No false promises here – these crispy oven baked wings are SERIOUSLY crispy! You will be gob smacked how easy they are to make. They honestly taste like they’ve been deep fried, with a thin shatteringly crisp golden skin. You can see how easy these are to make and hear how crispy they really are in this cooking video.
These are so good they can be eaten plain. Or toss them in your favourite sauce, or serve it on the side. I’ve provided a selection of sauces for these crispy baked wings in the recipe below!
Truly crispy oven baked wings
This recipe for how to make Crispy Oven Baked Wings is a discovery by the genius folk over at Cook’s Illustrated. Being the food nerd I am, I really enjoy how Cook’s Illustrated explains the science behind why they do things in a particular way.
And I honestly believe this to be one of their most all time most epic recipes, especially because it’s so insanely EASY!!! And today, I’m sharing the secret with you. Are you ready? 🙂
How to make crispy oven baked wings
Crispy oven baked wings in 3 easy steps:
Pat wings dry with paper towels;
Toss wings in baking powder and salt;
Bake at 120°C/250°F for 30 minutes, then at 220°C/425°F for 40 – 50 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Yes, that’s it. That’s all there is to it. 🙂
Why this recipe works
In those 3 simple steps are 2 very important things to make these truly crispy oven baked wings:
1. Coat in baking powder – yes, you read that right, baking powder! I won’t go into all the technicalities, but in a nutshell, the baking powder draws moisture to the surface of the skin so it can evaporate, thereby making the skin crispier; and
2. Bake for 30 minutes on low to melt the fat before blasting in a very hot oven to crisp up the skin. There’s a lot of scientific explanations around this and I’ll skip it because I’ll bore you! But basically, the wings are first baked on the lowest shelf in the oven at a very low temperature for 30 minutes which causes the fat under the skin to “melt”, then you move the wings up to the top shelf and crank up the heat which crisps up the skin.
The other tip is ensuring that the wings are dry. If you are organised enough, put the wings on the rack and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight. However, I neither have the fridge space nor am I organised enough, so I just dry them using paper towels (see photo below for how I do this).
When these come out of the oven and you tap the skin with your nail, you can instantly “hear” how crispy the skin is. They even look like they’ve been fried! And in case you are concerned, you don’t taste baking powder at all.
Got questions? See FAQ under the recipe card.
You will notice that the wings are smaller than you are used to. That’s because so much of the fat under the skin melts off the wings – you’ll see it all pooled on the tray. So these have the added benefit of reduced calories too!
You can toss the wings in your sauce of choice or serve the sauce on the side. I’ve also shared classic Buffalo Wings using this same method for crispy oven baked wings. For this recipe, I’ve included a few simple sauces that I like to serve wings with: Honey Garlic Sauce, Honey Mustard Sauce, Ranch Dipping Sauce.
Let’s get stuck into these wings! – Nagi x
PS I’ve now published the Buffalo Wings version! Here it is: Truly Crispy Oven Baked BUFFALO Wings.
Watch how to make it
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Truly Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Crispy Wings
- 4 lb / 2 kg chicken wings , cut into wingettes and drumettes (Note 1)
- 5 teaspoons baking powder (NOT BAKING SODA / BI-CARB SODA!!)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Oil spray
Instructions
Crispy Wings
- If you are organised enough, uncover the chicken wings and leave them in the fridge for a few hours to dry out. Otherwise, use a paper towel to pat the wings dry.
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.
- Preheat oven to 250F/120C (all oven types – standard/convection/fan).
- Line a baking tray with foil, then place a rack (like a cooling rack) on the foil. Spray the rack with oil spray.
- Place wings in a large bowl or in a ziplock bag. Add the baking powder and salt, then toss to coat evenly.
- Place the wings on the baking tray in a single layer with the skin side up. They should just fit snugly. They will shrink when they cook because the fat renders out so don’t worry if they look too snug.
- 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 425F/220C. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through.
- Remove baking tray from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Toss wings in sauce of choice or serve it on the side to dip / drizzle on the wings, then serve.
Recipe Notes:
* Honey Garlic Sauce: Mix together 4 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp white vinegar (or sub with any other vinegar except balsamic), 2-3 garlic cloves, minced. Use for dipping OR tossing.
* Honey Mustard Sauce: 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup honey
* Ranch Dipping Sauce: Mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sour cream, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp EACH dried dill, parsley, chives, onion and garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste.
* Spicy Creamy Dipping Sauce: 3/4 cup mayo, 1/2 tso garlic powder, 1/8 tsp paprika, 3-4 tbsp sriracha, salt & pepper
* Pink Sauce: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp sriracha (or other hot sauce) 7. Nutrition: The nutrition is per serving, assuming 8 servings. Note that the calories is HIGHER than it actually is because so much fat is rendered out (melted) and discarded which is not reflected in the nutrition below. I measured the discarded fat once and calculated that it should be 60 calories LESS per serving (around 1/4 cup fat in total was discarded).
