The best hot wings ever

When Dan and I watch baseball (or football or Star Trek) together, he always demands requests that I make wings. Mine are horrendously spicy, coated with chili powder and onion powder, and drenched in sriracha. They're baked, instead of fried, so they're a little healthier (HA.) They're baked slowly, so the outside skin is chewy and crispy and the meat is tender and juicy. If you bake wings on high heat for a short amount of time, they tend to get tough and slimy.

Making your own hot wings is easy. It takes a while, but it's worth it. I'd have a picture of my delicious wings, but Dan ate them all.

Notes:
On wings: I usually get them fresh. I've tried getting them frozen and thawing them, but the bones in them are usually crushed or broken and it's just an all-around unpleasant eating experience. Make sure you get the package that has the joints already separated and the wing tips discarded. Nobody has time to stand in the kitchen and cut chicken wings apart. There are just too many sporting events to watch.

On hot sauce: I use sriracha because it is way spicier than Frank's and does a better job at sticking to the wings without making them slimy or soggy in the process. Sriracha also has an all-around better complex, peppery, garlicky flavor, which is enhanced by the flavors of the onion powder and chili powder. Get the sriracha from the Asian food section of the grocery store. It's the one with the green lid and the picture of the rooster on the bottle. This particular brand of sriracha has a better flavor than other srirachas on the market. Do not settle for sub-par sriracha.

Caryn's horrendously spicy and delicious hot wings

Ingredients:
Wings (about 12 to 20)
chili powder
onion powder
salt and pepper
About 2 T. butter
Sriracha

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove wings from the packaging and place in a bowl. Sprinkle GENEROUSLY with chili powder, onion powder and salt. You can also sprinkle with a little pepper, if that's your thing. It should look like the wings are coated in seasoning.

Place the seasoned wings on a baking pan. Space them apart so they have room to bake. Bake the wings for 45 minutes to an hour, or until desired crispness is reached. I usually bake them for closer to an hour.

Remove wings from the oven and let sit. Melt about 2 T. butter in a small saucepan. When butter is melted, add about 2/3 cup to a full cup of sriracha (depending on how many wings you have) and stir over medium heat until the butter and sriracha are fully incorporated and the sauce is hot (steam will be rising off the top of the sauce.)

Place the baked wings into a separate bowl (NOT the one you just used to season them) and dump the sauce on top. Toss the wings with a big spoon. Serve immediately with plenty of paper towels and cold beverages.