For baked chicken wings that are perfectly crispy, you need our three-step method that’s loved by hundreds of thousands of cooks, cooks who come back here over and over again to make them. It’s the best chicken wing recipe ever!
Good news! You don’t have to deep fry wings in order to end up with deliciously crispy chicken. You can easily make trays of wings for game day in the oven with my crispy baked chicken wings recipe. A little bit of baking powder and a two-step baking method gives you delicious wings without a lot of effort.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
- Video: How To Make Crispy Oven Baked Wings
- Why Bake Chicken Wings?
- Why These Baked Wings Are SO Crispy
- Why Use Baking Powder?
- Can You Use Baking Soda Or Cornstarch?
- Time and Temperature for Baked Chicken Wings
- How To Bake Chicken Wings So They’re Extra Crispy
- Seasoning The Wings
- Sauce For Baked Wings
- Even Better Crispy Chicken Wings?
- More Chicken Wing Recipes
- Podcast Episode: Baking Chicken Wings
- Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
Video: How To Make Crispy Oven Baked Wings
Here’s a short video showing the three-step baking powder method for making crispy baked chicken wings. You’ll see the three steps in our process: (1) baking powder, (2) low temperature, (3) high temperature.
Why Bake Chicken Wings?
There are several factors that influence how you might choose to cook your wings. Here are the reasons that you might want to bake yours.
- You want a lot of wings. You can fit a lot more wings on a pan in the oven than you can in an air fryer or in a pot for deep frying. This means you can make a lot at once without working in batches!
- You want a hands-off process. Once they are in the oven, you don’t need to move them around or flip, making it super easy.
- You want crispy skin! With my baking method, you get wonderfully crispy chicken skin with very little fuss.
You can see in this How to Cook Chicken Wings post that we compared different ways of cooking chicken wings and baking is best for cooking for a crowd and the best option for crispy skin other than deep fried chicken wings.
Why These Baked Wings Are SO Crispy
These chicken wings are seriously so crispy, you’d think they were deep-fried. There are three reasons why they give you that crunch:
- They use a small amount of baking powder which helps crisp the skin, see more about why this happens below.
- They are baked at a low temperature first to really dry the skin out and to give the baking powder time to start working.
- High heat at the end to finish cooking the wings and to really brown and crisp the skin.
“My son says they’re as good as from his fave wing shop!”
Melody, TheCookful reader
Why Use Baking Powder?
Baking powder 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. But interestingly, when mixed with salt and dusted on chicken, after cooking, the chicken skin is extra crispy. Why does this happen?
It happens because baking powder is alkaline (the opposite of acidic). The addition of the baking powder therefore raises the pH level in the chicken, allowing the peptide bonds in the skin to break down, which in turn lets the skin get more crisp and brown.
You can also use this method with other cuts of chicken, like these amazingly crispy Baked Chicken Drumsticks. And, I’m going to tell you below how adding baking powder to a wet brine mixture can also get your crispy chicken skin.
Use Aluminum-Free Baking Powder
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 that’s one to try. And note that Rumford is not a sponsor of this post or anything like that. We just know for sure that they are an aluminum-free brand.
Can You Use Baking Soda Or Cornstarch?
Baking soda is NOT a good substitute for baking powder. While baking powder does contain baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), baking soda alone is stronger and has a very metallic taste if used without being neutralized with an acid. The cream or tartar found in baking soda is acidic and neutralizes that taste.
In the comments below this recipe, several people have asked if they can use cornstarch instead of baking powder. While people do use cornstarch on their wings to make them crispy, it works in a different way. Baking powder changes the pH of the skin so that the skin itself gets crispier. On the other hand, when you put cornstarch on wings, it’s the cornstarch coating itself that is toasting and crisping.
Therefore, my answer is that you can use cornstarch on wings, but not as a substitute for the baking powder in this recipe – it won’t work the same way and the amounts would not be equivalent.
Time and Temperature for Baked Chicken Wings
We start at the low temperature of 250°F for 30 minutes to dry out the wings.
Then, without removing the wings from the oven, increase the temperature to 425°F and bake for 40-50 minutes more. This cooks the chicken through and browns the wings to crispy perfection. If your wings are smaller than average, you will likely only need to cook them for 30 minutes at this step.
