No false promises here – these are seriously crispy Baked Buffalo Wings that are made entirely in the oven! Using a now-world-famous Cooks’ Illustrated technique, the skin is so shatteringly crispy it’s hard to believe they aren’t fried.
Don’t believe me? I don’t blame you! See and hear it for yourself in the recipe video……
Super Crispy BAKED Buffalo Wings!
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 you prefer to avoid the mess and calories of deep frying, this is The One.
These aren’t just “quite crispy but still not like they’ve been deep fried”. These wings are seriously crispy. Read hundreds of testimonials from people who have tried it!
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.
How to make Ultra Crispy Buffalo Wings in the Oven
The 2 unique steps in this recipe that make all the difference are:
1. baking powder (secret ingredient!) – 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. bake on low then high – usually, the fat under the skin is part of the reason why baked wings don’t get really crispy. In this recipe, we start at a low temp first which melts the fat under the skin, then we crank up the oven which makes the skin super crispy!
What you need for Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
And here’s a visual for what you need.
1. The crispy baked wings
2. The Buffalo Sauce
That perfect combination of spiciness from Franks hot sauce, buttery goodness and and hint of sweet.
3. Blue Cheese Dip
I know some people aren’t a fan of blue cheese dip – but I’m all in!! In fact, I love blue cheese dip so much, I like to keep mine a bit lumpy so I get little pops of blue cheese. But usually, restaurants serve it completely smooth. Go with what rocks your boat!
Celery?? YES!
Crispy wings + spicy, buttery Buffalo Sauce + earthy, creamy blue cheese dip + fresh, crunchy celery = 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!!
You’ll make a total mess of yourself eating them. It’s just not possible to eat wings elegantly. You’ll get Buffalo Sauce smeared all around your mouth. You’re doing well if your shirt stays clean.
But that’s all part of the Buffalo Wings experience, right?? The dramatic clatter as you toss the naked bones into a bowl. Smack you lips. Suck each finger clean.
Dive in for another.
YES PLEASE. – Nagi x
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
Watch how to make it
PUMP UP THE VOLUME so you can hear how crispy they are!!
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Truly Crispy Oven Baked Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
Crispy Baked Wings
- 4 lb / 2kg chicken wings, wingettes & drumettes (Note 1)
- 5 teaspoons baking powder (NOT baking soda / bi-carb soda) (Note 2)
- 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt / cooking salt (not table salt, too fine)
Sauce
- 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt / cooking salt
Blue Cheese Dip
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, softened (I use gorgonzola)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise , preferably whole-egg
- 1 clove small garlic , minced
- 1 – 3 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt / cooking salt
- Black pepper
To Serve
- Celery sticks
- Lots of beer!
Instructions
Crispy Baked Wings
- Dry overnight (optional) – If you plan ahead, lay the wings on a rack on a rimmed baking tray and let them dry uncovered in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, pat them dry with paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 250°F/120°C (all oven types). Put one oven shelf in the lower quarter of the oven and one in the top quarter.
- Line the tray with foil. Put a rack on the tray then spray the rack with oil.
- Toss wings – Place the wings in a large bowl. Sprinkle over baking powder and salt. Use hands to toss well (or shake in ziplock bag) to coat wings evenly.
- Bake 30 minutes on low temp – 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.
- Bake 40 minutes on high – Move the tray up to the higher shelf and turn the oven up to 425°F / 220°C (all oven types). Bake for a further 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through. The wings do not need to be turned over. They are ready when dark golden brown and the skin is very crispy.
- Toss in sauce – Transfer the wings into a large bowl. Pour over sauce and toss to coat. (Alternatively, serve wings plain with Buffalo Sauce for dipping).
- Serve immediately with Blue Cheese Dip (for both wings and celery sticks dunking)!
Buffalo Sauce
- Whisk together the Sauce ingredients until the sugar is melted. Keep warm or reheat just prior to using.
