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??
Bryan Graham says
Hi, currently in the midst of making these as we speak. I just passed the 50 minute mark and my wings are still far from done, not counting the 30 minutes I did before the fact. My question is… if I wanted to speed up the cooking process, would it be better to simply turn the temperature up or to move these to another rack?
Thanks for sharing the recipe – I made the sauce and put in extra garlic because of how much i love it, and it tastes divine.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Bryan! That’s really odd, all I can think is that your oven is weak. It should definitely be done, mine is usually pretty much ready at 40 minutes (on the high temp). Just turn it up. Though I missed your message when you were making them so I’m sorry, I hope they worked out!
Bryan Graham says
Hi Nagi, my wings came out pretty good, but I had to leave them in for two hours. Maybe I misunderstood your directions, but when I placed my cooling racks on the foil, I had to do it in such a way where the racks weren’t directly pressing against it. Picture the racks sitting upright on top of a pan, and putting the wings on top of the racks.
Was I supposed to do this some other way? I feel that this is why my wings took so long to cook.
Thanks for your quick response.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Bryan! My racks sit so they are slightly elevated over the foil on the tray, about 2/3″/1.5cm. From what you describe it sounds like what mine looks like! So the baking tray, foil then the rack sitting on the foil. The wings on the rack so they are slightly elevated off the foil.
2 hours is a very long time! All I can think is that your oven is weaker. Even if the wings are sitting directly on a tray without a rack, this doesn’t affect the baking time. But I’m glad they came out anyway! N
Bryan Graham says
Ok, that gives me confidence to try this again. I think I may have identified my problem. I placed them on the top oven rack back from when I was baking cakes, so they were elevated in the oven. Silly mistake.
I’ll try them again today or tomorrow and see how they turn out. Thanks so much again!
Alessandro says
What if I don’t have a rack will it work? Also the adds on this sites make the browsing terriable
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Alessandro, I’m sorry the ads are distracting. Right now, it is a way I am able to keep the blog running. I wish there were a better way!
Without a rack, the underside will be soggy as the wings will be sitting in fat. I really do recommend using a rack!
M Martin says
Just turn the wings a few times during cooking and you won’t have soggy wings! I use half & half corn starch and flour mix and bake directly on oiled heavy aluminum pan (without rack) and get same results. Bake at 400° for an hour, turn at 30 minutes and 1 hour, crank heat to 450 and bake another 10-15 minutes.
Cynthia L says
Nagi, these are the best wings ever! I have made them twice and we have loved them both times. My partner gets so excited when I say these are on the menu!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m so glad!! And also tell him there is 20% LESS FAT because so much of it melts away so he can have 20% MORE!!! 🙂
Howard says
Hi Nagi, I came upon your blog a couple weeks ago and made your carnitas. Amazing! I’m going to try out these wings tomorrow night. One question: You mentioned in the post that sriracha in the sauce is optional. I’d like to try it. Can you let me know what amount or sriracha I should add (it isn’t specified in the recipe)? Thank you!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Howard! I’m so glad you enjoyed my carnitas, SO GOOD! Re: sriracha, it comes down to taste really! Depends how much spice you can handle. I start with 1 tbsp into the sauce then go UP from there! 🙂
Kaelyn says
The cook times look very long, especially 40-50 minutes at 425. How do they still resemble food after all that?
SUE says
yes the cooking time is way too long. chicken wings are usually baked at 425 for 20-25 mins . i wouldnt cook them as long as listed above
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Sue! Thanks for your input 🙂 The baking time is correct. It sounds long, but it is right, it needs it because of the baking powder on the skin (to make it crispy) and the wing does not dry out (the rendering fat bastes the meat). 🙂 Tried and tested many times by me, my readers and America’s Test Kitchen!! 🙂
SUE says
I disagree. I made them according to your directions above and they were dry inside and rubbery /hard on the outside. not to mention the baking powder left the chicken a white color as it did not bake all the way in. The best temp is 425 for 40 minutes at the most.
LISA says
I have made these multiple times as well following the cooking time exactly. They come out perfect every time- crispy or the outside and juicy on the inside, Yum!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m so glad Lisa!! 🙂 <3
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m so glad Lisa!! 🙂 <3
Shannon T says
Sue you seem a little daft. I think you should stick to boiled potatoes and quit criticizing a great recipe.
I’ve made this recipe 3 times, following the directions to a “T” and they are perfectly crisp yet moist inside every time.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Gosh, that’s odd Sue! I wish I could be “in” the kitchen with you to help troubleshoot. 🙂 It sounds like something went quite wrong. As you can see from the photos, there is no baking powder left on the skin! I’ve made this recipe over 50 times in the last 6 months alone (for the wings cookbook!) and they have come out juicy inside and crispy on the outside every single time. 🙂 I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, all I can think is that either your oven temperature is out, there was something wrong with the wings themselves and/or the baking powder was off. 🙂 Hope you have a lovely evening!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Kaelyn! I know, I was quite worried too but it certainly works! Wings are a very fatty cut of meat so it takes a LOT to cook them to the point of dry. These are really juicy inside. It needs that length of cooking time at the high temperature to crisp the skin. 🙂
jeffellis says
Followed wing and sauce recipe exactly…I’ve made a hundred wing recipes before and I settled on a just okay baked wing…this recipe made me do a double read and I thought hmm ok let’s see…game changer! Perfect and yes crisp. I used to be fine with crispish(sorta burnt). Now I want people to come over to try these babies.if they don’t see them in the oven they wouldn’t believe….thank you.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Jeff! I love that you’re now totally converted. 🙂 I know what you mean about previously settling on sorta-crispy and am glad you’ve discovered this truly crispy version!! N x
MrMagoo says
Hi Trying your recipe as I type. I have to say the first step in the preheated oven at 250F for 30 minutes did not even begin to render any fat therefore it seems unnecessary.
