These easy Baked Chicken Wings are amazingly crispy and crunchy. With a surprise ingredient that you probably have on hand and a simple technique, you can have Super Crispy Baked Chicken Wings with minimal effort.
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The best way to make amazing chicken wings
Chicken wings are definitely a must have on game day and baking them is my favorite way of making them.
They come out amazingly crispy and crunchy.
It’s super easy. No standing around frying, the oven does all the work.
There’s no greasy mess to clean up afterwards.
They’re so much healthier without the added fat from frying.
The secret ingredient to making them extra crispy
The special ingredient for the crispiest Baked Chicken Wings? Baking powder. Coating the wings with baking powder helps draw moisture to the surface of the skin which is evaporated in the high heat of the oven. It also creates little bubbles on the skin, which harden and create the crispy texture.
Be sure to use baking powder, NOT baking soda. Some people are sensitive to the aluminum that is used in some brands of baking powder, causing them to sense a bitter taste. I would recommend using aluminum free baking powder, such as Rumford, to be on the safe side.
Which technique makes the crispiest wings?
I tested four different methods of baking wings to find out which came out the crispiest.
Method A:
Wings are dried well with paper towels and tossed with baking powder. They are baked at a lower heat (250 F) for 30 minutes to render out some of the fat, then finished at a higher heat (425 F).
Method B:
Wings are dried well with paper towels and tossed with baking powder. They are left to further dry in the refrigerator on a rack for at least 8 hours and up to 24. They are then baked at 450 F until done.
Method C:
The impatient, shortcut-lover in me wanted to see if Method B left only to rest for an hour would result in the same crispiness.
Method D:
The par-boil method: wings are parboiled for seven minutes to get rid of some of the excess fat, drained, dried with paper towels, then baked at 450 F.
The results?
They all turned out amazing! I was hoping for something more definitive, but they were all very crispy.
If I had to choose a favored method, it would be method A. Here’s why:
While par-boiling the wings then baking at a high heat made an awesome and very crispy wing, it does involve more steps and more pans than I would like to use. In this method, the wings are baked directly on a baking sheet to help them crisp, so the baking pan, the pan for boiling, and the colander are all extra things to be washed. I also don’t want to hang around the kitchen on game day for any longer than necessary, so the steps of waiting for the chicken to boil, timing it, draining it, and drying it off when it could all just be in the oven were a little more cumbersome.
Method B and C would be my second and third choices. Letting the wings sit for longer did give a crispier outside, however even an hour produced nicely crisped wings. A drawback of this method is finding enough space in the fridge to set the baking pans while the wings dry. Also, I don’t always have the time or patience to wait overnight for the wings to rest. An advantage of this method is that they can be prepared the day before so all you have to do on game day is pop them in the oven.
Method A produced a super crispy wing with minimal effort, the fewest steps, and the least amount of cleanup. If you line your baking pan with aluminum foil, the only thing that needs to be washed is the baking rack.
How to make Super Crispy Baked Chicken Wings in three easy steps
- Dry the wings thoroughly with paper towels.
- Toss the wings with baking powder and salt.
- Bake at 250F for 30 minutes, then at 425F for about 40 – 50 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
It really couldn’t get any easier than that!
The kitchen geniuses over at Cook’s Illustrated developed the technique for these amazingly crispy Baked Chicken Wings. There are three important steps:
- Dry the wings thoroughly with paper towels. You want to remove as much excess moisture from the skin as possible so they crisp up in the oven. If you have time, space, and have planned in advance, you can let them further dry out in the fridge for up to 24 hours (after tossing them with baking powder and arranging them on a rack).
- Toss the wings with baking powder. This draws moisture to the surface so it can evaporate in the high heat of the oven, creating a crispy surface. It also creates tiny bubbles on the surface, increasing the surface area and the crackly, crunch.