Nutrition Information:
Originally published in November 2014, updated with fresh new photos and step by step photos!
Frequently asked questions
I don’t have a rack. Does this cause a problem? The skin will still be crispy but the bottom of the wings that is in contact with the tray will be oily. This is because the purpose of the rack is to elevate the wings off the tray and allow the chicken fat to drip down.
One way to get around an oily underside is to take the wings out after around 35 minutes during the high temp cooking. Drain the oil out of the tray then return to the oven to finish crisping/browning. You could also drain the excess oil from the wings on paper towels before serving.
Can I make ahead? These stay crispy for as long as the wings are warm, so around 20 – 30 minutes. After that, the skin starts to wrinkle and soften. However, I was shocked how well they reheat! Just allow the wings to cool (uncovered), then cover and refrigerate. Spread wings out on tray, skin side up, and bake for 5 to 8 minutes at 200C/390F. The skin smooths out and puffs up, just like when they were baked fresh. Other than to you (if you’ve made as many wings as me!) and true hard core Wings experts, the difference in juiciness and crispiness is barely noticeable – my friends never notice when I reheat!
The skin stays crispy for around 10 – 15 minutes after tossing in the sauce, then after that they start to soften but not go soggy, up to around 30 minutes. If you reheat after tossing in sauce, they go soggy.
Please do not toss in baking powder then refrigerate or freeze, this won’t work (makes the wings sweat too much to become crispy).
Can I add seasonings? You sure can! It does marginally reduce the actual skin crispiness but a crust forms from the extra seasonings/spices and adds more crunch. I did a lot of testing around this and I can assure you it works really well!
There was a lot of smoke! Help! A few readers have had this problem and I don’t think it’s from the chicken wings because I’ve made a ridiculous amount of these wings (in my kitchen and others) and never had the problem. The problem may be: a) spillage of chicken fat onto the oven burners when transferring from the lower to the upper shelf or b) there already was fat on the oven burners. I can’t think of anything else. While the smoke point of chicken fat is below that of the high oven temperature used in this recipe, the fat is not in direct contact with the heat because it’s shielded by all the wings and diluted by chicken juices dripping into the fat.
You really don’t need to flip? Really! Even if you don’t use a rack, the underside will get crispy.
Can I make this with other cuts of chicken? Yes BUT the crispiness will only work on the skin. So it works best on wings because they are almost fully enclosed by skin. With drumsticks, thighs and skin on breast, they are not fully encased with skin when raw and the skin shrinks while cooking. But the actual technique works super well! For 1 kg / 2 lb drumsticks or other cut of chicken, using 2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt – less than the recipe for wings because there is less skin surface area.
Life of Dozer
No wings for Dozer – cooked chicken bones are dangerous for dogs! How about a Honey Prawn instead??
Kaori says
I’ve made this recipe multiple times. Thank you for posting. The wings are absolutely crispy, juicy, and delicious. They are in the oven now. 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Woo hoo! Glad you love these as much as I do! 🙂
Maryalice Sullivan says
These are a regular at our house now, they are so great. The first time I made them was for a wing party and everyone loved them. They couldn’t believe that they were baked in the oven because they were so crispy. Thanks for the great recipe. Making them for Super Bowl tonight! It’s a 10!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Enjoy the game?? 😉
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m so glad you love these too!!!
Carolyn says
I ran out of baking powder! Will I get the same effect using your cooking temps and times?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Unfortunately not! Sorry to disappoint ?
Michele says
What if I don’t have a rack to cook them on? Will they still come out good and crispy if I just put them on a baking sheet?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Michelle! They sure do. Using a rack allows the fat to drip and keeps the wings elevated out of it’s own fat. Without a rack, it is still very crispy around 75 – 80% of the wing all around and just the very bottom part that is in direct contact with the tray is not quite as crispy because it’s sitting in the fat that comes out of the wings. Still definitely worth making!!
Roger Chiu says
I am confused about the rack on a tray. So do I bake them on top of the rack sitting on tray?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Roger! Place a rack on a tray, then put the wings on the rack on the tray. Please refer to the video if you wish to see exactly how to do it! 🙂
Andrew Raymond says
I bought two 4-lb bags of chicken wing sections, to make for watching the Superbowl. I decided to test the recipe by using 6 wing-sections to see how they tasted and how crispy they were. The final product was a 10! I did add some Webster’s chicken seasoning, granulated garlic, and black pepper along with the baking powder and salt. Absolutely, they came out crispy, tasty; and, as far as I am concerned, to perfection. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
WOO HOO!!! Love that you tested it 🙂 Even better than you approve!!
