Making crispy Baked Chicken Wings isn’t hard, in fact it’s much easier than frying them. You just need the right combination of ingredients and oven temperature.
Die hard chicken wing fans won’t take their wings any way but crispy, and I am here today to tell you that I have a baked wing recipe that is truly crispy. Getting a crispy texture without deep frying might seem like wizardry, but I promise it’s just a matter of science.
This technique comes from the culinary wizards at America’s Test Kitchen, and it is very simple to pull off. Pair this baked chicken wing recipe with your favorite wing sauce, and you have some killer chicken wings.
How to Bake Chicken Wings
This is a brief overview to show you how simple this crispy baked wings recipe is. For the full recipe with all of the measurements, please find the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Pat the Chicken Dry
This is a key step in this recipe. It is part of what helps you end up with crispy wings.
Toss the Chicken in Baking Powder and Salt
I like doing this in a ziplock bag. It’s an easy way to make sure it all gets coated well. Both ingredients help pull water out of the chicken, allowing it to evaporate in the oven, leaving a nice crispy skin. It is vitally important that you use baking powder and not baking soda in this recipe.
Bake the Chicken
Place the chicken on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake the chicken for 40 minutes, and flip them over at the 20 minute mark.
Toss With Your Favorite Wing Sauce
I love using my homemade Buffalo sauce in this recipe, but you could use so many different sauces. My BBQ sauce and my teriyaki sauce are two more great options.
Tips and Tricks
- Watch the wings closely. Towards the end of the baking time we turn on the broiler to really crisp up the wings. Watch them closely in this step so they do not burn.
- Change up the sauce for your wings. As mentioned above, I love these tossed with my Buffalo Sauce, but BBQ sauce, creamy garlic dressing, and teriyaki sauce are also great options.
- Make your wings in the air fryer. This is another great way to get crispy wings without deep frying them. I love my air fryer chicken wing recipe.
- Make your wings in the crockpot. This is a great hands off method. You can pop them under the broiler at the end.
Serving Wings
I love serving chicken wings and drumettes with cut up carrots and celery sticks. I don’t know why they work so well together, they just do.
Of course, you will want to put out a dipping sauce or two if you are serving these at a party. I love eating mine with ranch dressing but I know plenty of people who prefer blue cheese dressing. Both are great because their creaminess balances out any spiciness in the hot sauce found in Buffalo sauce.
Storing
Store any leftover chicken wings in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. Keep in mind that as the wings sit they will lose some of their crispiness, especially if they have been tossed with sauce.
Other Game Day Recipes
I think that baked buffalo wings are the perfect game day recipe, but if you are looking for more, I have a whole post with my favorite Game Day Recipes. Some of the stand outs are:
If you make these crispy oven baked chicken wings, or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings thawed (1360.8 grams)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (not baking soda) read about the science behind using baking powder and salt
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup Buffalo sauce for tossing (you can use any wing sauce that you like with this recipe see two other recommendations above)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 475 Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire on it and spray generaously with cooking spray.
- Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken in a gallon ziplock bag. Add the baking powder and salt. Toss to combine.3 pounds chicken wings, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- Place the chicken on the wire rack. Bake for 40 minutes, turning the chicken over half way during baking. Put the chicken under the broiler for 6 minutes, watching closely so they do not burn.
- Remove from the oven and transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with wing sauce, and enjoy.1 cup Buffalo sauce
Recipe Video
Terry says
Table salt? I can’t remember the last time this house had table salt. A couple decades? Why table salt, and does it have to be table salt? Can we use sea salt?
The purpose of the salt is to pull moisture out rather than to make it salty. The small granules of table salt help more thoroughly coat the chicken to pull that moisture out. While I think that sea salt could work, I would want to test it to see if it results in a similar crispiness.
Mike K says
The Crispy Chicken Wing recipe notes to use baking powder not Baking Soda as the dredge, but the link is name has Baking Soda not Baking Powder. Easy fix but it may confuse some folks.
Good catch!! Thank you!
Leigh says
Could I also add in other seasonings along with the salt? My family prefers wings with no sauce, only dry seasonings.
You sure can! I have a great chicken rub that would be perfect on these. I would just reduce the salt.
Teresa says
Do you have any easy recipes for chicken legs?
Yup! You can get it here: chicken legs.
Jerry Scola says
Can this be made with boneless chicken breast strips?
I haven’t tested that, but I think the timing would be off.