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    🏠Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes

    Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

    Jan 30, 2021 | Last Updated Apr 14, 2021 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.34 from 56 votes

    No frying is needed to get great crispy skin on your game day wings. Toss in homemade Buffalo sauce, and you have an American favorite. You can easily make these at home with one secret ingredient. Plus, it is healthier.

    Crispy chicken wings on platter
    Crispy Chicken Wings

    Table of Contents
    • 🤐Secret Ingredient
    • 👨‍🍳Method
    • 🥣The Sauce
    • 🔥Smoking Oven Issues
    • 📖Crispy Chicken Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📖Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    Chicken wings have become a favorite munchie for viewing any sports event. Every sports bar has a "special recipe." We even have a highly successful restaurant chain founded on "wings." And trying to buy some at your supermarket the week before the big game will be unsuccessful.

    Everybody wants crispy wings, and like typical Americans, we usually deep fry. Not very healthy but to me, also, not very special. Then it is all about the coating sauce and the dip. This can be good or not so much. Most wings seem to taste better with some alcohol.

    Let's make something special at home, to our own taste that does not need alcohol to be acceptable. We want crispy, with some great taste, that is easy to make, and healthier would be good, too. This screams for baked chicken wings.

    My Rating

    My rating system. Great 5 out of 5

    Very surprising five to us. We have not been the biggest fan of Buffalo Wings. I think I have tried too many bad examples. But now I'm good again. My wife gave them a five, and I agreed.

    🤐Secret Ingredient

    The big secret to crisp chicken skin in the oven is baking powder. Used in a coating, it will pull water out the skin and make it crispy. Just don't ever buy baking powder with aluminum in it. The after-taste is bad and would ruin this dish.

    👨‍🍳Method

    The trick with these chicken wings is how to get them crisp in the oven. The secret, baking powder, will draw moisture out of the wings and contribute to browning.

    Initial cooking in a low oven allows the baking powder to do its work. Follow by some higher temperature cooking, a tasty coating, and a dipping sauce of your choice.

    I had done this technique before with my Crispy Skin on Split Chicken Breast but had to be reminded by reading In Search of the Best Oven-Fried Buffalo Wings from Food Lab.

    The Food Lab article was very complete but way too fussy. So I went back to Cooks County, and amazingly it was simple–amazing considering it is coming for Cooks Illustrated.

    The  Cooks Country Oven-Fried Chicken Wings (subscription required) basically coat the wings with baking powder, a little garlic powder, and salt.

    Then bake in a low oven for 30 minutes, then crank up the temp to finish them off. Way simple. Just coat with the sauce of your choice, and the big game munchies are ready.

    🥣The Sauce

    I suggest the traditional Buffalo hot sauce. This technique can be used with many flavors of wings other than Buffalo. BBQ seems to be a favorite but choose a different sauce if you like.

    BBQ Sauce

    1. Skip the Buffalo coating.
    2. Mix ½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Give the wings a light brushing of the BBQ about 10 minutes at the end of cooking (be sure to flip to get both sides) than a heavier brush when they come out.
    3. It somewhat depends on the amount of sauce you want on the wing. The light brushing gives a base for the second coat to stick.

    🔥Smoking Oven Issues

    Smoking ovens have been an issue for at least one user due to higher temperature cooking. I haven’t had the problem, BUT it is probably related to multiple factors.

    1. If there is trimmable fat, trim it.
    2. Use a pan with some side on it to keep any splatter contained.
    3. If your oven has convection roast and convection bake, use the bake mode.
    4. You could turn down the oven by 25-50 degrees. This will increase the cooking time and may prone to drying out some. Remember to cook to an endpoint, not by time.
    5. Of course, the oven should be clean, so the smoke isn’t coming from a previous splatter.
    6. Some water in the pan under the rack will prevent the smoking issue. It will cool the fat when it drips. While I commonly use this in other high-temperature cooking, one of the main features here is the crispy skin. Water is the enemy of crispy–clean the oven first.

    📖Crispy Chicken Recipes

    Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

    Oven Baked Chicken Legs – The Art of Drummies

    Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings

    Crispy Garlic Grilled Split Chicken Breast

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    101's Best Recipes, Appetizer and Party Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Holiday Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    raw chicken wings on plate with seasonings

    Start by preheating an oven to 250°. Have a lower and a middle rack.

    trimming chicken wings on a red cutting board

    Trim about 2 pounds of chicken wings of any loose joint parts. It is fine not to cut the wings apart or just trim off the tip. Pat dry and then pat dry again.

    spraying a baking rack with PAM on a baking tray

    Prep a baking tray with aluminum foil and a baking rack. Spray heavily with PAM.

    shaking wings in plastic bag to coat

    Mix 1 tablespoon baking powder (without aluminum ) with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Add to a 1-gallon ziplock bag. Add chicken wings and shake well to coat.

    raw wings on the prepared rack

    Arrange the wings on the tray with the biggest pieces in the corner and the thinnest in the middle. Place in the preheated oven on the lower rack and bake for 30 minutes. Then move the tray to the middle rack and increase the oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.

    mixing coating in a glass bowl

    Prepare the Buffalo sauce to coat the wings. Melt two tablespoons butter and combine with ¼ cup hot sauce and 1 ½ teaspoon molasses.

    baked wings on rack out of the oven

    Bake until golden brown and crispy. About an additional 40 minutes.

    adding coating to a bowl of wings

    Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then coat with the Buffalo sauce or sauce of your choice.

    platter of wings with veggies and dipping sauce

    Serve hot with Blue Cheese Dip and veggies.

    Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce in blue bowl
    Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

    CHECK OUT MY BLUE CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE

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    📖Recipe

    Crispy Baked Chicken Wings from 101 Cooking for Two

    Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    No frying is needed to get great crispy skin on your game day wings. Toss in homemade Buffalo sauce, and you have an American favorite. You can easily make these at home with one secret ingredient. Plus, it is healthier.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.34 from 56 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 16 wings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2 pounds chicken wings
    • 1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

    Buffalo coating

    • ¼ cup hot sauce
    • 2 tablespoons butter - melted
    • 1 ½ teaspoons molasses

    Instructions

    • Start by preheating an oven to 250°. Have a lower and a middle rack.
      raw chicken wings on plate with seasonings
    • Trim about 2 pounds of chicken wings of any loose joint parts. It is fine not to cut the wings apart or just trim off the time. Pat dry and then pat dry again.
      trimming chicken wings on a red cutting board
    • Prep a baking tray with aluminum foil and a baking rack. Spray heavily with PAM.
      spraying a baking rack with PAM on a baking tray
    • Mix 1 tablespoon baking powder (without aluminum ) with ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Add to a one-gallon zip-lock bag. Add chicken wings and shake well to coat.
      shaking wings in plastic bag to coat
    • Arrange the wings on the tray with the biggest pieces in the corner and the thinnest in the middle. Place in the preheated oven on the lower rack and bake for 30 minutes. Then move the tray to the middle rack and increase the oven to 400° convection or 425° conventional.
      raw wings on the prepared rack
    • Prepare the Buffalo sauce to coat the wings. Melt two tablespoons butter and combine with ¼ cup hot sauce and 1 ½ teaspoon molasses.
      mixing coating in a glass bowl
    • Bake until golden brown and crispy. About an additional 40 minutes.
      baked wings on rack out of the oven
    • Allow to cool for 5 minutes then coat with the Buffalo sauce. Serve hot with Blue Cheese Dip and veggies.
      pouring sauce over wings on a glass bowl
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

    My Private Notes

    Click here to save your own private notes only you will see. These will print and be saved for your next visit.
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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. Trim the joints for bone fragments. You may cut the wings apart, leave them whole, or just trim off the tips.
    2. The baking powder being aluminum-free is important. It leaves a metallic taste that many can taste. That occurs in lots of dishes.
    3. Make sure the wings are very dry after trimming.
    4. Change up the coating if you want.
    5. I suggest Blue Cheese Dip but everybody has a favorite.
    Want BBQ Wings Instead?
    1. Skip the Buffalo coating.
    2. Mix ½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
    3. Give the wings a light brushing of the BBQ about 10 minutes before done (be sure to flip to get both sides) than a heavier brush when they come out.
    4. It somewhat depends on the amount of sauce you want on the wing. The light brushing gives a base for the second coat to stick.
    Smoking Oven Issues
    Smoking ovens have been an issue for at least one user due to high temp cooking. I haven’t had the problem, BUT it is probably related to multiple factors.
    1. If there is trimmable fat, trim it.
    2. Use a pan with some side on it to keep any splatter contained.
    3. If your oven has convection roast and convection bake, use the bake mode.
    4. You could turn down the oven by 25-50 degrees. This will increase the cooking time some and may prone to drying out some. Remember to cook to an endpoint, not by time.
    5. Of course, the oven should be clean, so the smoke isn’t coming from a previous splatter.
    6. Some water in the pan under the rack will prevent the smoking issue. It will cool the fat when it drips.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Calories : 178 kcal (9%) | Carbohydrates : 0.5 g | Protein : 15 g (30%) | Fat : 12 g (18%) | Saturated Fat : 4 g (20%) | Polyunsaturated Fat : 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat : 5 g | Cholesterol : 52 mg (17%) | Sodium : 703 mg (29%) | Potassium : 108 mg (3%) | Sugar : 0.4 g | Vitamin A : 300 IU (6%) | Calcium : 1 mg | Iron : 0.7 mg (4%)
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Appetizer
    Cuisine : American

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor Note: Originally published January 30, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

    Dogs eating their veggies
    « Kansas City Oven Baked BBQ Beef Brisket
    Quick French Bread Pizza »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Greg B

      February 14, 2022 at 10:15 am

      The baking soda made the wings unbearably salty. My wife couldn’t finish them. I’ve got a “salt tooth” and even I found the salt taste overwhelming.

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        February 14, 2022 at 11:50 am

        Hi Greg,
        Welcome to the blog.
        The recipe calls for baking powder, not baking soda. Baking soda has four times as much sodium as baking powder.
        Dan
        (Rating removed due to not following instructions)

    2. Jaime

      January 21, 2020 at 10:08 am

      5 stars
      These turned out amazing. Definitely going on the super bowl menu. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Erica

        April 03, 2020 at 9:15 pm

        5 stars
        This is the best crispy wing recipe I have ever had!
        I can't wait to make these again and honestly look at more of your recipes based of how amazing this one was.
        I added a McCormick spice packet (honey habanero to be exact) and they were HANDS DOWN the best wings I've ever had in my life

    3. Mollie Harlow

      November 23, 2019 at 7:04 pm

      5 stars
      These were amazing! My husband absolutely loves wings, but since I have celiac disease and many times the restaurants share the fryer with breaded items, it makes it tough to go out and find good wings.

      We followed the recipe exactly, and the wings turned out perfectly crispy and perfectly doused in the amount of buffalo sauce that we like. Thank you.

      Reply
    4. Alicia Bland

      October 26, 2019 at 9:32 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and very crispy! My girls loved them! One of my girls likes to get general tso's wings so I made a batch of your general tso's sauce and used that on some of the wings and it was so good! Now we are looking forward to making the general tso's too.

      Reply
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