Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Recipe

➤ Introduction for Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Hey what’s up wing psych*s! I’m about to ruin your life with some actual black magic that had me throwing my whole fryer away – these completely insane crispy baked chicken wings that literally blew my mind into a million pieces! No joke, this isn’t that tragic cardboard oven wing disaster from your childhood, this is the otherworldly insanity that will have you getting crunch so intense it sounds like someone’s breaking bones, and your kitchen stays cleaner than a church on Sunday.

Check this out – two years ago, I was literally having a panic attack because I had run my mouth and promised I’d serve twenty starving animals at a Super Bowl party. These people who were ready to demolish wings like they hadn’t eaten in weeks were gonna be served by me – and all I could think about was being chained to a cauldron of bubbling oil all day like a prisoner at Wing Stop.

Then my completely insane friend Sarah walks up to me and says “yo just throw em in the oven with this weird trick,” which she made sound like it would make them crispier than whatever they serve at heaven’s cafeteria. Honestly, I cackled because that sounded like the biggest lie ever since “we’ll call you.” But when I pulled the first batch out of my oven, I thought someone slipped me an edible!

The skin was literally going through a full meltdown – crackling and snapping like someone was torturing plastic wrap – but when you bite down, it’s still so crazy juicy and packed with flavor I almost cried. I totally sprinted to my phone and called Sarah screaming like “YO WHAT DEMON DID YOU MAKE A DEAL WITH?!”

➤ Why I Love This Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Recipe

• Yooo I don’t even know where to start with why I’m totally freaking out over this Crispy Baked Chicken Wings ! The first winning point for me – the convenience is truly a life changer. No more standing over a pot of angry oil – no more wrestling with grease on every surface in my kitchen – no worrying whether the oil is too hot or too cold – I just toss these in the oven and bounce to finish other things or to at least be with my people instead of standing at the stove!

• And that first bite of crispy baked chicken wings? It’s insanity – you hear that delightful crack as you puncture the crispy skin and then BAM you get incredibly tender juicy meat that is practically falling off the bone – all with that contrast that is chef’s kiss perfection. And get this – they’re crispy even after you dunk them in sauce!
• Honestly, I think I’m convinced because they never fail. Once you figure it out with these, it is money every time. No more worrying about oil temperatures spiking or greasy wings that have some burnt and some are undercooked. And they are substantially healthier than the fried options, but you won’t lose the crispy fried fix that is addicting.

➤ Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Ingredients

For the wings:

•3 lbs chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes
•2 tbsp kosher salt
•1 tbsp baking powder – this is the magical powder that makes all of the difference!
•1 tsp garlic powder
•1 tsp onion powder
•1 tsp smoked paprika
•1/2 tsp black pepper
•1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

For a standard buffalo sauce that slaps differently:

•1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot sauce
•1/2 cup unsalted butter
•1 tbsp white vinegar
•1 tsp garlic powder

When I’m trying to go the extra mile:

•Ranch seasoning powder added to the dry rub
•Brown sugar because I want it caramelized
•Fresh thyme because I’m boujie.

➤ How to Make Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

1 • The dry-brine of your life:

•Take your wings and pat them paper towel-dry – like bone dry. Toss them with kosher salt, and lay them out on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Put them in the fridge uncovered for a minimum of 2 hours – to be honest, I always do overnight. This pulls all the moisture out and gets the seasoning to sink right into the meat.

2 • The seasoning part:

•Take your wings out of thefridge about 30 minutes before cooking. Let them cometo room temperature. Preheat your oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, mix the baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, pepper and cayenne. Add your wings to the bowl and toss like wild – you want to get every wing completely coated.

3 • Getting set up for success:

•Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, then place your wire rack right on top of that. Spread your wings out in a single layer on the wire rack – these wings cannot touch! They need air flow around them, if they touch, they will not get dumb, stupid crispy.

4 • The baking:

•Pop’m in the oven for 20 minutes, flip’m over, then bake another 20-25 minutes until golden brown and looking so good you won’t want to eat them. Just get the internal temperature to 165°F, and you’ll know they’re perfect.

5 • The sauce:

•While your wings are finishing bake time, melt the butter, then whisk in the hot sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder until smooth. You can put your wings in this liquid gold or serve it on the side for dipping.

