Toss out that deep fryer, just like last year’s jeans. We’ve got the solution to crispy chicken wings without the hassle of deep frying. These ones are baked but use a secret technique to make them extra crisp.
Raise your hand if you like chicken wings. Good. Now keep them up if you enjoy spending time in front of a deep-fryer while oil splatters all over the kitchen. Did I see a few hands go down? Mine sure did.
It’s been branded into our heads that chicken wings need to be deep fried to be crispy. However, after some research (and yummy taste-tests), we are proud to share our findings on how to bake chicken wings that are sooo crispy.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
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Video: How To Make Crispy Oven Baked Wings
Why Use Baking Powder?
Were you surprised by the baking powder in that video? Unusual right? Stick with me as I go into the details.
Baking powder, not to be mistaken with baking soda, is a leavening agent usually used in baked goods such as cookies and cakes. It’s a mixture of sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar and cornstarch. When mixed with salt and coated on chicken it dries out the skin, leaving it crisp and crunchy. Why does this happen? Get ready, science-y stuff ahead! It happens because the addition of the baking powder raises the pH level in the chicken, allowing the peptide bonds in the skin to break down, thus letting the skin get more crisp and brown.
Note that while most of the comments below this post are very positive (people seriously love this method of baking crispy wings) a couple of commenters noted a bitter taste on their wings. I at first thought that they were using baking soda instead of baking powder. Doing so would definitely lead to a terrible taste. However, they claimed that they were really using baking powder for sure. I was stymied until another helpful commenter posted this link showing that some people are sensitive to a flavor that is found in some brands of baking powder.
Baking powder that contains “sodium aluminum sulfate” has a bitter taste to some people. If you notice this flavor, you’ll want to try a different brand of baking powder. The Rumford brand is aluminum-free, so do try that one. I haven’t yet done a taste test comparison using the two different types of baking powder but I will soon and then I will report back with my results here.
O.K., enough chatter. Let’s get cooking!
How To Bake Crispy Chicken Wings, Step By Step:
Step #1 Cut Wings and Add Baking Powder
Cut up 10 whole chicken wings. (When you cut ten wings, you end up with 30 wing pieces. That’s 10 drumettes, 10 flaps and 10 wing tips. You’ll either discard the wing tips or save them for another use. That leaves 20 wing pieces that you’re using here.
Note: You can leave the wings whole if you prefer and it won’t affect the cooking time. I think they area little more awkward to eat though.
Once they’re all cut up, put them into a big bowl. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of aluminum-free baking powder (and NOT baking soda!). It doesn’t seem like much but you’re not trying to make a coating for the wings here. You’re trying to change their ph level so that they will crisp up better.
Step #2 Mix to Coat Chicken Wings
Mix it up. Don’t be afraid to use your hands. It’s way easier and one less thing to wash. It’s gobs of fun too! (Hey look! My nails match the bowl! This was unplanned but I like it).
Step #3 Set Up Baking Sheet
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil to make clean up easier. Then set an oven-safe metal rack onto the baking sheet. Spray the rack with cooking spray to help prevent the chicken from sticking. Place the wings on the rack.
The rack is really helpful for crisping the wings because it allows air to circulate all around the chicken pieces so that they get evenly crisp. It also lets the fat drip away from the chicken, leading to crispy, crispy, crispy skin.
Step #4 Par-Bake Wings at Low Temperature
Place the chicken in a 250°F oven for 30 minutes. This gets some of the fat rendered from under the skin and starts that drying out process. Here’s how they look after 30 minutes. These are not cooked. Do not eat them. Yet.
Step #5 Bake Chicken Wings till Crispy
Leave them in the oven and crank the heat up to 425°F and cook 40-50 minutes more, until golden brown and so crispy. If your wings are smaller, skinnier ones, you will likely only need to cook them for 30 minutes at this step. If they’re crispy on the outside and their internal temperature is 165°F, they’re done.
Step #6 Add Sauce and Eat!
Toss them in a super-amazing sauce. We’ve got one for you…
This easy decadent homemade Buffalo sauce will blow your mind!
And then you’ll need a great dip. I’m partial to ranch. You can grab a bottle at the store, or make your own with fresh herbs like this, or make homemade ranch seasoning with ingredients from your pantry and stir together 1 cup of sour cream with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning. It’s so fresh-tasting and delicious!