Kathy Musacchio says
Tryed your basic wings, outstanding!!! Everyone loves them. Thank you for sharing your expertise. Look forward to trying more.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
So glad you enjoyed it Kathy and agree that it’s a ripper!!! 🙂 N x
Chris says
Can these be made using frozen chicken wings or do they need to be thawed first?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Chris! They need to be thawed 🙂
Nae says
Your recipe looks great! It looks like something a non cooker (like myself) could handle. I am wondering if you have a way to make these with frozen chicken. Otherwise I’ll just thaw the chicken tonight and make it tomorrow.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Nae! Just thaw the chicken and it will work perfectly!
Michael Spetko says
Hey Nagi
Looking forward to trying your delicious recipe for the Super Bowl , bought 4 lbs of wings. I would like to added smoked paprika to the baking powder before tossing, it’s fine like dust.
Will this hider the baking processes in any way? You expert advice is valued.
Thank you,
Michael
Michael Spetko says
Hey Nagi
Bought 4 lbs of wings for the Super Bowl ,excited to try your recipe but thinking of adding smoked paprika to the baking power before tossing since it’s pretty fine …like dust. Will that hinder the baking results ? Your expert opinion is valued.
Thanks,
Michael
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Michael! It affects it ever so slightly, but still really crispy, I promise!! 🙂 I created a whole cookbook of baked chicken wings so did a lot of experimenting with how rubs affects the crispiness 🙂
Merce says
We bought Buffalo Wild Wings salt and vinegar wings dry rub/seasoning, do you think that the rub will stick on the wings after baking? How do you think we should flavor the wings when using dry powder flavor? We are excited to try your recipe for Super Bowl Sunday! Thanks for posting!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Merce! I don’t think the rub will stick very well after baking. The best is to sprinkle it on after tossing in baking powder. The wings don’t come out quite as crispy, but still very crispy. I’ve done a whole series of baked wings with dry rubs in my cookbook so plenty of testing done!! 🙂
Michelle says
You mentioned Sriracha but the ingredients lists vinegar….Which do I use? Both?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Michelle! It’s an optional extra – for a touch of spice! 🙂
Corrine quilty says
I made these before and they were great.but they left almost a gritty feeling in my mouth. Did i do something wrong? How do i stop the gritty?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Corrine! Hmm – gritty? I’m not sure. The only thing I can think is that your baking powder is past the used by date?? Also did you shake well for even coverage? If you did, the coverage should be such a light dusting that there definitely should not be any grittiness!
Ricky says
Hello Nagi, im baking the wings now,just wondering,can I put the sauce on them the last 30 minutes while baking them? Ricky
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Ricky, sorry, missed your question, guess you are finished now! No, the sauce can’t be added while baking, otherwise they won’t come out crispy!
BC says
Hi Nagi, I can’t wait to try these tomorrow for dinner! Can I bake these without the rack on the cookie sheet? Thanks!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi BC! You sure can, but the underside won’t be quite as crispy because it will be sitting in the melted fat. 🙂 Still delish though! And it’s not the entire underside that is not as crispy, around 75% of the wing is crispy as it should be and it’s only the part that is directly touching the tray that is not quite as crispy
Christina says
Winner winner chicken dinner literally! I did this with my daughter and we followed your instructions to the letter and it was simply a-ma-zing. Thank you so much this is going on my menu plan from now on.
Do you think the baking powder trick and low/high heat would work on normal drumsticks? This was great thanks again!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
So glad you enjoyed it Christina!! It does work with drumsticks but not as well because there isn’t as much skin 🙂 It works great with skin on thigh cutlets though because there’s usually plenty of skin!!
BC says
Hi Nagi, I made this for dinner tonight and it was SUPER crispy, just like fried! But, the meat inside was dry and not moist. What might have gone wrong?
Megan Garcia says
Amazing! Couldn’t be easier or better tasting! Loved it!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
YAY!! Glad to hear you enjoyed it Megan, thanks for taking time to come back and let me know!
Stephane says
These wings are amazing! I will save so much money by making my own now! Thank you very much! Five Stars for sure!!!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I know, right??? 😉
Trace says
I just made these. OMG. These came out so good and crispy. I will never fried chicken again. Love the sauce. And so simple to make. Thanks for the recipe.i’m trying to give it five stars and my phone is not cooperating. But knOw I give this recipe five stars and then some
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Yeeha!! So glad you loved it Trace!
Tiffany Jones says
I am excited about getting your emails.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thank you Tiffany!!