No false promises here – these are SERIOUSLY CRISPY Oven Baked Buffalo Wings! Made using the world famous Cooks’ Illustrated technique, the skin is so shatteringly crisp, it’s hard to believe they aren’t fried. Unbelievably easy to make, try this once and you’ll be converted for life. Watch the quick recipe video to hear how crispy these really are!
The great thing about the internet is that there are loads of options for any recipe your heart desires. The bad thing about the internet is sifting through all those Google search results to find a recipe that actually works as promised and is exactly what you are after.
So here is what I promise you: If you love perfectly seasoned crispy buffalo wings, tossed in a classic spicy, buttery Buffalo Sauce with a tinge of sweetness and prefer to avoid the mess and calories of deep frying, this is The One.
Hand on heart, these aren’t just “quite crispy but still not like they’ve been deep fried”. These wings are seriously crispy. The skin is paper thin and shatteringly crisp, honestly like they’ve been deep fried. No exaggeration. You can read the hundreds and hundreds of testimonials in the original Truly Crispy Oven Baked Wings recipe that I shared if you want assurance. ❤️
You can’t see how crispy the skin is when I’ve smothered them in that glorious Buffalo Sauce so here’s a photo of them plain, straight out of the oven. And if you have 90 seconds, watch the recipe video below the recipe so you can hear how crispy they are!
The recipe is ridiculously simple, and it’s a genius discovery by the amazing folk over at Cook’s Illustrated who used science to figure out how to make truly crispy wings in the oven. The 2 unique steps in this recipe that make all the difference are:
1. tossing the wings in baking powder which draws moisture to the surface of the skin and helps make it crispy. Rest assured you can’t taste the baking powder at all; and
2. baking the wings at a low temperature first, which melts the fat under the skin (which also means less calories!), then cranking it right up to crisp up the skin.
Then toss them in Buffalo Sauce…..
…..and serve with a side of Blue Cheese Dip. Oh – and celery. Crispy wings, spicy buttery Buffalo Sauce, the earthy creamy blue cheese dip and fresh crunchy celery is a magical combination. I don’t know who discovered it, but they deserve a Nobel Prize. I remember the first time I tried it, I squinted at the celery sticks and thought, “who would bother with them?”. But they work! It’s like the perfect way to reboot your taste buds in between each wing!!
I first posted these Truly Crispy Oven Baked Buffalo Wings back in June 2015 when I launched my Chicken Wings Cookbook (yes I’m that obsessed with wings!). In the time since then, I’ve learned how to shoot recipe videos which is why I’m reposting this recipe. And while I was at it, I did some fresh new photos too.
Plus, it’s just in time for Super Bowl Sunday this weekend! How could I NOT post the single most sought after football party food in America?? ? – Nagi xx
- 4 lb / 2 kg chicken wings, wingettes & drumettes (Note 1a)
- 2 tbsp baking powder (NOT baking soda / bi-carb soda)
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 4 tbsp / 60g unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce (Note 1b)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, softened (I use gorgonzola)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove small garlic, minced
- 1 - 3 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- Celery sticks
- Lots of beer
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Lay the wings on a rack on a rimmed baking tray and let them dry in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, pat them dry with paper towels.
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Preheat the oven to 250F / 120C (all oven types - standard/convection/fan). Put one oven shelf in the lower quarter of the oven and one in the top quarter.
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Place the wings in a large ziplock bag. Add the baking powder and salt. Shake the bag to coat the wings evenly.
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Line the tray with foil. Spray the rack on the baking tray with oil. Place the wings skin side up on the rack (ok if snug, they shrink). Bake on the lower shelf in the oven for 30 minutes.
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Then move the tray up to the higher shelf and turn the oven up to 425F / 220C. Bake for a further 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through. The wings do not need to be turned over. The wings are ready when they are dark golden brown and the skin is very crispy.
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Toss with Hot Sauce and serve immediately with Blue Cheese Dip and celery sticks. They can be served plain, with a dipping sauce or tossed in sauce.
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Whisk together the Sauce ingredients. Keep warm or reheat just prior to using.
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Mash the blue cheese with sour cream until smooth (or to your taste).
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Add remaining ingredients and mix well until combined, using milk to get it to the consistency you want.
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Store in the fridge until required. Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before serving.
1a. Here in Australia, chicken wings are usually sold whole rather than cut into drumettes and wingettes. While this recipe can be used for whole chicken wings, I prefer to cut them to make them easier to eat. See below for how to cut wings. My butcher charges almost double if I get him to do it, so I prefer to do it myself!
You will need 2.15kg / 4.3 lb of whole wings to make 2kg/4lb of wingettes and drumettes, after taking into account the wing tips which are discarded.
