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.
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
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
- Skip the Buffalo coating.
- 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.
- 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.
- If there is trimmable fat, trim it.
- Use a pan with some side on it to keep any splatter contained.
- If your oven has convection roast and convection bake, use the bake mode.
- 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.
- Of course, the oven should be clean, so the smoke isn’t coming from a previous splatter.
- 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
Oven Baked Chicken Legs – The Art of Drummies
Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Crispy Garlic Grilled Split Chicken Breast
🖼️Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by preheating an oven to 250°. Have a lower and a middle rack.
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.
Prep a baking tray with aluminum foil and a baking rack. Spray heavily with PAM.
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.
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.
Prepare the Buffalo sauce to coat the wings. Melt two tablespoons butter and combine with ¼ cup hot sauce and 1 ½ teaspoon molasses.
Bake until golden brown and crispy. About an additional 40 minutes.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then coat with the Buffalo sauce or sauce of your choice.
Serve hot with Blue Cheese Dip and veggies.
CHECK OUT MY BLUE CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE
📖Full Recipe
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 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.
- 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.
- Prep a baking tray with aluminum foil and a baking rack. Spray heavily with PAM.
- 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.
- 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.
- Prepare the Buffalo sauce to coat the wings. Melt two tablespoons butter and combine with ¼ cup hot sauce and 1 ½ teaspoon molasses.
- Bake until golden brown and crispy. About an additional 40 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes then coat with the Buffalo sauce. Serve hot with Blue Cheese Dip and veggies.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Trim the joints for bone fragments. You may cut the wings apart, leave them whole, or just trim off the tips.
- The baking powder being aluminum-free is important. It leaves a metallic taste that many can taste. That occurs in lots of dishes.
- Make sure the wings are very dry after trimming.
- Change up the coating if you want.
- I suggest Blue Cheese Dip but everybody has a favorite.
- Skip the Buffalo coating.
- 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 before done (be sure to flip to get both sides) than a heavier brush when they come out.
- 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.
- If there is trimmable fat, trim it.
- Use a pan with some side on it to keep any splatter contained.
- If your oven has convection roast and convection bake, use the bake mode.
- 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.
- Of course, the oven should be clean, so the smoke isn’t coming from a previous splatter.
- 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
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Editor Note: Originally published January 30, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
jackiv
This method of preparation does indeed make for a crispy wing, however I found that the chicken fat makes one heck of a smoky mess of my oven and kitchen for that matter. That being said, I remedied this by placing a one-sheet layer of paper towels over the aluminum foil to catch the fat. I have done this many many times, and no-it does not catch fire! Problem solved! Thanks for the recipe. I detest Buffalo sauce. I'm like you - just give me the dang wings!
DrDan
Hi Jack,
Welcome to the blog.
The cooking of chicken at high temp tends to do that sometimes. Really, I never have had a problem.
But in my high temperature cooking of chicken thighs, others are having issues occasionally. Here are my suggestions there and I will add it to this recipes. Or the paper towel if it works for you.
-If there is trimmable fat, trim it.
-Use a pan with some side on it to keep any splatter contained.
-If your oven has convection roast and convection bake, use the bake mode.
-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.
-Of course, the oven should be clean, so the smoke isn’t coming from a previous splatter.
-Some water in the pan under the rack will prevent the smoking issue. It will cool the fat when it drips.
Thanks for the note and glad it works well for you.
Dan
Cassie
30 mins at 250F and then 40 mins at 400F?
Am I reading this right? Should put 10 mins at 400F, makes it less confusing.
DrDan
Hi Cassie,
Welcome to the blog.
The 30 minutes at 250 draws the moisture out of the skin and the 40 minutes at 400 cooks and crisps. I haven't cooked this since last Super Bowl so I want back to the model recipes and Cooks Country is 40-50 minutes at 425. So the recipe is correct. I will re-word it some to clarify.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Kathy
I gave been eating and cooking wings for over 20 years and could not replicate fried wings from restaurants in the oven- until now!!! Thank you very much - they were fabulous!! My go to recipe now!!
Dutch67
Doctor,
The crisp level was just right for our 3 family members. I made 24 pieces though, and adjusted the spice and baking powder amounts accordingly. They like Buffalo sauce, and thought the wings held up well with it. I, however, don't care for Buffalo sauce so much and instead used a bottled Asian sweet chili sauce (cut with a little extra vinegar) brushed on the pieces once they got to my plate. That worked well for me. They were also good with no sauce, just some white pepper sprinkled on. Thanks for the formula!
DrDan
HI Dutch,
Thanks for the note. I'm kind of a no sauce person with this. It is that crispy skin with the garlic that is so good. I do like the white pepper idea. I will try that.