How To Bake Chicken Wings So They’re Extra Crispy
Prep and Season
If you have whole wings, you can learn how to cut chicken wings here. (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. You also can leave the wing tips attached to the flap, but there’s so little meat on there that they aren’t the best to eat.
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. Mix it up, I usually just toss it around or get in there with my hands.
I’ll also say that I am somewhat of a perfectionist and so to get a really even coatingthat is dispersed well on the wings, what I usually do is to put half of the wings into the bowl, sprinkle with half of the salt and baking powder, then add the other half of the wings and sprinkle with remaining salt and powder, and then I mix them with my hands. That just reduces the likelihood that the salt and baking powder will be overly concentrated on some wings.
Use A Wire Rack
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 or lightly oil it 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 so they’re not sitting in pools of fat, which will also reduce crispiness.
Start at a Low Temp
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.
Finish with High Heat
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 on an instant read thermometer is 165°F, they’re done.
Note that a lot of people’s ovens aren’t calibrated well and usually run a bit lower than is displayed. If your wings are not browned well after 40 minutes, increase the heat to 450°F or even 475°F to get a final bit of browning on them.
In general, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer that sits in your oven and tells you the actual internal temperature. They’re inexpensive and very useful if you’re trying to perfect your cooking. They sell them at a lot of grocery stores, and you can also get one on Amazon here.
Seasoning The Wings
You can season them before baking, but sometimes some spices burn from the high heat. I therefore prefer to toss them with just the salt and baking powder for baking and then add flavor with a spice blend and/or sauce after.
Having said that, this wing dry rub contains baking powder and great seasonings and works beautifully – these spices don’t burn.
After baking, my favorite is really just adding more salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Use regular fine salt, which is more likely to stick to the wings, not kosher or anything thick here. A bit of tajin seasoning thrown in is always good too! Or try these seasoning blends that are great on wings. And yes, pizza seasoning is one of them and is my kids’ favorite on crispy baked wings!
Sauce For Baked Wings
These wings are so crispy that I find it a shame to add moisture to them and lose any of the crispiness with a sauce, but if you must toss them with a sauce…
This easy decadent homemade Buffalo sauce will blow your mind or grab some BBQ sauce.
And then you’ll need a great dip, like ranch or blue cheese dressing. I prefer ranch dressing. You can grab a bottle at the store, 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!
Even Better Crispy Chicken Wings?
I have to tell you something. So it is absolutely true that the recipe below, the one I’ve been telling you about so far, is the one I’ve been using for over 15 years and is the one that everybody raves about it. I love it and my readers keep coming back and making it over and over. I still stand by it and it is still the same recipe down there that it has always been.
However, recently, I’ve started doing things a little differently at my house. I’ve started brining the wings in a mixture of water, salt, and you guessed it, baking powder. Why?
- The baking powder flavor is undetectable with the brine method.
- The chicken wing meat gets nicely seasoned right though from the salt brine, so much flavor.
- I swear, the skin is even crispier! It even kind of bubbles up in places as though it’s deep fried.
So, if you want to try something new, head over to my new crispy baked brined chicken wing recipe.
More Chicken Wing Recipes
If you haven’t guessed it already, I’m obsessed with chicken wings. Here are all of my chicken wing recipes for you to browse through. If you specifically want to bake wings but with a different flavor, try our Zesty Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings! They are baked with baking powder, salt, and lemon pepper seasoning, and then have fresh lemon zest and cracked pepper added at the end, which is so crazy-good! Or, if I haven’t convinced you that baking is the way to go, here are some other ways to cook your wings:
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.
Print
Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
For perfectly crispy baked chicken wings, you need our trusted three-step baking powder method loved by hundreds of thousands of cooks.
- 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 December 2024.
I’ve made these before, but for large gatherings – everyone loved them! I’m going to do this in the split-leg quarters this time.
Thank you for the rating and the review. I’m interested to hear what you think about it on the leg quarters. I’ve tried it on chicken thighs and drumsticks and was disappointed. It just didn’t have the same effect. I haven’t figured out why. Anyhow, when you try it, come back and let us know if it worked for you and what you did. Thanks for the 5 star rating and for the comment!