1b. If you are in Australia, you can find Frank's Hot Sauce at Coles and Woolworths in the section where tomato sauce, tabasco etc are. It costs around the same as other hot sauces. If you can't find Franks, then any other hot sauce will do just fine. Even sriracha works - just add 1 tsp of sugar.
2. You will notice once the wings come out of the oven that they are smaller than usual. This is because the fat under the skin melts off (renders out) while baking in the low oven.
3. The wings will not bake to a dark golden brown unless you leave them in for 1 hr+. They bake to a golden brown. You will know they are done because the skin will be lovely and crispy.
4. The recipe for the wings is from Cook's Illustrated "Meats Book" cookbook. The sauce recipe is my own.
5. To reheat: Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate - do not coat with sauce. The skin will wrinkle and soften. Preheat oven to 200C/390F. Spread wings out on tray, skin side up, and bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until the skin puffs up so the wrinkles smooth out and becomes crisp again.
6. These stay crispy for as long as the wings are warm, so around 20 – 30 minutes. 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.
7. Comprehensive FAQ is available in the original Truly Crispy Oven Baked Wings.
8. Oven Baked Buffalo Wings nutrition for just plain crispy wings (419 cal) and including the hot sauce (476 cal), both assuming 8 servings. Note that the wings have been adjusted to reflect the amount of fat that is rendered out (I measured the fat I poured off the tray 🙂 ).
Originally posted June 2015.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Truly Crispy Oven Baked Buffalo Wings recipe video! PS PUMP UP THE VOLUME so you can hear how crispy they are!!
HOW TO CUT CHICKEN WINGS
Here in Australia, chicken wings are usually sold whole rather than cut into drumettes and wingettes. While this recipe can be used for whole chicken wings, I prefer to cut them to make them easier to eat.
Here is how I cut chicken wings. The knife just glides through the joints – you won’t need to use any force or bang the knife with your hand to cut it through. Once you get the hang of it, it’s really fast. It takes me around 2 – 3 minutes to cut up 2 kg / 4 lb of wings (not showing off, just saying!).
- Pick up the drumette end of the wing and hold the wing to form a “V”. Holding the wing this way stretches the joint open, making it easier for the knife to glide through the joint;
- Cut vertically through the joint. Don’t use too much force, you knife will find the path of least resistance because the joint is stretched open;
- Now repeat for the wing tip – hold it in a “V” and cut straight down through the base of the “V”; and
- You’re done! Discard the wing tip – save them to make stock (or give to your pup!).
LIFE OF DOZER
With fur like that, of COURSE there’s a pine tree in the backyard. ?
MY CHICKEN WINGS COOKBOOK
Because yes, I’m that obsessed with wings, I made an entire cookbook of recipes solely dedicated to wings. Crispy, crunchy, sticky, glazed, breaded/crumbed – all my favourites are in here along with essential dipping sauces. Find out more here! ❤️
Seriously.. The best as easiest wings.. So delicious thanks for sharing.
I have an air fryer, known for making great wings and french fries. I used your technique, baking powder and low temperature followed by higher temp and they were BY FAR, the best wings we have ever had. I will NEVER order wings out again.
The bonus is they didn’t sit like a brick in your stomach. They weren’t as messy either because most of the fat was missing from the fryer and the greasy skin.
You hit a homer again with this recipe!
This method is outstanding. The skin was crispy, and the meat so moist and falling off the bone! This is my go to method for oven bakes wings! Thanks for posting it.
Terrific to hear Stacy!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback – N x
Hi there, can the wings be substituted for drumsticks? I love the idea of this, but have lots of drumsticks I need to get through!
These wings are so much better than what the restaurants here in Sweden offer. Thank you so much sharing this recipe, I have used it many times this past year!
Glad you enjoyed this one Anton!! N x
Nagi, I’m not sure what happened, but these came out tasting “fishy”. I used the measurements as recorded, and the wings smelled and tasted very, very bad, and I believe it was the baking powder. Just to be sure, I followed up by doing some the next day without baking powder, and they tasted great.
Any ideas on what went wrong? Would baking powder cause a fishy taste if there’s too much?
Haha, Nagi, you can disregard this. I went back and double-checked the boxes, and in my semi-drunken stupor, I managed to use baking SODA instead of baking POWDER, even though I had specifically gone and placed the baking powder with the rest of the prep items ahead of time.
Blame the wine. I’ll be trying this again with baking POWDER, the right way!
