Description
These extra crispy baked chicken wings are perfectly golden and crunchy without any deep frying. Using a simple baking powder technique, you’ll achieve restaurant-quality wings right in your oven. Season them your favorite way or toss with any sauce for game day perfection, family dinners, or easy weeknight meals.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Wings:
- 3 pounds chicken wings (separated into drumettes and flats, tips removed)
- 1½ tablespoons baking powder (aluminum-free)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- Cooking spray or 1 tablespoon neutral oil
Optional Sauce (choose one or make plain):
- ½ cup Buffalo sauce mixed with 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce
- ½ cup honey mixed with ¼ cup soy sauce and 1 tablespoon sriracha
- ½ cup Asian sweet chili sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the wings: If using frozen wings, thaw completely in the refrigerator overnight. Remove wings from packaging and place in a colander. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
- Dry thoroughly: This is the most important step! Pat wings completely dry with paper towels. Then lay them on a clean kitchen towel or more paper towels for 5-10 minutes to air dry further. The drier the skin, the crispier your wings will be. You can even leave them uncovered in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours if you have time—this dries the skin even more.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 425°F (220°C). Position the rack in the upper third of the oven for best browning.
- Prepare baking sheet: Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanup). Place a wire cooling rack on top and spray the rack with cooking spray. If you don’t have a rack, spray the foil directly.
- Season the wings: In a large bowl, combine baking powder, salt, pepper, and any optional seasonings (garlic powder, paprika, cayenne). Add the completely dried wings and toss to coat evenly. Make sure each wing is covered with the baking powder mixture—this is your crispiness insurance.
- Arrange on rack: Place wings on the prepared rack in a single layer with space between each wing. Don’t let them touch or overlap—they need air circulation to crisp up properly. Use a second baking sheet if needed to avoid overcrowding.
- First bake: Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes without opening the oven door.
- Flip and continue: After 30 minutes, use tongs to flip each wing over. If using a rack, this step is optional but still recommended for maximum crispiness. Return to oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes until wings are deeply golden brown and crispy.
- Check doneness: Wings should reach an internal temperature of 165°F and the skin should be visibly crispy and golden. If they need more time, continue baking in 5-minute increments.
- Rest briefly: Remove from oven and let wings rest on the rack for 5 minutes. This allows the skin to crisp up even more as they cool slightly.
- Sauce (optional): If using sauce, transfer crispy wings to a large clean bowl. Add your sauce of choice and toss gently but thoroughly to coat. If you want to keep some wings plain, separate them before saucing.
- Serve immediately: Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot with celery sticks, carrot sticks, ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing on the side.
Notes
- Baking powder vs baking soda: Use baking POWDER, not baking soda. They are not interchangeable. Baking soda will make wings taste metallic and won’t create the same crispy effect.
- Don’t skip drying: The single most important step is thoroughly drying the wings. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin.
- Overcrowding: Leave space between wings. Crowded wings steam instead of roast, resulting in soggy skin.
- Rack vs no rack: A wire rack elevates wings for air circulation and maximum crispiness. Without a rack, flip wings halfway through cooking.
- Temperature matters: Don’t lower the oven temperature thinking it will prevent burning. The high heat is necessary for crispy skin.
- Sauce timing: Always add sauce AFTER baking, not before. Sauce before baking creates soggy, sticky wings that never crisp up.
- Extra crispy trick: For even crispier wings, after baking, turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes per side, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6-8 wing pieces (about ¾ pound)
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 46g
- Cholesterol: 165mg