Blue Cheese Dip
- Mash the blue cheese with sour cream until smooth (or to your taste).
- Add remaining ingredients and mix well until combined, using milk to get it to the consistency you want. Store in the fridge until required. Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes:
* Salt – only a small amount is required, it’s a phenomenon I can’t explain but this small amount perfectly seasons 2kg/4lb of wings using this baking method.
* These shrink when baked because the fat under the skin renders out (melts) which is how these become super crisp. So they can be snug on the rack.
* They are JUICY not dry, despite the long cook time. This is because the first bake at the lower temp barely cooks them, it only melts the fat.
* These bake to a golden brown, not a deep golden brown. You will know they are done because the skin will be lovely and crispy. 5. Source: The recipe for the wings is from Cook’s Illustrated “Meats Book” cookbook. The sauce recipe is my own. 6. To reheat: Allow wings (not tossed in sauce) to cool, then cover and refrigerate. The skin will wrinkle and soften. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F. 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. Works 100% perfectly! 7. Make Ahead: 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. 8. Comprehensive FAQ is available in the original Truly Crispy Oven Baked Wings. 9. 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 🙂 ).
Nutrition Information:
Originally posted June 2015. Republished February 2020 with improved video and photos, then updated with tidy ups in 2023. NO CHANGE TO RECIPE. I wouldn’t dare – it’s perfect as is!
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Marielle Dragat says
Hands down, some of the best wings I have ever had! Crispy even without a rack. The buffalo sauce was incredible, didn’t even need ranch! I wish we had more than 10 wings, because my roommate and I ate them all in minutes and couldn’t stop talking and thinking about them. 10/10 thank you for this recipe!
Nagi says
That’s terrific to hear Marielle! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review – N x
commander-in-chef says
Hello, thanks for the recipe. Do you think I can add garlic powder? how much garlic powder if yes? thanks
Nagi says
Yes! I’d add about 3/4 tsp 🙂 N x
Tammy says
This recipe is magic! My husband, a self-proclaimed chicken wing snob, was incredibly skeptical and went in with very low expectations. He humored me during the process, but at the end of dinner with a pile of naked bones in front of him proclaimed these among the best wings he’d ever eaten — even at a restaurant! The cooking process seems counter-intuitive, but IT WORKS!!! My guess is that the biggest key to success here starting with very dry wings. Regardless, this is going into the regular rotation for football-watching and parties! THANK YOU!!!
Nagi says
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this Tammy! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know – N x
Ray says
Who taught you to cook? Why would you need to cook wings more than 30 mins?
Nagi says
Hi Ray – this is not your usual chicken wings recipe. Trust me. Read the hundreds and hundreds of reviews below. 🙂
Nikki Payne says
We have tried different wing recipes over 10 years to find equal to those in our favourite New York bar. This was the end of the search. Amazing! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Nagi says
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Nikki! Thank you for sharing your feedback. 🙂 N x
Jane says
Just had to write to let you know that not only does this taste amazing from the oven but they also turn out perfect on the grill! I wanted to do wings for dinner but in the middle of summer, on a beautiful day, who wants the oven on for that long? I tossed them on the BBQ with corn on the cob (still in husks) and baked some potatoes. Couldn’t ask for a simpler filling meal and a way to keep the house cool too!
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Jane! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback! N xx
Peter Harris says
I bought some wings at Canberra Markets and then looked for a recipe. This worked a treat and produced excellent crispy wings. We are up for more wings next week.
Nagi says
That’s terrific to hear Peter! I’m so pleased to hear that. 🙂 N xx
Jessica says
My fiancee wanted wings for his birthday dinner, and this is the guide I followed. He loves crispy skin, but deep frying wings makes his sick.