- Bake at a lower heat first to render out the fat, then finish the wings on high heat. The wings are first baked low and slow at 250F for 30 minutes on the lower shelf of the oven to melt out the fat. Then the heat is cranked up to 425F for 40 – 50 minutes so the skin gets super crispy. They’re baked on a baking rack that has been set on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet so the hot air can circulate all around them, crisping all sides.
Need a sauce for those wings?
These Super Crispy Baked Chicken Wings are excellent as they are or with your favorite sauce. I’ve included a traditional Buffalo Sauce with a Blue Cheese dipping sauce because that one is always a winner.
Check out my Honey Sriracha Wings for a delightfully sticky, sweet, and spicy version.
Recipe
Super Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
For the Wings:
- 4 lb chicken wings, cut into wingettes and drumettes 1.8 kg
- 2 tablespoons aluminum free BAKING POWDER NOT BAKING SODA ((21g))
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Nonstick cooking spray
For the Buffalo Sauce:
- ½ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (120ml)
- ½ cup butter (4oz, 113g)
For the Blue Cheese Dip:
- 2 ounces blue cheese (57g)
- ½ cup mayonnaise (3.9oz, 111g)
- ¼ cup sour cream (2oz, 57g)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the wings:
- Preheat oven to 250F. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.
- Dry the wings thoroughly with paper towels.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then place a rack on the foil. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
- Toss the wings with baking powder and salt.
- Place the wings on the baking tray in a single layer. They don’t have to be very spaced out because they will shrink while cooking.
- Place wings on the lower-middle oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.
- Move wings up to the upper-middle rack and increase the oven temperature to 425 F. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes, using tongs to flip the wings halfway through.
- Remove from the oven.
- Toss with Buffalo Sauce or serve sauce on the side.
- Serve with Blue Cheese Dip and celery sticks.
For the Buffalo Sauce:
- Heat butter and hot sauce in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking until combined.
For the Blue Cheese Dip:
- Put the blue cheese in a bowl and mash with a fork until a paste forms. Whisk in the remaining ingredients until you have a smooth sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- If you need to make the wings ahead and reheat, do not put the sauce on them. Once the sauce is added they will start to soften.
- Reheat for a few minutes in a hot oven until they warmed through and they re-crisp.
- Toss with sauce just before serving.
Nutrition
Enjoy!
Don't forget to PIN for later! Please leave a comment - I'd love to hear from you!
Marcellina says
Baking powder? Who would have thought? I love it! What would be an equivalent of Frank's Red Hot sauce in Australia? Is it a chilli sauce?
Kelly says
I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting Australia, so I'm not sure what an equivalent would be! The bottle lists the ingredients as : aged cayenne red peppers, vinegar, water, salt, and garlic powder. It's a thin, vinegary sauce with no sweetness. Hope this helps! Thanks so much, Marcellina!
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
I am in love with Frank's red hot sauce and I'm so happy you tested all of these ways to cook wings! Can't wait to try them!
Kelly says
It was fun experiment and we got to eat a ton of wings! I love seeing for myself which methods work the best. In this case they all turned out really crispy so it just came down to which was more convenient. I love it when the easy way gives just as good results! Thanks so much, Abbe!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
I LOVE chicken wings! We're actually having some tonight! I'll have to try your honey sriracha sauce soon!
Kelly says
They're definitely a family favorite around here! Thanks so much, Katherine!
Laura says
Kelly, I love this recipe! I’ve been using your “method A” with good results. You’re so right, it’s important the wings start out dry, but baking powder makes them perfectly crispy in the oven! Nice experiment!
Kelly says
It was a lot of fun trying them all out together! The method is fantastic. I love having crispy wings that are super easy to make and much healthier than fried. Thanks so much, Laura!
David @ Spiced says
These wings look amazing, Kelly! I would never have guessed that these were baked either. I absolutely love how you broke this recipe down and showed us what happened with each version. Version A it is! We love wings around here, but we don't make 'em much. (Although smoked wings are amazing...when the smoker isn't covered in snow!) Also, our favorite wing restaurant in town makes a sauce called 'Blue Heat.' We're convinced it's blue cheese dressing mixed with buffalo sauce (50-50 ratio). It's our new favorite wing sauce! Give that one a shot next time you make these wings!
