Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

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Much healthier than fried chicken wings, these baked chicken wings turn out crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Tossed with buffalo sauce, they’re full of amazing flavor!

Crispy baked chicken wings topped with buffalo sauce and sliced green onions on a plate with carrots and celery. The text overlay reads, "Homemade Buffalo Wings"

“Thursday is wing night and Friday is pizza.” That’s what my husband told me pretty much right after we got married.

I certainly didn’t argue! I was new to homemaking, didn’t know a thing about budgeting, and I had never heard the words “meal planning” before. For me, his suggestion meant not having to worry about what was for dinner those two nights!

Pizza night evolved over the years, with us finally perfecting our Homemade Pizza Dough, super easy Homemade Pizza Sauce, and even replicating Mr. Crumbs’ favorite pizza shop’s Buffalo Chicken Pizza.

Wing night evolved, too, and we’ve finally figured out how to make easy baked crispy chicken wings. They are MUCH healthier than our original version of deep frying, and tastier too!

Just like I have great bread recipes if you’re a beginner – No-Knead Overnight Artisan Bread and Rosemary Sea Salt Flatbread and 90-Minute Man Bread – I have a great recipe for crispy oven baked chicken wings too that will help you become a chicken wing pro in no time!

Have I mentioned that I love that these oven baked chicken wings turn out perfectly crispy? I also love this recipe because it’s:

Healthier. Much healthier than fried chicken wings, and these wings seriously taste even more amazing!
Easy Dinner. With just a little bit of prep work, you can make crispy, crunchy, moist, and juicy chicken wings in the oven! No babysitting, hot oil, or cleaning up a messy stove afterward!
Quick Dish. Prep these easy chicken wings in less than 5 minutes, followed by some hands-off time in the oven, and this baked chicken wings recipe is ready in under an hour!
Customizable. While I’ll sing the praises of buffalo sauce chicken wings all day, baking them before saucing means that you can make multiple kinds of chicken wings in one batch.
AND you can use the bones to make chicken stock!

Image containing recipe ingredients chicken wings and buffalo sauce.

BAKED CHICKEN WINGS RECIPE INGREDIENTS

You only need 2 ingredients for chicken baked wings:

Chicken Wings. Cut them up into drumettes and wings. We use fresh, not frozen wings.
Homemade Buffalo Wing Sauce. Optional, but highly recommended for serving! You’ll need hot sauce, ketchup, butter, cornstarch, and water to make buffalo sauce for chicken wings, and I’ve included the directions below.

Note: If you want to skip the sauce, you’ll still love these chicken baked wings with a seasoning blend of garlic powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Or try your own blend of spices or another classic sauce flavor like garlic parmesan or Honey BBQ Sauce!

Psst! Not all salts are made the same! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!).

My flavorful homemade buffalo sauce in a sauce pan, being stirred with a metal spoon.

HOMEMADE BUFFALO WING SAUCE FOR CHICKEN WINGS

I’ve talked about our Homemade Buffalo Wing Sauce, and if you haven’t made it yet, GO MAKE IT RIGHT NOW. You will not find a better hot wings sauce anywhere else. It’s smooth and rich, with just enough heat, and it’s the perfect addition to your buffalo chicken wings.

In a small saucepan, combine 12 oz hot sauce + ¼ cup ketchup + 8 Tbsp butter. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring often, until the butter is melted.
Combine 2 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water in a small mug and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and immediately start whisking it into the sauce. Keep whisking, and the sauce will start to thicken.
Use immediately on hot foods (i.e., chicken wings) or let cool to room temperature to use on cold foods (i.e., salads).

CRISPIEST BAKED CHICKEN WINGS

If I’ve learned anything from cooking thousands of baked chicken wings, it’s that there are two secrets to making them amazing. The first secret is how the chicken wings are cooked, and the second is the sauce. Luckily, I’ve got you covered for both!

Making crispy oven baked chicken wings is almost an art, similar to making bread. You can follow a recipe, but it really takes hands-on learning to master it. Just remember these tricks:

If the oven is too cool, the chicken wings will take forever, and the fat won’t cook off enough, leaving you with a rubbery chicken wing. Gross!
If the oven is too hot, the wings will cook too fast, and the fat won’t have enough time to cook off, leaving you with a fatty wing with super tough skin.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN WINGS IN OVEN

Follow these simple instructions for cooking chicken wings in the oven.

