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You're going to love my crispy baked Chicken Wings recipe. It's the perfect wings recipe for a party and uses just a handful of simple ingredients! Baked to crispy perfection and ready to enjoy in under an hour, I know you'll love the results. Let me show you how to make wings in the oven so they're just as crispy as fried!
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What could be better than a big stack of homemade crispy wings? My whole family is obsessed with them. When football season comes around every year, I know I'll be cutting whole wings and baking them weekly. That's fine with me - I love crispy baked wings, too!
I like to make a mix of homemade chicken wings to serve: crock pot wings, smoked wings, pressure cooker wings, air fryer wings, and these crispy baked buffalo wings. And oh, they are crispy like you wouldn't believe!
Why bake chicken wings?
It's more wholesome than frying
Although I love deep fried wings as much as the next gal, baked wings are more wholesome than fried because they use less oil and no breading. All you need to bake crispy wings is baking powder.
They are crispier than you would believe
You might think baked chicken wings can't be as crispy as fried, but that isn't true. This easy chicken wings recipe has the exact crispness you're looking for in a good recipe for wings, without the need for breading and frying.
It's easy to learn how to bake chicken wings
Baking wings is easy, mess-free, and hassle-free. Once I learned how to cook chicken wings in the oven, it became my preferred method for making homemade wings. I bet you'll feel the same way!
Chicken Wings Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken Wings: You can buy them pre-cut, or cut whole wings yourself. I prefer to cut whole wings when I have the chance because it saves money and is great for meal prep.
- Baking Powder: Make sure to get baking powder, and not baking soda. This is what's used to crisp up the wings in the oven.
- Seasoning: For seasoning, I use garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt (or sea salt flakes, my favorite), and black pepper. You can use any wings seasoning you prefer. For example, I love Lemon Pepper Seasoning when I'm making these wings with Parmesan sauce!
- Homemade Buffalo Sauce: You will need butter, hot sauce, and honey to make my buffalo sauce from scratch (which I recommend); or, you can use your favorite brand of buffalo sauce. Definitely pair it with some blue cheese dressing on the side.
- Celery Sticks (optional): Optional, but celery sticks are the perfect pairing with hot buffalo wings!
How to Make Wings
- Heat oven to 400°F. Thaw chicken wings and cut them into wingettes and drumettes if necessary (see above). Lay the wingettes and drumettes out on a flat surface and dry them with a paper towel.
- Combine baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine the wing seasoning completely.
- Once the chicken wings have been patted dry, place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle half of the baking powder mixture over the wings and toss to coat. Repeat with the second half of the mixture.
- Line the bottom portion of a wire rack with foil. Fit the top portion of the wire baking rack firmly in the bottom portion. Place the chicken wings on the wire baking rack, making sure not to over-crowd. Finally, place in the oven and bake chicken wings for 45 minutes.
- Remove the pan once the chicken wings are fully baked. Place the chicken wings in a large bowl. Toss with the desired amount of buffalo sauce to coat completely. Repeat with more sauce if desired.
- Optional: Return the coated chicken wings to the pan and place them in the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes. This will crisp them up more and be optimal if you like the wings less saucy, it's a great alternative to deep frying.
Expert Tips
- Bake the wings on a wire baking rack or a raised roasting pan. This allows the air to flow around the wings as they cook, making them crispy.
- Wrap the bottom portion of the baking sheet in tin foil. The tinfoil will catch any juices that drip as they bake, making it easy to clean up afterward.
- Don't overcrowd the rack. Evenly, space the chicken wings so they can bake evenly.
- For all chicken wings, having a good wings seasoning already mixed up saves so much time!
How Long to Cook Chicken Wings
Chicken wings should be baked until fully cooked and crispy, which takes about 45 minutes in an oven at 400°F.
Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is done cooking - it will read between 165°F and 175°F. See my chicken temperature chart for more details.
Cutting Chicken Wings
If chicken wings are whole, they must be cut into wingettes and drumettes. See my guide to cutting wings for a full step-by-step outline with tips.
- If frozen, make sure the chicken is completely thawed. Then, lay the wings out on a cutting board.
