Make crispy baked chicken wings with these simple tips and tricks! The techniques work for any flavor combination, ensuring your wings always bake to crispy perfection. I keep the recipe simple with a basic dry rub, which pairs perfectly with your favorite wing sauces.
Key Ingredients
The chicken wings are roasted, not fried, so there’s less of a mess. But the wings turns out perfectly crisp, so your guests won’t even know they weren’t fried in oil.
- Chicken Wings: Two pounds of chicken wings feeds my family with leftovers, but adjust the recipe to feed a crowd. Cut the prep time and look for chicken wings split into drums and flats– I usually buy uncooked chicken wings from Costco.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder (not baking soda) is needed to make extra-crispy wings. I recommend use one teaspoon of baking powder per pound of wings for the best results. Here’s the science behind baking powder and why it works:
Why is baking powder the secret ingredient for extra-crispy wings?
Baking powder is slightly alkaline, which raises the pH of the chicken skin, helping break down proteins and cook the skin faster, making it crispier.
Baking powder teams up with the salt from the chicken wing seasoning. The salt draws moisture out of the skin, while the baking powder and the dry heat from roasting encourage the moisture to evaporate quickly, allowing the chicken skin to crisp rather than steam.
As the baking powder heats up, it releases small amounts of carbon dioxide, creating tiny air pockets in the skin that puff up and become crunchy as the wings roast in the oven.
- Spices: I keep the dry rub for the chicken simple, so you can pair the wings with whatever sauce you prefer. It combines baking powder with spices like paprika, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and coarse black pepper.
Additions and Substitutions
I keep the seasoning simple to make these crispy baked chicken wings the perfect canvas for any sauce but experiment and spice things up. Coat the chicken wings with your favorite spice blends before they roast—lemon pepper seasoning, ras el hanout, Jamaican jerk seasoning, Bone Suckin’ Sauce chicken seasoning, blackened seasoning, Chinese five spice, or this copycat Slap Ya Mama Seasoning recipe are tasty options.
How to Make Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Adjust the oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Then, pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Step 2: Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with foil and a wire rack. Combine the baking powder and spices in a small bowl. Pour the spice mixture over the chicken wings and toss to combine.
Step 3: Arrange the chicken wings onto the wire rack in a single layer.
Step 4: Lower the oven temperature to 400℉ (204℃) and roast for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the wings.
How do you know when the chicken is done?
You can tell the chicken is done cooking when it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, avoiding the bone.
Step 5: Remove the wings from the oven to cool for 5-10 minutes, then toss them in a mixing bowl with your favorite sauce.
Expert Tips
Can you get crispy wings by baking them in the oven? Heck, yes, you can! And I am here to show you how. Follow these simple steps for making the crispiest baked chicken wings.
- Dry the wings. Patting the wings dry is necessary for a crispy coating because it removes the excess moisture from the skin and starts crisping right away.
- Use a wire rack. Elevate the chicken wings on a wire rack, allowing the hot air to circulate around them evenly. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to create a barrier if you don’t have a wire rack.
- Don’t skip baking powder. Baking powder is the key to extra crispy wings. It speeds up the cooking process of the skin and helps moisture evaporate quickly so the chicken skin crisps up perfectly as it cooks.
- Give the chicken space. Arrange the chicken on the baking sheet with extra room. Overcrowding the wings can cause them to steam instead of roast.
- Rest the wings. Let the chicken wings rest after roasting, giving the juices time to redistribute for juicy chicken and crispier skin.
- Use a thermometer. The cooking time for chicken wings varies based on the size of the chicken wings. The best way to know when they are done cooking is to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. According to the USDA, the chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
If you enjoy crispy baked chicken wings, try one of these appetizer recipes!
What’s the Best Wings Sauce?
The best wing sauce comes down to your preference, but here are some standout options to take the crispy baked chicken wings to the next level.
You simply cannot go wrong with the OG of wing sauces, tangy Buffalo sauce of course. Other crowd favorites are garlic Parmesan, soy garlic, mango habanero, sweet chili, and BBQ sauce. Whip up one of these barbecue sauce recipes—raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce, Carolina gold BBQ sauce, Cheerwine BBQ sauce, or Pineapple barbecue sauce—to flavor your wings.
Or choose something different, like hot honey lemon pepper sauce, teriyaki, honey Sriracha, or Korean gochujang.
Serving Suggestions
Crispy chicken wings are a classic dish. They are perfect as an appetizer for holiday gatherings, parties, and game-day get-togethers, or enjoy them as a quick weeknight dinner with one of these sides for wings.
Dunk them into ranch dressing, blue cheese, dill pickle ranch dressing, or garlicky sos czosnkowy. And complete the meal with classic side dishes like fresh carrots and celery, French fries, vegetable crudite, sweet potato French fries, or a simple salad.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Let the wings cool and transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag. Crispy baked chicken wings freeze for 4-6 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the chicken wings in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Warm the leftover chicken wings in the oven for 15 minutes at 350°F (176°C) for the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can these be cooked from frozen?
Start with defrosted and fully thawed chicken wings to achieve perfectly crispy baked chicken wings. And pat them dry to remove any excess moisture before you begin.
Cooking chicken wings from frozen can lead to uneven cooking, and they will release water as they defrost. The excess moisture causes the chicken to boil and steam rather than roast.
How long to bake chicken wings in the oven?
I’ve found the sweet spot for the crispiest chicken wings—I always start by preheating the oven to 450°F (232°C) to get the oven nice and hot.
When I add the chicken wings, I reduce the oven temperature to 400℉ (204℃) for 30-40 minutes to deliver crispy, fall-off-the-bone chicken wings every time!
Can I adjust this recipe to feed a crowd?
This recipe serves my family of four with some leftovers, but it is scalable for larger gatherings, game days, or bigger families. For every pound of chicken wings, use one teaspoon of baking powder, one teaspoon of salt, and your favorite dry rub seasoning.
More Chicken Wing Recipes:
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
- Small Bowl
- 2 pounds chicken wings, split into drums and flats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- Adjust the oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Then, pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with foil and a wire rack. Combine the baking powder and spices in a small bowl. Pour the spice mixture over the chicken wings and toss to combine.
- Arrange the chicken wings onto the wire rack in a single layer.
- Lower the oven temperature to 400℉ (204℃) and roast for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the wings.Tip: You can tell the chicken is done cooking when it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, avoiding the bone.
- Remove the wings from the oven to cool for 5-10 minutes, then toss them in a mixing bowl with your favorite sauce.
- Dry the wings. Patting the wings dry is necessary for a crispy coating because it removes the excess moisture from the skin and starts crisping right away.
- Use a wire rack. Elevate the chicken wings on a wire rack, allowing the hot air to circulate around them evenly. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to create a barrier if you don’t have a wire rack.
- Don’t skip baking powder. Baking powder is the key to extra crispy wings. It speeds up the cooking process of the skin and helps moisture evaporate quickly so the chicken skin crisps up perfectly as it cooks.
- Give the chicken space. Arrange the chicken on the baking sheet with extra room. Overcrowding the wings can cause them to steam instead of roast.
- Rest the wings. Let the chicken wings rest after roasting, giving the juices time to redistribute for juicy chicken and crispier skin.
- Use a thermometer. The cooking time for chicken wings varies based on the size of the chicken wings. The best way to know when they are done cooking is to insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. According to the USDA, the chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Tara
Thursday 15th of September 2022
Great recipe, thank you for sharing!
Tressa Jamil
Thursday 15th of September 2022
I am so happy you enjoyed them.