Kelly says
I love experimenting with recipes to find out which ones give the best results. Smoked wings do sound amazing! I was wondering what to do with the leftover blue cheese dressing. "Blue Heat" sounds like the perfect, delicious idea! Thanks so much, David!
Adina says
Absolutely amazing looking chicken wings. Thank you for all the effort you put into trying the different methods and it is nice to know that the easiest method produces as great results as the more complicated versions. Although being able to prepare the wings in advance and bake the next day can also come in handy sometimes. I am definitely going to try this!
Kelly says
I love it when the easiest method turns out just as good as the more difficult ones! Although I admit, I was a bit surprised. And you're absolutely right. Sometimes I want something on the spur of the moment and sometimes I like to be able to have everything prepared the day before. So glad both methods turned out great! Thanks so much, Adina!
David says
Impressive science here, Kelly! I haven’t had chicken wings since I was in college (the Dark Ages!) - maybe I need to remedy that using your method!
Kelly says
It's pretty painless and the results are great! Thanks so much, David!
Valentina says
My son is forever asking me to make chicken wings. I usually make whatever my kids want, but for some reason I haven't made them -- maybe because I hate deep frying. So now I have no excuse! The sauces sound delicious and I love all of your tips and tricks.
Kelly says
Deep frying is such a pain. I'm so happy with this recipe - the wings come out perfect and there's not much effort involved. Thanks so much, Valentina!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
Wings are a definite for the big game! I love all your techniques. These wings look amazing!
Kelly says
It's all in the technique! Thanks so much, Kathy!
Ron says
Kelly, those wings look fantastic. I used to get baked chicken wings like these at a wing joint in the US, but I never knew how they made theirs so crispy. Now I know the trick. No Superbowl here, but these wings are good for any occasion. Hope your team wins! Thanks for sharing.
Kelly says
It's a nifty trick! As for the Super Bowl, I'll probably just be distracted by all the food! 🙂 Thanks so much, Ron!
Ron says
Kelly, we made your super crispy wings for our "In honor of the Superbowl" lunch and they were smashing. Thanks again for the tip for making a crispy baked wing.
Kelly says
Ron, it really makes my day that you enjoyed them! 🙂 An "In honor of the Superbowl" lunch is a fantastic idea! One of my favorite food days of the year! Thanks so much!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
These look totally mouthwatering Kelly! Perfect for the big game this weekend! I wish our youngest son would be home because he'd LOVE these!
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Mary Ann! Have a great game day this weekend!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Hubby and I enjoy wings on the regular and just seeing your pics makes me wish they were literally in front of me right now instead of just on my screen. I think I'm going to have to have these this weekend with lots of hot sauce and blue cheese dressing...and maybe a glass of vino 😉 Have a wonderful weekend ahead, Kelly!
Kelly says
They're definitely on our plan for the Super Bowl. Hope you have a great one! Thanks so much, Dawn!
Cookie Monster says
Excellent choice. My super bowl plan is to have these spicy chicken wings and cheeseburgers. It's going to be a big hit.
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Cookie Monster! Hope you enjoy them!
mimi rippee says
What an interesting experiment! I love that you did this and shared the results. I secretly love wings, but I've never deep fried anything, and obviously am not ready to start doing so. I've printed your recipe and am excited to make these. Thanks!!!!
Kelly says
It was a fun experiment. Obviously we got to eat lots of wings in the process! It's so much easier to bake them and so much healthier. Thank you very much, Mimi! Hope you enjoy them!
angiesrecipes says
wow I need to try this ASAP! They look so good. I am the impatient one, so first method 2!
Kelly says
I hear ya, Angie! Patience in the kitchen is definitely not my strong suit. I was surprised that they all turned out so great. It's good to have options though. Hope you enjoy them. Thanks so much!