Demon and Angel Chicken Wings (Two Sauces, One Crispy Wing)

Our Demon and Angel range is built on one idea: the same crispy wing, two completely different moods. Demon is the bold, fiery one for people who enjoy a bit of pain. Angel is non-spicy with a fresh, zesty twist, for everyone else at the table. Both are finished with sesame seeds and spring onions. Wings are £6.50 for five on our menu, and this is how to make both sauces at home.

The method is a baking powder dry brine and a hot oven rather than a deep fryer. It sounds like a compromise and it is not: baking powder raises the pH of the skin, which speeds up browning and helps it blister and dry out. You get genuinely crisp wings without a pan of oil, and the sauce still clings.

Twenty minutes of work, an hour in the fridge if you have time, then 45 minutes in the oven while you make two sauces that each take five minutes. Makes enough for four as a starter.

Why this recipe works

• Baking powder, not baking soda. A tablespoon of baking powder mixed with salt draws moisture out of the skin and helps it brown and crisp. Baking soda in that quantity would taste soapy and metallic.
• The wings go on a wire rack. Air needs to reach the underside. Wings sitting in their own rendered fat on a flat tray will never crisp properly.
• Two temperatures. Twenty minutes at 180°C renders the fat under the skin, then 25 minutes at 220°C crisps and blisters it. Straight in at a high heat gives you burnt skin and chewy fat.
• The sauces are added at the very end. Wings tossed in sauce and then returned to the oven go soft. Toss, plate, eat.
• Both sauces are built on butter. Butter gives the sauce enough body to coat the wing rather than run off it, which is why hot wing sauce is traditionally made this way.

Ingredient notes

Chicken wings. Buy them whole and separate them yourself into drumettes and flats — it is cheaper and takes two minutes with a heavy knife. Discard the wing tip or freeze it for stock. Fresh wings crisp better than previously frozen ones, which hold more water.

Baking powder. Ordinary supermarket baking powder. One tablespoon per kilogram of wings, mixed with the salt. Make sure it is well distributed or you will get patches.

Naga chilli or scotch bonnet, for Demon. Naga is what gives our Dragon Kiss its reputation. It is very hot, so use it as a measured ingredient rather than a garnish. Scotch bonnet is fruitier and slightly less punishing. A milder chilli sauce plus a pinch of cayenne is the sensible starting point if you are unsure.

Gochujang. Korean fermented chilli paste, sold in tubs in most large supermarkets. It brings depth, sweetness and a savoury backbone that raw chilli heat cannot do on its own. This is what stops Demon sauce being just hot.

Lemon and lime, for Angel. Zest and juice. The zest carries the aroma, the juice carries the sharpness, and you need both. Add the juice off the heat so it stays bright.

Honey. In both sauces, in different amounts. It balances the heat in Demon and rounds out the acidity in Angel.

Substitutions and variations

Air fryer. Cook the dry-brined wings at 190°C for 12 minutes, then 205°C for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket twice. Arguably better than the oven, and much faster. Do not crowd the basket.

Deep fried. Skip the baking powder, dust the wings in cornflour and fry at 180°C for 8 to 10 minutes. Crisper again, but a lot more work and mess.

Demon Rings and Naga potatoes. Both sauces work on crispy sliced potatoes and on onion rings. That is exactly what our Demon Rings are.

Make it milder. For Demon, halve the naga and add a tablespoon more honey and butter. The flavour stays, the heat drops considerably.

Angel with garlic. Two cloves of finely grated garlic in the Angel butter turns it into something closer to a lemon and garlic wing, which is excellent and completely different.

Boneless. Use chicken thigh cut into chunks and cooked the same way, for 30 minutes total. Not traditional, but easier to eat.

Step-by-step guidance

The full method is in the recipe card below. These are the parts that decide how crisp your wings are.

Drying the wings. This matters more than anything else. Pat them thoroughly with kitchen paper — genuinely dry, not damp. Then toss with the baking powder and salt until every wing is evenly coated. If you have an hour, leave them uncovered on the rack in the fridge. The cold dry air pulls even more moisture out of the skin and the difference is obvious.

Spacing on the rack. Set a wire rack inside a roasting tin and lay the wings out with a finger-width gap between them. If they touch, they steam each other. Use two trays if you need to.

The two-stage roast. Twenty minutes at 180°C, then turn the oven up to 220°C and give them another 25 minutes, turning them once halfway through the second stage. You are looking for skin that is blistered, deep golden and visibly tight. If your oven runs cool, give it another five minutes rather than more heat.

The sauces. Both are made in a small pan in under five minutes and both should be warm, not hot, when the wings go in. For Demon, melt the butter with the gochujang, naga, honey, soy and vinegar and let it bubble gently for two minutes until it looks glossy. For Angel, melt the butter with the honey and zest, then take it off the heat before the juice goes in. Toss the wings in a large bowl, a handful at a time, so every one is coated.