😂😂😂 We’ve all been there, I’ve used SALT in a cake instead of sugar 😩
I recently posted to your Sticky Chinese Chicken Wing recipe that they were the best we’d ever tasted and they were until we tried these ones! I cooked both up for the AFL (Australian Football League) grand final. You beauty West Coast Eagles!! 🦅😁 My partner, Lloyd and I both rate things I cook out of 10 to see if I will cook them again. Occasionally Lloyd will give an 11 or 12 out of 10 (including to some of your other recipes) but he declares that these broke his measurement stick coming in at a massive 20 out of 10 and that he now needs to recalibrate all other recipes!! 🤣 He says to tell you that these wings combined with the blue cheese dip taste so sublime they should almost be forbidden!! 🤣🤣 Needless to say this recipe is definitely a keeper for us. 😆I only made half quantities because I was needlessly cautious of the Frank’s Hot Sauce which we’d never tried and ended up mistakenly using double the baking powder and sugar quantities but they were still amazing despite the cook!. 😂 I just saw your comment above about using the sliding scale and will definitely use that ingenious little tool next time because I’m going to have to double it! Thanks so much for this and all your other delicious recipes, Nagi. It’s clear you do a lot of research and note taking to bring us the very best version of any recipe you provide and I admire you for that. If we are eating something delicious Lloyd will ask “Is this a Nagi recipe?” 😁 Hugs to Dozer from us because we are also dog lovers. 🐕🐾
Donna, how very Yank of you to make Buffalo Wings for an AFL Final!!!! BA HA HA!!! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Donna. And tell Lloyd I’m glad he is enjoying my recipes too! N x
Actually your reference to buffalo wings at the Super Bowl is what prompted me to think of them for the AFL finals! 😂
These were excellent. As an avid recipe searcher and review reader – to make sure the recipes are legit – I have never felt compelled to write a review. But I just made these and they were excellent. The wings were crispy and perfect. Thank you!
Hi ,
Can you advise on rack placement. Tounkndocate top and lower quarter bit this could mean different things. Is it the very bottom rack and very top rack OR the second rack up from the bottom and second rack down from the top?
Thanks so much 😀
HI Michelle! Just as long as the wings are in the lowest quarter or third of the oven for the lower temp cooking part, then in the top 3rrd or 1/4 of the oven for the high temp part it will be fine! 🙂
I LOVE these wings. Perfectly crispy and delicious!
Glad to hear you enjoyed this Sarah! Thanks for letting me know – N x
Perfect!
I doubted these would be as good as buffalo wings I’ve had but I was wrong. These were crispy and the hot sauce just perfect. Thanks for the recipe.
Glad you enjoyed it Scott! Thanks for letting me know – N x
I haven’t had chicken wings that I’ve liked more. The skin actually cracks when you hit it with the back of a spoon. The sauce is fantastic and also the blue cheese dipping sauce – I’m not usually into the blue cheese flavour (or smell) but you have to have it for these wings. I didn’t bother with the celery, who needs veggies when you have wings? A nice cold beer or white wine does the trick to cleanse the palate. I’ve made these probably 6 times but next time I will be buying cheap racks because I’m a lazy person and can’t be bothered cleaning the mesh (although soaking them straight away helps). These are so moreish and divine, don’t expect to have any leftovers. Oh, and have LOTS of paper napkins. Things will get messy.
Glad to hear you enjoyed this Emily!! Thanks for letting me know 🙂 N x ❤️ PS Messy fingers is what it’s ALL ABOUT!!
What a fantastic recipe. These wings were the best we have ever had this side of North America. The bonus is that we made them at home! Thank you for posting them 🙂
Glad you enjoyed this Danielle! Thank you for letting me know! N x
Can you PRETTY PLEASE do a boneless ‘wings’ recipe? This was AMAZING but I’m a sucker for boneless wings, especially when Coles/Woolworths wings aren’t always super meaty x
Boneless wings! To be 100% honest I have never deboned a wing in my life!
I dont have baking powder can i use flour instead?
Now Listen! My beloved Nagi!
I know you’re serious about your wings.
And I trust you.
I don’t know why I consistently doubt that baking powder and salt will make such a profound difference. But I do.
Yet every time it works & it’s AMAZING!!
Nagi, your wings are so bad a$$!
Garry said tonight that he can’t tell if it’s the flavour or the crispness that makes these SO MUCH BETTER than wing night at the pub!
Didn’t realize the recipe only called for 2 tablespoons baking powder. Needless to say, I saturated the wings in baking powder and they came out horrible. I’ll give this another shot using the correct measurements next time.
I hope you do!!! I promise it’s amazing 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi how much baking powder for 2-3lbs wings?
Hi Yvonne! Just click on Servings and slide to scale the recipe down to the weight of wings you are using 🙂 N x
Can these chicken wings be frozen and heated later?
Hmm! I am not sure about freezing but given that refrigerating overnight works I think it should work ok! N x