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Remove excess moisture from the wings by patting them with paper towels.

Step 2. Place the chicken wing parts on a wire rack in a single layer, over an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.

Note: If you don’t have a wire rack, you can also cook the chicken wings directly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. However, using the wire rack allows the hot air in the oven to fully circulate the chicken wings, which gives you a crispier wing.

Step 3. Meanwhile, prepare the Homemade Buffalo Wing Sauce, if using, or season the chicken wings as desired. (Don’t put the sauce on the wings just yet!)

Cooked chicken wings on a rack over a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.

Step 4. Bake the chicken wings for 20 minutes. Flip each wing over and continue to cook for another 20 minutes.

Step 5. Cool for 5 minutes on the rack, then shake the wings in a sealed glass container with the buffalo sauce. Serve immediately with Ranch Dressing or blue cheese dressing, carrots, and celery sticks!

Wings are best served the day of, but they’re also really good reheated the next day! I recommend reheating them in the oven at 300F for 5-10 minutes rather than microwaving so that you don’t lose that crispiness. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

Crispy baked buffalo wings topped with sliced green onions placed on a plate. Served with carrots and celery.

MACRO-FRIENDLY CHICKEN BAKED WINGS

Fun snacks and game-day appetizers don’t have to throw you off your protein goals. But you do need to be intentional with your choices.

Crispy baked chicken wings are a yummy source of fat.

I know, you thought I was going to say protein.

But chicken wings actually get most of their calories from fat, and a small amount from protein.

They’re still a delicious choice! Make the wings your main source of fat and add some lean protein and produce for a delicious meal.

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON CHICKEN WINGS

Wings are super fun to eat, but they don’t give you the best bang for your buck in terms of price per pound and actual food you can eat. They’re usually more than $2 per pound, and there’s barely any meat on the bones!

But still, chicken wings are the go-to for gatherings, appetizers, and sporting events, so here’s how you can get the most out of your purchase.

Shop the sales ads. Grocery stores will often have sales on chicken wings leading up to New Year’s Eve or the Super Bowl. Buys wings from the store with the best price!
Buy in bulk. Consider shopping at bulk warehouse stores like Costco, which consistently have low prices on meat. We usually buy wings at Costco unless they’re on sale somewhere else.
Try Butcher Box! If you can’t find high-quality meat locally, Butcher Box delivers grass-fed beef, pasture-raised and organic chicken, and heritage pork directly to your front door each month. You can read my honest review of Butcher Box here.
Save the bones! This might gross you out, but my family saves all chicken bones to make Homemade Chicken Broth, even the ones we eat off of. Whether you want to do this is up to you, but chicken wings sure do make a lot of bones, which can make a lot of broth!

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Homemade buffalo sauce topped with sliced green onions Served in a white bowl. Great for dipping carrots and celery.

RECIPES – CHICKEN WINGS FAQS

Do you need to flip recipes – chicken wings when baking?

Yes! What we’ve found is that a moderately high oven temperature, plus 40 minutes of cook time (with a flip at the halfway mark), consistently yields great crispy oven baked chicken wings.

Can I make air fryer chicken wings?

Probably, but you’ll likely have to adjust the cooking time, and you’ll want to use the highest temperature setting. Make sure to keep the chicken wings in a single layer for even cooking. Since my chicken wings in oven method works so well, I haven’t experimented with using my air fryer yet!

Do I need baking powder for crispy chicken wings?

Some recipes call for coating your chicken wings in baking powder or flour before baking, but not this one! With the correct oven temperature and flipping the wings halfway through the baking time, these chicken wings turn out perfectly crisp every time!

Do you put sauce on the wings before baking?

Nope! Whether you use buffalo sauce or make barbecue chicken wings, save the sauce for after the chicken wings are done baking, and give them a 5-minute rest before tossing them with buffalo or barbecue sauce.

MORE YUMMY PARTY FOOD RECIPES

Try some of our easy party recipes, sure to knock the socks off your guests while keeping your grocery budget in check!

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