Professional tips

• Separate the wings yourself. Drumettes and flats cook more evenly than whole wings and there is more crisp skin per bite.
• Weigh the baking powder if you can. Too much tastes bitter, too little does nothing.
• Do not oil the wings. Fat renders out of the skin and that is all you need.
• Warm the serving bowl. Cold bowls thicken the butter sauce too quickly and it stops coating.
• Toss in batches. Half the wings, half the sauce, then repeat. Everything gets coated properly.
• Sesame seeds and spring onions go on after the tossing, or they end up glued to the bowl.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Solution	Prevention
Skin is soft, not crisp	Wings were wet, crowded, or cooked on a flat tray	Return to a 220°C oven for another 8 to 10 minutes	Dry thoroughly, space them out on a wire rack
Wings taste faintly bitter or soapy	Too much baking powder, or baking soda used by mistake	Nothing to do — the sauce will mask some of it	One tablespoon of baking powder per kilogram, well mixed
Sauce ran off the wings	Sauce too thin, or wings too hot	Bubble the sauce for another minute to thicken	Use the full amount of butter and let the wings rest two minutes
Demon sauce is too hot to eat	Naga is far hotter than most chillies	Whisk in more butter and honey off the heat	Add the naga a quarter teaspoon at a time and taste
Angel sauce split or looks curdled	Citrus juice added over heat	Whisk in a small knob of cold butter off the heat	Always add the juice after the pan comes off the heat
Wings burnt on top, pale underneath	Not turned during the high-heat stage	Turn and give the pale side five minutes	Turn once halfway through the 220°C stage

What to serve with it

Wings need something cooling and something crunchy. A plain yoghurt and mint dip, or a simple slaw with plenty of vinegar, both work. Celery sticks are traditional for a reason — they reset your mouth between wings.

For a full sharing spread of the sort we plate as The Starter Squad XL, add crispy naga chilli sliced potatoes, onion rings and chicken bao buns. More ideas in our bao and starters recipes.

To drink, something cold and sweet does more against chilli than water. A mango or lychee bubble drink is what most people reach for in the restaurant.

Storage and reheating

Cool cooked wings quickly, refrigerate within two hours and eat within two days, in line with standard UK food safety guidance.

Reheat in a hot oven or air fryer at 200°C for eight to ten minutes. They will crisp up again surprisingly well, especially if they were not sauced. A microwave will make the skin soft and slightly rubbery.

Both sauces keep separately in the fridge for up to five days in a sealed container. They will set solid because of the butter — warm them gently in a small pan and whisk before using. If you know you have leftovers coming, keep the wings and sauce apart.

Freezing: cooked wings freeze for up to two months but lose some texture. Do not freeze wings that were previously frozen raw. The sauces are not worth freezing; they take five minutes to make fresh.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need the baking powder?

If you want crisp skin from an oven, yes. Without it the wings will be pleasant but soft. It is the single biggest difference between home wings and takeaway wings.

How hot is the Demon sauce?

Hot. Naga is one of the hottest chillies commonly sold in the UK, and a quarter of a teaspoon goes a long way. Start small, taste, and build up. If you want the flavour without the punishment, use a milder chilli sauce and a pinch of cayenne instead.

Can I use frozen wings?

Yes, but defrost them fully in the fridge first and dry them extremely well. Frozen wings hold more water, so expect slightly less crisp skin.

Can I make the sauces ahead?

Yes, up to five days. Store them in the fridge and warm them gently before tossing. Add the citrus juice to the Angel sauce fresh if you can, as it dulls after a day.

How many wings per person?

Five is a starter portion, which is what we serve. Eight to ten each is a main course with sides.

Can I do both sauces from one batch of wings?

That is exactly the point. Cook 1kg of wings, split them in two and toss one half in each sauce. Everyone at the table gets what they want.

Why are my wings not browning?

Usually an oven that runs cooler than its dial says, or too many wings on one tray. Use an oven thermometer if you have one, and split them across two trays.

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Or pick your side at the counter

Demon or Angel, five wings for £6.50 at 172 Biscot Road in Luton, no oven required. If you want the full spread, The Starter Squad XL is £20 and comes with five Demon Wings, five Demon Rings, ten crispy filo king prawns and naga sliced potatoes. Order for collection or delivery, or see the whole starters section.

If you make them at home, rate the recipe below and tell us which side you picked.

Newer From Our Kitchen

For a full Starter Squad at home, add crispy filo king prawns and crispy ramen rolls to the table. A jar of homemade crispy chilli oil makes a very good dip stirred into mayonnaise.