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Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings are simple to make as a deliciously satisfying appetizer or meal. Chicken wings are seasoned and then baked for an addictively crispy skin with no greasy frying!
This chicken wings recipe is truly a family favorite. We serve them at parties, on game day or for family movie nights. With lots of different flavors to choose from, like Lemon Pepper, Garlic Parmesan, Salt and Pepper Wings or BBQ Chicken Wings, baked chicken wings are as easy choice that’s budget friendly and easy to prepare.
Crispy Chicken Wings are delicious, but the messy frying doesn’t thrill me. That’s why I love this baked chicken wings recipe. It’s healthier and easier than frying, because they bake up crispy in the oven with hardly any effort!
Don’t want to mess with the bone? Try my Boneless Chicken Wings!
Pin this recipe for later!Table of Contents
The Best Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
We love finger foods for game day or just a fun family movie night! Baked Chicken Wings are almost always on the menu, and we love to serve them with some of our other favorite appetizers, like French Bread Pizza, Jalapeno Popper Dip, chips and homemade Guacamole, and Fried Ravioli.
Chicken wings are somewhat of a guilty pleasure, but I can enjoy these guilt free because they are baked instead of fried. Plus I can make buffalo wings and control the heat or customize for everyone with one of my favorite sauces. Honey glazed is one of my favorites!
Ingredients
- Chicken Wings – Use a combo of flats and drumettes, or separate out and only use drumettes if you prefer. If frozen, you need to thaw first.
- Flour – Helps form a crispy coating around the chicken.
- Baking Powder – Forms a reaction with the skin and helps dry it out, which is crucial to a crispy skin.
- Cayenne Sauce – Frank’s Red Hot or something similar. This is not a wing sauce, although that can be used.
- Butter – Use real butter, not margarine, for the best flavor.
- Seasoning – Chili powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper
How to Bake Chicken Wings in the Oven
Preheat the oven to 450℉. Preheating and roasting at a high heat will help attain the crispy skin you’re looking for.
Dry and Coat: Pat wings dry with paper towels and toss them with the flour, baking powder and seasoning. It’s very important to shake off excess flour or there may be some residual flour after baking.
Roast: You have 2 options for baking – flat on a baking sheet or on a baking rack. If you have a rack, you’ll get better air flow and a crispier result. If you don’t, just cover a baking sheet with foil and you’re wings will still get crispy. Either way, make sure to spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping them about halfway through.
Saucing Your Wings
If you’re making the buffalo sauce, you can do that while the chicken is in the oven. It’s basically just hot sauce and butter, melted together. You can make it as spicy or mild as you like. You can also leave your wings unsauced – they have a great flavor already.
Toss baked wings in the buffalo sauce or any sauce of your choosing.
FAQs
Using my foolproof method, wings take about 30-40 minutes to bake at 450℉, or until they are golden brown and crispy. Flipping them halfway through helps them to brown evenly.
The baking powder (not to be confused with baking soda) is really what makes all the difference for crispy chicken wings. When you coat the chicken it dries out the skin leaving it crispy and crunchy when baked. The more sciency explanation is that there is a reaction when the salt and baking soda combine that changes the PH of the chicken skin.
A lot of readers have asked if this recipe works with chicken drumsticks. Spoiler alert – it does! Check out my easy Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks.
Expert Tips for Crispy Wings
- Pat them dry. When you take them out of the packaging, you need to pat them dry really well. The dry they are the crispier they will be.
- Flour + Baking Powder. Some recipes don’t use baking powder but it really does help with the crispy skin.
- Tap off excess flour. Be sure to tap off any excess flour mixture before placing these on the rack. This will keep your wings from tasting bitter from the baking powder.
- Use the rack. If you don’t have one, get one. They are really inexpensive and super useful in the kitchen.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Space your wings far enough apart so they aren’t touching and the air can circulate around them for even cooking.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Serving Suggestions
Of course you’ll want to make sure you have carrot and celery sticks to help cleanse the palette, as well as some creamy Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing for dipping. I actually like to mix the two together for a great flavor.
If you’re looking to make these wings a meal, add some of these yummy sides:
- Garlic Bread – crunchy, buttery, and full of garlicky goodness!
- Homemade Baked French Fries – Much easier than you might think and so much better than the drive thru.
