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??
Lisa says
Thx for the awesome recipe, Nagi – my daughter and I made them tonight since she had a craving for honey- garlic wings, and yours fit the bill and then some! I especially like the “fat-melting” part and that they were done in the oven instead of using a ton of oil in a deep fryer. I’m curious if there’s a particular type of honey that you like to use – I only have raw honey in the pantry and my daughter said, “Don’t we have any normal honey?” Lol! Yes, she’s a teenager! 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Lisa! Gosh, I’m with your daughter, I use “normal” honey!! I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed this. And yes, I love the fat melting part too!! It always makes me feel less guilty seeing how much fat ends up on the baking tray instead of in my stomach…..also the reason I feel like I can have just one more, just one more…. 😉
rebe says
Hi! I have my wings uncovered and drying… My big issue is, the wings we bought are already mesquite seasoned… will that ruin the process with the baking powder?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Rebe! I’m sorry for the delay responding, I was without internet for a while. Having the seasoning already on the wings will affect the crispiness a bit but it is still really crispy and worth doing! To make seasoned wings, I do it the other way – baking powder first THEN seasoning. 🙂
Rebe says
No worries! The wings were bought with the seasoning so there wasn’t much I could do about it (this time) but I am happy to report they still came out very crisp and super delicious! The meat was still tender and juicy inside, while the skin was perfectly crunchy and crisp. A family friend liked them so much he didn’t even want any sauce. Thanks so much for the fat rendering tip, that made such a difference! Keep on cooking on, thanks for sharing!
<3 <3 <3
Rebe says
PS- I didn’t have a rack to put under the wings, so I lined the tray with foil, then took a larger piece of foil and crumpled it up. That way the wings were still a little elevated and the fat could pool without the chicken soaking in it.
Ann says
This easy-to-make recipe does result in very crisp skin. although the chicken pieces were dries very well prior to baking the underside came out very ‘soggy’. The chicken pieces were baked as suggested on a cooling rack placed on foil lined cookie sheet. When it was moved to the top rack, the grease dripping on the cookie sheet spit and splattered all over the oven making a HUGE mess. As the grease splattered on the oven elements it produced smoke which quickly filled the kitchen. We had to open all the doors to air out the house so the smoke alarm wouldn’t trigger. Doubtful this recipe will be used again.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Ann, I’m sorry that you had that problem. If you use a baking tray as suggested in the recipe, rather than a cooking sheet, then it has a rim so the grease drippings do not spill when you transfer it.
Regarding the underside of the chicken being soggy, that’s rather odd because the elevation of the wings using the rack is what makes it crispy on the underside and all I can think is that the smoke cause by the spilled grease on the elements somehow affected the way the wings were cooking.
Wish I could have been in the kitchen with you to help troubleshoot! 🙂 – Nagi
Ann says
Thanks for the reply, Nagi. I did use a baking tray which had a rim. This morning I will be cleaning the mess in the oven :o(
Deshana says
Hi Nagi, great i stumbled upon your recipes. Will try it! May i know if it is possible to coat the wings with the Honey Garlic Sauce and pop it in the oven?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Deshana! Unfortunately not because it won’t come out crispy. 🙂 So toss it in the sauce after baking it!
Deshana says
Thank you For your reply Nagi. ??
Angela says
I tried this receipe few mins ago.
I did not have a rack so I put the wings right on the foil(pan).. mine turns really crispy but it was little too dry… do you think its because of the wing size? (Im in korea and.. they only got tiny wings) hahaha I was practicing this for upcoming halloween party…. any suggestion?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Angela! Gosh, I didn’t think to update this for wing size! I know exactly what you mean about tiny wings in Asia – also, those really tiny ones have a lot less fat. And yes, it would be because of that. Reduce the initial baking time on the lower temp to 20 minutes and reduce the baking time at the higher temp to 30 minutes. That should do the trick. 🙂
Angela says
Thank you so much!!!
I guess I am going to have another wing night!
I will try shorter time and tell you again!! thank you so much 😉
By the way I accidently gave this recipe one star. it worth more!!
KitKat says
Is there a way to make this with the fat (or most of it) intact? i would love to keep the fat in if I could keep it in AND make the wings super crispy. I’m looking for a baked wings recipe that makes them crispy and this one seems promising but could I keep the fat?
Thank you!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Unfortunately using this baking method a lot of the fat melts from under the skin BUT it does not make it dry at all. The wings are still very juicy and fatty because the fat melts INTO the meat as well as the excess dripping onto the baking tray. I do hope you still try it though! I promise it is sensational!!! 🙂
alicia thomas says
This recipe actually works! For the first time ever I have crispy baked extremely delicious chicken wings! Thank you I only two cloves of garlic in the dip and added a bit of sirracha sauce too totally yimmy 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
BA HA HA!! I was like that too when I first tried this recipe! Welcome to the world of crispy BAKED wings. 🙂 You will never look back!! N x
Dave Ardito says
I have been using flour to coat my wings. I dust them, lay them out on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and place them in the fridge for an hour, then off to the oven. Fabulous!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Dave, I used to do that too! I really encourage you to try this baking powder version, it will knock your socks off, promise! 😉 N x
Dana says
This was my third time trying to make wings and they were fabulous, family was kicking their fingers! I used just a bit too much baking powder so will adjust next time. I too added just a touch of fresh black pepper and didn’t have honey so used maple syrup instead. Yummy!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed it Dana!! YAY!
