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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.
This is a great and simple recipe! Loved them! They are so good even without the sauce. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Collene!
These are simple and delicious. I took them to a party and everyone wanted the recipe. I make them at home and my son devours them. Thank you for the recipe. 🙂
Thank you Marry Ann! So happy that you and your family loved this recipe!
Can I use bar b q an butter indeed of hot sauce
You wouldn’t even need to use butter. Just coat the wings in your favorite bbq sauce!
These are saved in my favorites as BEST CHICKEN WING EVER. makes it easier to find. 🙂 Im not allowed to make any other way so says my husband . Excellent recipe .!
I made this recipe and halfed it because I only had 11/2 lbs. of wings and it was delicious. I will definitely make again.
My husband and I love this recipe….it’s our go to for chicken wings. Thank you.
Do you use frozen wings or do you thaw them first?
They need to be thawed first.
Fabu!
I prepared the recipe as written, but I couldn’t do 8 T of butter — and live to see not-so Superbowl Monday.
So I took just 25 gr (a scant ounce), and thinned it with some milk and a creamy white French dressing, then mixed it in a 3 to one ration with Sriracha (3 siracha to one blue cheese). I liked it — my lips still tingle.
I’d make these again and again.
Thank you Barbara! So glad you enjoyed it!
Yay!! My new go-to wing recipe!!
Thank you Denice!
Hi can these wings be frozen? if yes how to reheat? Or can they be served cold?
I have not tried freezing these wings, but you should be able to, yes, I would thaw them and then bake according to the instructions. Keep in mind though that these wings are best fresh, and may dry out a little.
DO you boil these first before baking? Thanks!
Nope, just toss in the coating and bake!
I only have margarine and I can’t get to the store can I use that? Thanks
Margarine will melt differently than butter. I haven’t personally used it but it does tend to separate when melted, since it’s vegetable oil based.
I’ve had them before and they are amazing but Making these for tonight for large gathering at my house. Can I prep and cook a head of time and then warm. Trying to alleviate working while my guests are here but definitely want them to be crispy. Any advise
Yes you could do that. However, prolonged warming could potentially dry out the chicken.
Followed the recipe and they came out perfect…. I found my new way to make wings!!!!
Thank you Tim! and Thanks for sharing your experience!
Making 100 of these wings for NCAA Championship party. What is the best way to keep the wings hot and crispy during the pre-game party all the way to the final play? The wings will be naked as I prefer to make three to four sauces and offer them on the side. Now if I can just make the naked, crispy wings and keep them hot and crispy for all to enjoy before and during the game. What do you recommend.
Hi Bob! That’s a tough one because I haven’t ever had to keep them hot for that long – they usually go pretty quickly. You could try keeping them in a slow cooker; maybe try covering with some foil to keep the heat in but cut some openings in it to make sure no condensation drips back on the wings. Another option would be to utilize the “warm” setting on your oven, but then you run the risk of them drying out. Honestly though, I think it would be difficult to keep them crispy for that long. Let me know what you end up doing!
Gonna make these for tonight, will let you know how they turn out, but looking at the recipe, they should be great. Went through a couple of dozen recipes before I decided on this one.
Enjoy, and Happy New Year!
Wow amazing, changed up a few things but best wings I’ve ever made without bbq’n, doubled up on the flour/spice ingredients and after coating the wings with the flour/spices put the wings in the fridge for 30 min then dusted them again, ( saw this on another recipe ) then placed them on a rack not directly on the foil.
Tweeked the spices a bit, little more pepper, touch of cayenne and some Jamaican jerk seasoning, will definitely be making these again.
Thanks for the great post keep up the good work, Merry Christmas.
Last week I followed a similar recipe BUT they didn’t use flour, just all baking powder! I found the wings almost unbearable to eat and insanely salty. Totally put off of using baking powder now. Do you think I can remove the baking powder from this recipe and still get a good wing?
The baking powder helps the skin get nice and crispy. Maybe try cutting it in half? I promise you can’t really taste it!
I love this recipe and have been using it for about 3 yrs now. It’s my go to for wings. When our family gets together they all bring the wings and I make this coating and everyone loves them! Thanks!
Thanks a mill wondered what the secret was,grand children and friends to-morrow here’s hoping. Will let you know
Thanks Chris,
Thank you for stopping by!
Made these and they are perfection! They were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. A favorite recipe for life! Incredibly easy to make!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you!