- Easy Baked Potato Wedges – Thick strips of potato coated in a homemade seasoning blend and baked until crispy.
- Macaroni Salad – A classic that has been in our family for more than 50 years!
- Simple Carrot Salad – Skip the carrot sticks and make this delicious shredded carrot salad!
- Southern Potato Salad – Tender potatoes with a creamy, tangy dressing.
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings or drumettes thawed or fresh (about 3 dozen pieces)
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoon baking powder
- Bottled Cayenne Hot Sauce like Frank’s Red Hot
- Butter not margarine
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Rinse chicken wings and trim any excess skin. Do not remove the skin or you will lose the crispiness. Pat chicken dry.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and seasonings. Add chicken and coat with the flour mixture. Shake off excess.
- Prepare a large cookie sheet by covering with foil and spraying with cooking spray.
- Arrange chicken on the cookie sheet, at least an inch apart.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning once after about 20 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Add about a ½ cup of the bottled cayenne hot sauce and a stick of butter to a small saucepan. Heat on low and stir until butter is melted and sauce begins to bubble. Taste. If the sauce needs more heat go ahead and add some in batches, or add a few dashes of Tabasco.
- Transfer wings into a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the wings and toss to coat.
- Serve with celery and carrot sticks and a side of ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
Baking powder that contains “sodium aluminum sulfate” has a bitter taste to some people. If you notice this flavor, you’ll want to try a different brand of baking powder.
Great recipe! We make these wings every Friday! I substitute the flour for garbanzo flour to make it gluten free and it tastes great! Thanks!!
Conlmpliments to the chef. These were the best. My husband can’t stop talking about how good they were. Thanks
I made these last night. So easy, so good! I baked them for 40 minutes. They came out very crispy. I was pleasantly surprised. I did some with Hot sauce/butter & some garlic/parmesan. Both were good, but we liked the hot sauce ones the best. Thanks for posting this recipe. Definitely a keeper.
These wings are the best! I leave out the garlic powder and vary up the sauce with a squirt of honey and BBQ sauce to smooth out the heat and the flavour. I will never order wings out again! Thank you!!
You probably used baking soda if it was bitter, I have definitely done this before, baking powder is not bitter at all. Try try again.
Everyone else remember baking powder !
Is it really 2 TABLESPOONS?
baking powder has baking soda in it along with creme of tartar and cornstarch
Made these this evening and they were fab! I didn’t think I could get crispy skin like this using an oven – baked chicken wings are now going to be a firm family favourite (and I love that it’s healthier, not being fried !)
These are soooo good!!! I put a twist on it and added a packet of ranch mix to the dry seasonings. Delicious! Thank you!!
First time my husband agreed to trying chicken wings is when I came across your baked chicken wings recipe. It’s simple, quick and oh so good! He is now in charge of making them! OK with me! Thanks
These were delicious! Men even thought they were better than grilled wings! I would let them cool completely before tossing to keep crispness.
Hi Kristin, I just wanted to thank you for posting this recipe. I have tried many chicken wing recipes in the past, looking for the best homemade version of ‘Buffalo Chicken Wings’ and behold I have found the best one! So I can´t thank you enough for taking the time to post it and your generosity for sharing this little gem.
Happy cooking!
Very very good ! Family enjoyed them so much !patti sutton
The most crispy baked chicken wings! Thank you
These are hands down the Best WINGS!!! Thank you!
These wings sound good and a snap to make thanks!
1. they were defitintly crispy
2.. I cooked them on my gas grill, 400+ for 45 minutes
3. I coated then in a garlic parm sauce
4, I need to make f\more next time
Best ever recipe!!!! So ease and delious.
I suggest preparing the wings as suggested and place into the refrigerator uncovered for 2-3 hours. Perfect for preparing ahead of time and placing in the preheated oven when you’re ready to go. This enhances the crispness by dehydrating the skin – so good.
I like to add a clove or Three of fresh pressed garlic and a little honey to the butter and Franks Hot Sauce.
I also find that baking at 500 degrees for a shorter time lends itself to a crispier chicken wing.
Made this recipe for Superbowl LII instead of Alton Brown’s that I usually make. This is WAAY easier and the result was crispy, moist wings. E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!
Well the fact that you like my recipe better than Alton Brown’s is a HUGE compliment!!
I’d recommend a shorter bake time. Otherwise, an easy and tasty recipe.