Wasn’t that easy? And no pot full of hot oil to dispose of either. So awesome. Scroll down to find the printable version of the above instructions.
Oh, and if you love these, you should try brining your chicken wings first! I brine them in a water, salt, AND baking powder solution and then cook the wings in the same way as this recipe. So good.
More Chicken Wing Recipes
Podcast Episode: Baking Chicken Wings
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this recipe, with some great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
PrintCrispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
Toss out that deep fryer, just like last year’s jeans. We’ve got the solution to crispy chicken wings without the hassle of deep frying. These ones are baked but use a secret technique to make them extra crisp.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 20 wings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 10 whole chicken wings, cut into flats and drumettes (here’s how to do it). Discard tips or use for a stock. That leaves you with 20 wing pieces total
- 1 Tbsp. aluminum-free* baking powder (NOT baking soda)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Sauce or dry rub
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place a oven-safe rack on top of cookie sheet. Spray rack with cooking spray or lightly oil it.
- In a large bowl, use your hands to toss the flats and drumettes with the baking powder and salt until chicken is evenly coated. But do not add extra baking powder. Just mix them so they all have some.
- Place wings on the prepared rack in single layer. Transfer rack with the cookie sheet under it to oven and cook for 30 minutes. This baking at a low temperature dries the wings out and allows the baking powder to penetrate.
- After 30 minutes, leave the wings in the oven but raise the heat to 425°F. Continue to cook until brown and crispy, 40-50 minutes.**
- Take wings out and let rest 5 minutes. Toss in a delicious sauce like this one and serve.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
This post originally appeared in January 2016 and was revised and republished in January 2024.
Dr. Glory Eseonu Ogugua says
You just taught me something new and good. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
AJ says
Haven’t tried this recipe yet but, can I put them in my air fryer (large one with racks) instead of my oven?
Thanks
Christine Pittman says
AJ, I’m not really sure since all air fryers are different. Mine has fairly intense heat and if I followed this recipe as is, the wings would get burned for sure. You could try baking them at a lower temperature or for a shorter time. I think the best thing to do would be, after the initial low temperature cook, once you increase the heat, check on them frequently and adjust the temperature as needed. They’ll be fully cooked after about 30 minutes at the higher temperature, probably. So after that, you’re just wanting the skin to crisp up. Note that in my air fryer, the way it cooks things get nice and crisp wings without needed the baking powder and the lower temperature at the beginning, so you could just try this recipe instead.
Steve Brown says
I haven’t tried them yet, but by the looks of them, I know it will be five stars! My question is, do you flip them at some point, or just let them cook the entire time on one side?
Christine Pittman says
Because they are on a rack on the baking sheet, I find that flipping them isn’t necessary. Enjoy, Steve!
Carol says
If using a dry rub instead of a sauce, when do you put it on? With the baking powder or after?
Christine Pittman says
Some people like to add the dry rub at the beginning with the baking powder, but because they’re in the oven a long time I like to toss them with the dry rub at the end so there’s no risk of burnt seasonings. Enjoy, Carol!
Christine Pittman says
I’ve updated this Dry Rub for Wings so that it works with this baking method. It has the baking powder so you can add it at the beginning. Enjoy, Carol!
Michael says
My go to baked wings recipe
Christine Pittman says
Wonderful, Michael! 🙂
Melody LaPier says
My son says they’re as good as from his fave wing shop! That’s a huge order, and thanks to you a much appreciated compliment!
Question – if I want to make drumsticks or thighs using this , method, how much longer would I have to bake them?
Christine Pittman says
Melody, thank you so much! I’m so happy that you both liked them so much. As to the drumsticks and thighs, several people have asked that in the comments above and so I have added it to my recipe-testing for this summer. I’ll try to remember to email you once we post it. I suspect it will work exactly as written for the wings though. That amount of time should be plenty for drumsticks and thighs even though they’re bigger than wings.
Susan Ellinger says
I ♥️ chicken wings..this recipe so easy…warning…do not keep them in oven @425 any longer than 40 minutes..or maybe less….yes, the were crispy but way too dry.
Matt says
Came out perfect for us following the recipe exactly. Our air fryer is too small to make a large batch of wings so this is exactly what we needed. Leftovers re-crisped in the air fryer perfectly too!
