These golden-brown, crispy baked chicken wings deliver the perfect game-day crunch without the mess of deep frying. Ready in just 50 minutes, this healthier take on the classic appetizer packs 22g of protein while keeping the irresistible crispy exterior you love.
Whether you’re hosting friends for the big game or planning a casual family dinner, these oven-baked wings hit all the right notes – crispy, juicy, and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients for Crispy Baked Wings
- Chicken Wings: 4 pounds, halved at joints, wingtips removed for optimal crispiness
- Baking Powder: 2 tablespoons aluminum-free, crucial for achieving that crispy exterior
- Seasonings: 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder
- Buffalo Sauce:
- 1/3 cup Frank’s Wings Hot Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep Your Oven: Position rack to upper-middle and heat to 425°F. Line baking sheet with foil, top with sprayed wire rack
- Wing Preparation: Pat wings completely dry – this is essential for crispiness!
- Season: Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, coat wings evenly
- Arrange: Place wings skin-side up on prepared rack
- Baking: Cook for about 40-60 minutes, turning every 20 minutes until golden and crispy
- Sauce Magic: Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan, heat until sugar dissolves
- Final Touch: Let wings rest 5 minutes, then toss in your preferred sauce
Cooking Techniques
The secret to super crispy wings without frying? It’s all about the baking powder and proper drying! Pat those wings really dry with paper towels – this step makes a huge difference.
The baking powder (make sure it’s aluminum-free!) works magic by helping the skin crisp up beautifully in the oven. Setting up your wire rack on the baking sheet lets hot air circulate all around the wings, giving you that amazing crunch you’re looking for.
Sauce Variations
While the buffalo sauce in this recipe is a perfect mix of spicy and sweet, you can totally switch things up! Try coating your wings in:
- Classic BBQ sauce for a smoky twist
- Honey garlic sauce for sweet and savory wings
- Ranch seasoning for a dry-rub option
- Half buffalo, half BBQ for the best of both worlds
Want less heat? Mix your hot sauce with extra brown sugar. Looking for more kick? Add an extra splash of hot sauce to the mix!
Storage Tips
Made too many wings? Lucky you! Keep them crispy by storing them without sauce in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, warm them in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until hot, then toss in fresh sauce.
Skip the microwave – it’ll make them soggy. For the sauce, store it separately in the fridge for up to a week in a sealed container.
Serving Suggestions
These wings love good company! Serve them with:
- Fresh celery and carrot sticks
- Blue cheese or ranch dipping sauce
- A side of crispy french fries
- Cool and creamy coleslaw
Put out some extra napkins – these saucy wings are worth getting messy for!
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Wire rack
- aluminum foil
- Medium saucepan
Ingredients
Wings
- 4 pounds chicken wings halved at joints, wingtips discarded
- 2 Tablespoons baking powder aluminum free
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracker black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Buffalo sauce
- 1/3 cup Frank’s Wings Hot Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- Adjust your oven rack to the upper-middle position. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack (I use a cooling rack) on top. Spray the rack with non-stick spray.
- Use paper towels to pat the wings dry and place them in a large bowl. It’s important to dry them REALLY well!
- Combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder in a small bowl. Then sprinkle the seasoning over the wings, tossing to evenly coat.
- Arrange wings, skin side up, in single layer on prepared wire rack.
- Bake on the upper middle oven rack, turning every 20 minutes until wings are crispy and browned. The total cook time will depend on the size of the wings but may take up to 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer wings to bowl and toss with sauce.
- For Buffalo sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat stir together all sauce ingredients. Mix well until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before adding to wings (or prepare the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate).