6 • The feast:

•Plate these wings and serve them hot and sizzling. That first bite with that crazy crunch is heavenly!

➤ Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Tips and Variations

• Don’t even consider skipping that dry-brine – even a couple hours will amaze you with how much difference it can make. Temperature is way more important than most people think, so buy yourself an oven thermometer because your oven is probably lying to you. And please for the love of god don’t pack the wings together, or they will just steam each other into a sad disappointment.

• Asian-style wings with five-spice and brown sugar are downright addictive. Mediterranean-style wings with oregano, rosemary, and lemon zest hit differently when you want something fresh. BBQ dry rub wings with chili powder, cumin, and coffee grounds are outstanding when you want to showcase at a cookout.

• Double-strain any wet sauces you make so they come out silky smooth. You can even cook your wings partway earlier in the day, then blast em with high heat right before serving to get that hot-from-the-oven crunch. Keep your hot sauce in the fridge so it mixes better with the hot butter without breaking.

➤ Serving Suggestions for Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

• Game day parties are always a slam dunk but these wings are classy enoughto bring to a nice dinner party as an appetizer. Summer cookouts love these wings because there is no stress over the grill. I have even thrown these badboys on a brunch table with bloody marys and people went nuts! Classic celery, carrots, and blue cheese will never fail you, it’s that combination for a reason.

• Crisp coleslaw with tangy vinegar dressing givesya some cooling contrastwhen things get spicy. Loaded potato skins Are Perfect because they share that same crispy, indulgent vibe. Fresh cucumber salad with dill is just like a cold face slap in the best way possible.

If you’re crazy about these crispy baked chicken wings, you’re going to lose your damn mind with my Crispy Chicken Sandwich recipe! They both use the same insane methods to get that crunch, but the sandwich is a whole different animal with the crazy juicy breast meat and this sauce that’s going to change your life. Same addictive crunch that’ll have you going back for more – but an entirely different type of delicious disaster!

➤ Storage and Leftovers

• You can dry-brine these wings a whole day in advance, and they’ll be even better. BRINE TIME is like aging a fine wine, with chicken. Season them fully up to 4 hrs ahead of cooking if you’re trying to get ahead for a small party. For bigger parties, especially the “feeding an army” kind of parties, get them all the way cooked earlier in the day and just crisp them up right before people arrive. Then you won’t be stuck in the kitchen all evening.

• Let these dudes cool down completely, not warm, before putting them in airtight containers in the fridge they’ll last up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, just lay them out like a treasure, in single layers, while they freeze.
Whatever you do, DO NOT microwave these. That’s a sure fire way to turn crispy perfection into sad rubber. Reheat at 375°F on wire rack for about 10-15 mins. If you smear just a little bit of oil on before reheating, they will come back to life like magic.

➤ Crispy Baked Chicken Wings FAQs

Q: Can I use frozen wings?

⤷ A: Absolutely! Just be sure to thaw them out fully and pat them bone dry before cooking. Fresh wings do have nicer texture, but frozen wings can still be very good if cooked properly.

Q: What if I don’t have wire racks?

⤷ A: Not a problem – you can just put the wings straight on parchment paper instead; just flip them halfway. The bottoms won’t be quite as crispy, but they will still be awesome!

Q: Why is baking powder such a big deal?

⤷ A: This is the secret ingredient! The baking powder changes the pH of the chicken skin to cause it to brown quicker and crispier. And don’t even think about using baking soda! Baking soda will make your wings taste like soap and you will not like yourself.

Q: Can I make them less spicy?

⤷ A: Of course! Just use less cayenne or leave it out altogether. This entire recipe is customizable to what you want.

Q: How do I know when they are done?

⤷ A: They need to be 165°F inside and should have a nice golden crispy skin that makes a crunchy sound when you tap it. Just believe your ears!

Q: How will I know when they are done?

⤷ A: They need to reach an internal temperature of 165°F as well as have a crispy golden skin that crunches when you tap it. You’ll need to trust your ears on the last part.

Q: Can I double the recipe?

⤷ A: Yes! Just get more baking sheets, rotate them in the oven so everything feels like it’s getting evenly brown, and boom. More wings = more happiness.