- Stretch each wing out with your fingers and look for the 2 joints in the wing. Feel for the first joint and cut through it.
- Feel for the second joint and cut through that, separating the chicken wing into three pieces (the drumette, wingette, and tip).
- Repeat until all are cut.
Dipping Sauces for Wings
- I make our homemade wing sauce with this chicken wings recipe. It's so easy to whip up in 10 minutes using three simple ingredients and tastes incredible. Try my Homemade Buffalo Sauce!
- My favorite Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe is perfect for dipping these wings in! It cools down the wings' tangy, mildly spicy flavor and is so easy to make at home.
- Homemade Ranch Dressing is also a favorite with my kids! It's easy and so flavorful - much better than what you can buy in a bottle. You won't want to go back to store-bought!
- Try my honey sriracha sauce! It's so good on wings!
FAQ
The wings will not bake with anything but a spice mixture and baking powder. After baking buffalo wings, add them to a large bowl with the sauce and toss to coat. You can return them to the oven after adding the sauce to make them crispier!
Elevating the wings over the pan allows air to flow around them, which crisps up the skin. If you want extra crispy buffalo wings, bake them for another 2-3 minutes after adding the sauce.
Yes, you can use pre-cut whole wings for this recipe including all parts of the wings, from the drumettes to the wingettes. I include instructions above for how to cut whole wings if you want to cut them yourself.
Yes, you can bake chicken wings in the air fryer. Air fry for approximately 15 minutes at a low temperature to start with (250°F), then flip and air fry at 400 to 430°F for 15-20 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 165°F when they are done, and they should be crispy on the outside. Make sure to cook them all in one layer without any overlapping pieces.
Baked Chicken Wings
Plump and juicy inside, with a buttery, delicious homemade buffalo sauce. Try making these wings for your next game day party or for a fun family pizza night, and I bet you will be as hooked as I am!
How to Make Wings
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. chicken wings - pre-cut or whole wings
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder - NOT baking soda
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- ⅛ tsp. salt and pepper
- homemade buffalo sauce - roughly 1 cup
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F. Thaw 3 lbs. of chicken wings. If chicken wings are whole, they will need to be cut into wingettes and drumettes. Lay the wingettes and drumettes out on a flat surface and dry them with a paper towel.3 lbs. chicken wings
- Combine 1 Tbsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. smoked paprika, and ⅛ tsp. salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine completely.1 Tbsp. baking powder,1 tsp. garlic powder,1 tsp. onion powder,1 tsp. smoked paprika,⅛ tsp. salt and pepper
- Once the chicken wings have been patted dry, place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle half of the baking powder mixture over the wings and toss to coat. Repeat with the second half of the mixture.
- Line the bottom portion of a wire baking rack with foil. Fit the top portion of the wire baking rack firmly in the bottom portion. Place the chicken wings on the wire baking rack, making sure not to over-crowd the wings on the rack. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Place the chicken wings in a large bowl. Toss with desired amount of buffalo sauce to coat completely. Repeat with more sauce if desired.homemade buffalo sauce
- Optional: Return the coated chicken wings to the pan and place in the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes. This will crisp them up more and is optimal if you like the wings less saucy. Enjoy!
Notes
- Bake the wings on a wire baking rack or a raised roasting pan. This allows the air to flow around the wings as they cook, which is what makes them crispy.
- Wrap the bottom portion of the baking sheet in tin foil. The tinfoil will catch any juices that drip as they bake and make it easy to clean up after.
- Don't overcrowd the rack. Evenly space the chicken wings so they can bake evenly.
ROBERT HEATHMAN says
I can only review the cooking aspect of these chicken wings as I used a prepared sauce and dressing. The spice blend for cooking and cooking times where good tho. I was a little skeptical when it said baking powder but no flour but just go with it. It left them crispy and fall off the bone style. PERFECT! Having mommy blogger's burn me before, this one is good to go. Safe to use.
Isabel Laessig says
So glad you enjoyed it, Robert! Thank you for your review!
Victoria says
Love this recipe! Crispy BAKED wings! Love that these are baked and not deep fat fried! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Isabel Laessig says
Thanks so much, Victoria! So glad you enjoy them!