Sarah says
Omg my wings looked amazing but I mistakenly used baking soda and ruined the whole batch!!!! Will try again with backing powder!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
No no no!!! 🙁 I thought I put the warning in big enough letters!! I wish I could make the font EVEN BIGGER!!!! 😉
November 2015 Calendar Word says
Looks delicious. Never cooked in my life, surely gonna try this
Jamie says
So I tried baking powder for the first time. I did not notice the 2 tbs amount and just dumped a bunch into a shake bag like flour. Tasted so bad we could not eat them. I assumed according to this that baking powder was used the same as flour but it just crisped the meat better. Oh well. Live and learn.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
OH NO!!! That WOULD taste terrible!!! The 2 tbsp is a very specific amount – just enough for max crisp without being able to taste it once cooked. Wish I could have been there in the kitchen with you to stop you!!!! 🙂
Jamie says
Thanks, I saw the large warning not to use baking soda, but never having used baking powder, a large warning for that may have helped. Again, that’s how I learn. 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
This is a GREAT one to start on!!! Promise! 🙂
April says
Do you know if they recipe would work with regular chicken drumsticks instead of wings?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi April! Yes it does work with only an extra 5 to 10 minutes baking time BUT the crispiness comes down to how much skin is on the drumstick. Wings are perfect because they are filly enclosed in skin, whereas drumsticks are not and also while they are baking, the skin shrinks somewhat. However, all the skin is crispy, just like the wings!
Chris says
Hi
It does work with regular drumsticks. I stretch the skin and use tooth picks to hold it. Cooking time is longer but they come out extra crispy!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
OOOOHHHH!!!! Thanks for the tip Chris! I have to try it with drumsticks 🙂 Works GREAT with thigh cutlets! I must share a recipe soon 🙂
April says
Thank you! I’ll give it a try this week!
karen says
Hi Nagi, I am thinking of doing this chicken wings recipe tonight but I don’t have baking powder at home. Is it ok if I uses all purpose flour or self raising flour?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Karen! Unfortunately this won’t work with flour or self raising flour. 🙁 Sorry to disappoint! but I promise it is worth the effort of popping by the store to get baking powder!!!
Brian Welch says
These are excellent. I’ve made them 4 times now and the wings come out perfect for saucing lightly and still retaining some crisp on the skin. I don’t use the garlic sauce (my wife can’t eat garlic) but purchased a bottled teriyaki instead. Love them!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thank you Brian! I really appreciate your feedback – and I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed it!!
Raine says
Wow, these are the very best chicken wings I have ever had ! Love them !
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m SO GLAD!!! <3
cindi says
Nagi, thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it last night and the wings were great! I like to deep fry my wings because I love them crispy. I don’t think I’ll ever need to fry again because these are just as good and healthier. So yummy!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Cindi! I am SO glad you loved it! I love hearing validation from people who (used to!) fry wings to get them crispy!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and let me know. 🙂
Helen says
hi Could I make the wings and then freeze till the day of the party [2 weeks]
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Helen! Yep, you sure can! Just defrost then pop them in a cranked up oven for 8 to 10 minutes until piping hot and crispy again. It is not QUITE as juicy inside – just like any other frozen cooked meat – but it is still juicy and the skin crisps up again!
Sequoya says
I love the science behind this! (I’m an Alton Brown fan ?). Will this recipe work with frozen wings? Or do they absolutely HAVE to be thawed first?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Same here!! They do need to be thawed first because wings get really wet when they defrost and they need to be as dry as possible to get the crispy wings!
Deb G says
These were great. I had picked up a small package of pre-trimmed wings but will make a triple recipe next time for our Monday Night Football group. The cook times were spot on and the honey garlic dipping sauce was the perfect compliment to the crispy skin. KEEPER! Thanks for sharing. (Love those folks at Cooks Illustrated)
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Aren’t they the best? I use their foolproof Apple Pie dough too, using vodka. Brilliant, works overtime. 🙂 So glad you enjoyed this Deb! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Terry says
I am excited to try this recipe. My husband is the wing master around the house, but his are typically fried or grilled. I want to bring a new element to football Sundays, but i am curious how to adjust the recipe for a dry rub as opposed to a sauce. Do i just add the seasoning in with the baking powder while coating?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Terry! I have a bunch of recipes for rubs in my Wings cookbook 🙂 If you want to try your own, follow the recipe and toss the wings in the baking powder + salt first, then toss in your seasonings. Then bake as per the recipe! Hope you love it!
DIANE FRAME says
DO NOT ADD OTHER SPICES TO BAKING SODA AND SALT!!!! I made that mistake the second time I tried them for extra spice on skin and whooaaaaaa, not good… Stick to the original instructions and they are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom says
Cuz u used baking soda. Mine are awesome . Been mixing everything together for years. Must thaw frozen.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Diane! SO GLAD you loved the original instructions! Sorry to hear it didn’t work out when you tried adding other spices. 🙂 Actually, you can add other spices, I have a bunch of recipes in my Wings cookbook with spices added to the wings and they come out lovely and crunchy, it’s just a matter of knowing how much to add. Also, the trick is to coat in baking powder and salt first before tossing in seasonings. Give that a go! N x