Dan
Michele
I just found this recipe and I cannot wait to try it! I'm wondering how to tweak it if I were to use BBQ sauce instead? (I am not a huge fan of Buffalo sauce) I know I can't cook BBQ sauce at 400 degrees for 30 minutes because of the high sugar content.....so can you please advise me? Do I cut the 2nd cook time by 5-10 minutes, baste on the BBQ sauce and THEN put them back in for the last 5-10? Or cook completely and toss in a pan on the stove? I don't want to risk losing the crunch! Thanks and I really like your website!
DrDan
Hi Michele,
Your plan is good. I would give a light brushing about 10 minutes before done (be sure to flip to get both sides) then a heavier brush when they come out. It somewhat depends on the amount of sauce you want on the wing. The light brush gives a base for the second coat to stick. I would add a tablespoon of melted butter to 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce to use. I think I will add this to the recipe in the comment area so others will see it.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Annmarie Anderson
Simply, WOW, AWESOME, SUPER CRISPY, LESS SPLATTER etc...
Your recipe for chicken wing sauce is THE GREATEST!!
DrDan
Hi Annmarie,
They are super crispy. I'm doing a double batch today for the Super Bowl.
Thanks so much for the note.
Dan
plasterers bristol
These sound so delicious. Thaanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Richard Taylor
Your printable recipe says 1/2 cup hot sauce, but in the article above, you say 1/4 cup hot sauce. Which is it?
DrDan
1/4 cup. The reference recipe was for twice this so it snuck over from there in the one spot. Thanks for the catch.
Dan
rose
My oven was clean and now My oven is a mess. My kitchen is full of smoke. Can barely breath. opened up doors and windows even though cold outside. I don't think spraying with pan helped. Just made more smoke.
N. Coulas
Very good chicken wings,, also made the blue cheese dressing, so happy with the results.
First tried the chicken thighs, not sure how many times I have made them now, always requested by family.
Thanks for the recipes!
James
Found them very salty , the baking powder I used said ingredients bicarbonate of soda and corn starch , so not sure if aliminium was in it, anyway not very nice. Would the molasses leave a salty taste ?
Jared
Hi there, big fan of your site. It's been a big help to practice for cooking on my own.
I was just wondering why you use baking powder in the dry mix? My roommate was surprised when I told him I was going to use aluminum free baking powder instead of flour or corn starch. The end resulting wings I made were a bit on the salty side, and he said it may be accredited to the aluminum free baking powder, as we probably put in less salt than was suggested.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for the recipes!
DrDan
Aluminum free baking powder is less sodium the with aluminum. I always do aluminum free since there is a distinctive taste that many (me included) can taste. The baking powder is used to pull water out of the skin allowing it to be more crispy. A trick used by many. Flour and corn starch would pull a little fluid out but leave a starch coating.
Dan
Chris
I have to try the molasses in the wing sauce. I've done worcestershire sauce but never molassess, I like that idea.
Aku Selasi
I am from Ghana and I came across your site when we moved to the States 3 years ago. Your recipes are the only ones I have tried and it always turned out fantastic. I'm yet to try the wings for my family I know it will be a hit. I trust your recipes.
DrDan
Hi Aku,
Thanks for the note. I would say that there is a huge universe of recipes out there to try. I think I'm a bit boring.
Dan
Leslie
Although, Carolina Panthers lost, the wings, blue cheese dipping sauce, broccoli slaw, and brisket all won. Thanks again for the recipes!
Ryan
Wings are in the oven. I'm trying your low temp technique and I'm interested to see how it compares to the much higher temps I usually bake at. I didnt have baking powder and figured baking soda wouldn't be a great substitute. Have you ever tried coating in olive oil? Mine always come out brown and crispy. I'm hoping with the lower temp the splatter inside the oven is much less or none at all.
Ryan
Now that I look at my wing and yours, Id say mine were just getting brown but not crispy. Looking forward to trying our recipe w/ the baking powder.
DrDan
Hi Ryan,
The baking powder really does make the difference in the crispiness. The initial low temp is to pull moisture out of the skin to help with the crispiness when finished at high temp.
Thanks for the notes and rating.
DrDan
Ryan
Tried this again w/ the recommended 1Tablespoon baking powder and it was just way too much power for me. Did you really mean a tablespoon? I tried again with 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and it was nearly perfect. The added bonus is that the powder keeps most of the splattering grease from flying all over the oven. I blame your crispy chicken thighs recipe that i love, for making my oven a total mess. LOL
Leslie
The wings sound great since I am making your beef brisket Saturday, I can make these Sunday. Thanks for the great recipes.
DrDan
This one will not disappoint.
Dan
Lara
Assume this would also work with chicken legs (which my family prefers)? Great idea - and much less mess! Can't wait to try this!
DrDan
Yep it would work for drumsticks but the skin here is extra crispy to stand up to the Buffalo sauce coating. Try https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/the-art-of-drummies-oven-baked-chicken/ for the drumsticks.
Dan