayes29d ago

Funny you mention that... I actually read somewhere that Alton Brown says the same thing about patting them dry and letting them sit in the fridge. Tried it once for a super bowl party and never looked back. That extra hour on a wire rack makes a real difference, the skin gets this almost crackly crunch. And yeah, frozen wings just steam themselves into a sad, rubbery mess... not worth the time saved. Thawing in the fridge overnight is the only way to go if you want them right.

park.riley1mo ago

Yeah, emery356 is totally right about the soggy skin. I learned that the hard way trying to make wings for a game last minute. Thawing them in the fridge overnight, then patting them bone dry with paper towels is key. I even leave them uncovered on a rack in the fridge for an hour before cooking. That extra dry time gets the skin so crisp it almost shatters when you bite in.