I was a bit skeptical, I’ll be honest, but I followed the recipe and was thrilled to see that the skins turned golden brown and crispy. They would have been crispier, but A) due to time constraints, I only left the wings at 250 for 20 minutes instead of 30, and B) I forgot to make sure all the wings were skin-side up. The ones that were turned out perfect, the ones that were skin-side down stayed soggy, sadly. Still, when done right, it’s amazing!
Nagi says
I’m so pleased to hear that Jessica! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this recipe 🙂 N xx
Radka says
Thank you! This wing recipe is easy and wonderful. Definitely a keeper!
Nagi says
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it Radka! Thank you for letting me know – N xx
sandi vaillancourt says
Found your web site a short time ago:
Since making your hot wings my husband does not want to buy any other wings. Just loves yours.
Now making his and Honey Garlic for me, in batches. Freeze great and reheat perfectly.
Celery sticks ,few carrot slices, sour cream dip on the side and hubby is a very happy camper on ” Wing Night”.
Nagi says
WHOOT! So pleased you and your husband enjoyed these Sandi, thanks for letting me know! N xx
victoria says
Do i toss the wings in baking powder before i put them in the fridge to dry over night Or i toss the wings in baking powder then sit them in the fridge to dry over night
Nagi says
Hi Victoria! Please follow the steps – dry in fridge then toss! 🙂 N x
Yoanna says
This recipe is a success, I used spiced salt and baking powder. The promise of crisp wings was fulfilled, thank you!
Nagi says
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this Yoanna! Thanks so much for letting me know – N x
Susan says
I followed recipe to a tee and, although crispy as promised, I definitely tasted the baking powder which was disappointing.
Nagi says
I’m sorry to hear that Susan. Did you pat the wings and toss well to coat evenly?? 🙂 N x
Dave Rivers says
For me they where much much better than I expected, crispy, just perfect. I added some garlic to a few of them however I didn’t like those as much as the Baking Powder and Kosher Salt.
Nagi says
So great to hear, thank you for letting me know !! N ❤️
Cleopatra Jones says
These made an absolutely wonderful Friday night dinner! I paired them with homemade mac n’ cheese, and fresh fruit. It was a hit with the family.
As always Nagi…a truly wonderful recipe!
Nagi says
That’s fantastic to hear Cleopatra! Thanks for letting me know – N xx
tim says
if I only want to do a half pound of wings, do I use the same amount of baking powder?
Nagi says
Hi Tim! Nope, please scale the recipe down 🙂
Sandy says
At first I loved the crispness however it was a bit too salty. Would it be ok if I decreased the salt?
Nagi says
Hi Sandy! Yes you can 🙂
Josh says
Great recipe! I was dubious as to how crispy these would be but they are spot on. First recipe of yours I have tried… wont be the last!
Thank you
Nagi says
That’s terrific to hear Josh! Thanks for letting me know – N xx
Jan Davis says
I really wanted to buy your e-cook book, but it looks like I can only buy it if I have an iPhone or an I pad, can I buy it if I have an android device?
Nagi says
Hi Jan! It can be read on any device on which PDF’s can be read – I am sure Android has something!
Sonja Truesdale says
Hi Nagi
I’m very interested in rustling up your batch of Buffalo Wings for our annual *Family Reunion* on the long weekend in June.
I’ve looked around at other recipes, your recipe looked the best. Especially how you have cooked the chicken wings to crisp delight.
However, I’m not fussed on blue cheese of any description 😝 Would you have an alternative dipping sauce you’d recommend?
My thanks in advance
Nagi says
Hi Sonja! There are a bunch of sauces in the notes of this recipe -> https://www.recipetineats.com/crispy-oven-baked-chicken-wings-honey-garlic-sauce/
Ronaldo says
Well, I must say, these are absolutely my new favs! My previous recipe coated wings with flour – which ended-up coming out pasty. These truly do have that deep-fried taste and can’t get any easier to make. Nagi, thank you!
Nagi says
That’s so fantastic Ronaldo! I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this, thanks for letting me know! N xx ❤️