Pat the wings very dry with paper towels. Toss with the fine sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and neutral oil until evenly coated. For the best texture, place the wings on a wire rack set over a tray and refrigerate uncovered for 1–12 hours. This helps dry out the skin so it crisps much more effectively in the oven. Leaving the wings uncovered on a rack lets air circulate on every side, drawing surface moisture away steadily over the resting window — that dry surface is what allows the oven's heat to go directly into rendering and browning rather than evaporating water first.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Arrange the wings in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking tray, leaving space between them. Bake for 35–40 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the wings are cooked through and the fat under the skin has rendered. This first stage is about drying and rendering, not browning. Genuine space between each wing matters here as much as the low temperature — crowded wings trap steam between each other, working directly against the dry, rendering environment this stage is meant to create.

Increase the oven temperature to 230°C, or switch to broil if your oven browns evenly. Continue baking for 10–15 minutes, turning once if needed, until the wings are deeply golden, crisp, and browned at the edges. The wings should be at least 74°C internally, though wings usually eat best slightly beyond that once the connective tissue has softened. By this stage most of the fat has already rendered out during the low bake, leaving little moisture left to protect the skin from scorching — this is why the high-heat finish moves quickly and needs watching rather than being left unattended.

While the wings finish crisping, whisk together the mayonnaise, crema, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili powder in a large bowl until smooth. The sauce should taste creamy, tangy, lightly savory, and only gently limey. It should coat a spoon thickly, not run like a dressing. Combining lime zest with a modest amount of juice, rather than relying on juice alone, gives the sauce genuine citrus brightness without the extra acidity and liquid that a heavier hand with juice would add — too much juice thins the sauce and pushes it toward sour rather than the rounded tang elote is known for.

As soon as the wings come out of the oven, transfer them directly to the bowl with the sauce. Toss until evenly coated. Add the roughly chopped cilantro and toss again briefly so it clings to the sauce. Tossing the instant the wings leave the oven, while they're still fully hot and crisp, lets the sauce cling as a thin, even coating — any delay gives it more time to pool and start softening the skin from beneath.

Transfer the coated wings to a serving plate. Scatter the crumbled cotija heavily over the top. Dust with more chili powder until the surface has that vivid orange-red elote look. Finish with more chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges alongside. Serve immediately while the wings are hot, crisp-edged, and the sauce is still creamy. Scattering the cotija and chilli powder only at this final plating step, rather than mixing them into the sauce, keeps both visibly distinct against the creamy coating — mixed in, the cotija would lose its texture and the chilli's vivid colour would mute into the sauce rather than standing out on top.