I am curious as to how the baking powder will crisp up these wings. Worth a try
Thanks for the recipe.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi there! The lower temperature definitely makes a difference to the end result. You won’t see much fat that has melted onto the tray at the end of the first 30 minutes but the fat under the skin IS very soft and mostly melted. Then when it moves up to the top shelf at the high temperature, a LOT of fat melts onto the tray. I have tested this recipe many ways and much less fat melts if the baking at the lower temperature is skipped.
As for how the baking powder crisps up the wings – it is science and I can’t profess to know all the underlying details! In summary though, what it does is draw the moisture to the surface of the skin. It works far better better than flour, cornflour and everything else that is commonly used for creating crisp skin. Also a key factor for how it becomes so crispy is the melting of the fat because it leaves behind just the skin, which (with the baking powder on it) becomes very crisp. I do hope you love it!
Jeanie says
I wish I could tell the world. FABULOUS !!!!!!!
The sauce has the perfect proportions for a delicate yet very flavorful dipping sauce
Was going to serve them as an appetizer for a family gathering.
Oooooops they disappeared before they arrived. Maybe next time.
Big thanks, too bad I didn’t know about this 40 years ago
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Yes yes yes!! I’m so happy you love it so much! AND I trust out into laughter at the thought of them all disappearing before your family arrived – that’s a CLASSIC!!!! 🙂
Brittanne says
These were truly crispy! We didn’t make the sauce, just used lemon and pepper. Will definitely make these again!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Yay! I am so glad you loved them! 🙂
Maria says
These are so yummy! I made them last night and my husband said that they are much better than the ones we’ve had at restaurants. I added a few drops of sriracha in the honey garlic sauce. They were delicious!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hurrah! I am SO glad you enjoyed these Maria!! High praise from your husband!! N x
Evette T says
By far the most flavorful and crispy wings I have ever made with such a small amount of salt. And the sauce….delectable! I will be making these again soon. Also, thank you for the free cookbooks.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
So glad you enjoyed it Evette! I know, isn’t is amazing how such a small amount of salt can perfectly season so many wings?! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know you enjoyed these!
Jeff says
This recipe made fantastic chicken wings. Better than deep fried in my opinion. A little fresh cracked pepper added in while tossing in the baking powder gave a little more flavor.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
AWESOME! So glad you loved it Jeff!! It really is incredible isn’t it?? I prefer these over fried too! (Plus, way less calories = I can have more wings!!)
Carolyn says
I love chicken wings and I’m very particular, these were the best wing recipe EVER!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Carolyn! Means a lot to hear that from someone who know their wings! 😉
Whitney says
We are having a large crowd for a party and people will be coming and going all day. Are these just as tasty room temperature? Can they sit out for a couple hours?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Whitney! I have to say, I am not a huge fan of wings at room temperature. Also the skin is not as crispy. Sorry to disappoint! 🙂
Meghan says
What if I like fat? Should I just bake them on the higher temperature?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Meghan! Unfortunately this won’t work if the fat stays on the skin, it won’t go crispy! 🙂 The wings are extremely juicy and fatty though, I promise! 🙂
Geet says
I made it yesterday. I tried to make it crispier but they were smelling burn 🙁 Can you suggest something?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Geet! Did you pat the wings dry? And make sure you used baking powder, not baking soda or bicarb soda? If so, then they should definitely have come out crispy without burning!! 🙂
Emme S says
I just came across a few of your recipes. They sound *delicious*, and I am totally looking forward to trying some of them out! I noticed in your recipe that you said to cut the wings into wingettes and drumettes. Do I have to? Will I have to adjust your cooking instructions if I don’t?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Emme! So glad you like the look of my recipes 🙂 Nope, you sure don’t have to cut them! I actually like the look of them whole, but they just aren’t as easy to eat, that’s all! As in – you need 2 hands to navigate whole wings whereas you can eat wingettes/drumettes with one hand!!
Nope, no adjustment to cooking time requires! Just “shake” a bit more vigorously to ensure the baking powder coats the wings evenly as possible (because the shape of whole wings makes it a wee bit more awkward 🙂 Hope you love!!
Karen says
I found this recipe today August 12th 2015 and I made them for dinner. I did not add any other seasoning. I tossed them in the sauce when cooked and they were perfect. Did not need any more salt or other seasoning. Thank you so much I will be trying other sauces. So quick and easy
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!! I know, isn’t it weird how such a small amount of salt is enough? I was quite dubious at first too, but it really is enough!
Alex says
Hi Nagi
Just a couple of questions.
1) Does it matter which setting I use? ie Fan forced or not?
2) so is it an additional 40-50 mins on 220C after the initial 30minson 120C therefore total bake time of 70-80 mins?
Looking forward to try this looking at the comments.
Cheers
Alex
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Alex! I have made these in a fan forced and conventional oven and found that it doesn’t matter, the bake time at the higher temperature will differ slightly and it will depend how deep golden you want them, with fan forced ready at around 40 to 45 min and conventional closer to 50 minutes. And yes, the total bake time is 70 to 80 minutes – and worth every minute! 🙂
Alex says
Thanks for your quick reply.
Andra Hawkins says
Question can I don’t have the rack to place in the pan..will they still come out crispy?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Andra! The top and sides will but the bottom won’t be 100% crispy because they will be sitting in oil. Using this method, a LOT of fat melts, much more than usual. The bottom will crisp up, but it will almost be like they are deep frying, it that makes sense?