Christine Pittman says
So happy to hear that, Matt! I usually don’t have leftovers, but glad to know the air fryer worked well for reheating. 🙂
Sandy McNabb says
Tried this the first time to great success — baking powder, who knew! — but had trouble getting my hot sauce to stick to the wings. Any pro tips to get a good saucy wing? Thanks!
Christine Pittman says
Sandy, so happy you liked the wings!
What I typically do is to put a small amount of sauce into a large bowl, about 1/2 cup for 20 wing pieces. Then, when the wings come out of the oven I use tongs to transfer them to the bowl of sauce and I use the tongs to stir and toss the wings around. The wings all end up with a light coating of sauce. I will say that I am not a big sauced-wing fan and prefer them dry with seasonings or very lightly sauced, so maybe that’s why I haven’t had a problem.
Michael says
I’ve been making them in a similar manner for years and this is the best way to do chicken wings that there is. I used to do them on the grill, but I decided that this is just as good if not better. At the end, you can toss them in any sauce you like. We’ve done a traditional buffalo sauce, a simple garlic butter sauce, a VERY hot Jamaican jerk sauce, an Asian-inspired ginger soy sauce…the sky’s the limit on how you sauce it at the end. I like making a blue cheese dipping sauce to serve on the side, along with carrot sticks.
But yeah, as you clearly point out in the recipe…use baking POWDER, not baking soda. Using baking soda is an unrecoverable error.
Christine Pittman says
Thank you for sharing, Michael! Those all sound like amazing sauce options.
Marilyn wilson says
Will cornstarch have a crunch to?
Christine Pittman says
Marilyn, I’ve never tried this recipe with cornstarch. The baking powder is there to change the pH of the chicken skin and make the skin itself crispier. Cornstarch doesn’t have that effect.
Brumby says
Do I drop my oven to rack down one row or leave it on the top
Thank u
Theresa
Christine Pittman says
Theresa, I typically cook these in the middle of the oven, with the rack in the center-most slot. However, when I do two big pans of them, then I do one at the top slot and one at the bottom, and I swap them halfway through the first round of cooking and then again halfway through the second. And note that the pan on the bottom does sometimes get very hot and smokes, so watch for that and switch them around before it happens.
Nancy says
Can I add spices to the baking powder and salt? Can’t wait to make these this weekend!
Christine Pittman says
You can, Nancy, and some readers love to do that. They are in the oven for a long time though, so keep that in mind. I actually like to toss them in a dry rub like this – https://thecookful.com/best-dry-rub-for-chicken-wings/ – after they come out of the oven so there’s no risk of the seasoning burning while the chicken cooks.
MaryP says
Purely awesome! Great way to have & her special wing sauce is wonderful. I do use unsalted butter though for …..well… a decadent wing meal. Kudos!
Christine Pittman says
Happy to hear, Mary! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Barbara says
Hi Christine,
My name is Barbara in Sputh Africa.. Im trying to follow your recipe but i do not know whether you used oil or not.
If you did ihave some questions to ask. When and howmuch oil do you use. Also which type of oil.
Christine Pittman says
No, Barbara, we didn’t use oil for these chicken wings. Enjoy!
Mel says
I use chicken drumsticks instead of wings – so much meatier – they are awesome. Sprinkle with lemon pepper before baking and turn over half way through cooking.
Christine Pittman says
Thanks for letting us know, Mel! Glad you enjoyed.
Lila says
Would just like to say that this is my go to oven wing technique. I have done it this multiple times and it just works out so great.
Christine Pittman says
That’s wonderful, Lila! Thanks for taking a moment to rate and comment.
Mari Hill says
Christine, this is a wonderful recipe and your instructions and warning are great. I feel badly that someone said “shame on you” because they used arm & hammer baking soda. Shame on them! lol
I made a small batch (10 pieces) today and was glad to read your instruction about not using more baking powder. I used 1/2 a tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and that worked well.
Keep up the great work girl!
Christine Pittman says
Thank you, Mari! Can’t make everyone happy, but glad that you enjoyed. 🙂
Lisa says
Don’t they sell already cut up chicken wings?
Christine Pittman says
They do in many places, Lisa. I have found that it’s more expensive, so I prefer to cut my own. Do what works best for you though!
Marie says
This is my go to wing recipe. They turn out super crispy and tasty every time! Best wings ever!
Christine Pittman says
Yay! Love to hear that, Marie!