These turned out fabulously! I tossed them with BBQ sauce and my family loved it. They said the wings tasted like they came from a restaurant! Will definitely be making these again and again with different sauces. Such a simple recipe with amazing results!
Thank you so much, Lynn! I’ve heard from many people that they are as good or better than they’d had at restaurants and it always makes me smile. 🙂
Could you please suggest an alternative food substance that could replace the baking powder and salt? I need to avoid sodium for health reasons. Also is there a zero carb powdered food substance that would raise the ph of the chicken skin as effectively as baking powder.?
This looks so mouth watering I would love to make it with the alternatives!Thank you so much!
You can use a low-sodium baking powder and skip the salt, M. You’d want to make sure to add some seasonings after the wings are finished cooking so that you have good flavor, otherwise they’ll be bland. Note that baking powder is considered a low-carb food.
Ok to use a grill w indirect heat instead of oven ?
Mike, I’ve never tried the baking powder trick on the grill. I honestly have no idea if it would work. If you try it, come back and let us know. I’m going to add it to my list of things to test. Here is how I grill chicken wings https://thecookful.com/how-to-grill-chicken-wings/
Excellent crispy chicken wings turned out crispy and golden brown. We made homemade sauces for our wings. This is my go to recipe from now on.
Susan, I’m so happy you liked them. Thanks for letting us know! This is my favorite too!
These are the best! Making my own from now on. ❤️🐔
Thanks, Laurie! So glad you love them.
My family loved the baked wings. So yummy!
Your recipe was easy to follow (fool proof). Thank you so much.
Shirley C.
West Los Angeles, California
You’re welcome, Shirley! Glad you enjoyed.
Made these for a poker game last and everyone raved about how these were the best wings they ever had. I’ll give some credit to the sauce I made for them, but these wings were sooooooo crispy we almost couldn’t believe they weren’t fried. Thanks for ensuring we use the powder with no aluminum in it. I had tried another recipe before and didn’t know why my wings had tasted so metallic. Not these. Amazing!!! Thanks so much!!
You’re welcome, Ryan! I’m so happy you and your friends loved them.
Best wings ever!
I prefer this method to the air fryer because I can make large batches at once and no guessing on times and having to do extra flipping.I make wings 2-3x a month now because my family just loves them. My favorite is to add in white pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Delicious with or without a dipping sauce or drenching in hot sauce. I’ve sent this to several friends because it is so good.
That’s fantastic, Renee, thank you for sharing the recipe with friends! It’s great to switch up the seasonings and sauces.
This is the only way I make chicken wings. I’m glad I found this recipe!
I’m glad too, Kris! I love wings this way.
These turned out great! I was worried about cooking them so long, I thought they would be dry. But they were crispy outside and moist inside. So good.
I’m glad you trusted the process, Shirley! They really are delicious.
Wow. Awesome receipe. Thanks
You’re welcome, Pat! Isn’t it just the best?
I’ve used this recipe many times and it’s never let me down. Lots of compliments from my wife and friends!
That’s fantastic! Thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Made these before but for a large gathering- everyone loved them! I am going to do this with split leg quarters this time. How long would you guess at each temperature?
Dani, I tested the crispy chicken wing method with skin-on chicken thighs and legs, and it didn’t work as well as it does with wings. I found better, crispier results with thighs and legs by just simply rubbing a little oil or butter and seasoning over the chicken skin and cooking them in a hot oven, 400 or 425 F works well. We also have Air Fryer Chicken Legs you can check out.
I have another question. You mention, “after 30 minutes, leave the wings in the oven but raise the heat to 425°F.” Have you ever tried taking them out of the oven and putting them back in the oven once it reaches 425F? I am thinking about trying it that way to see the difference. Thank you in advance!
I have not, but let us know if there’s a noticeable difference. 🙂
Three words…Awesome. Awesome, Awesome!!!!
Thank you so much, Amy!! 😀
Why isn’t this recipe known universally? I have deep fried them, awesome, but was a little concerned about health and weight. I have baked them, meh. Not nearly as good as fried, and I am a bit of a wing snob. I tried this recipe because it seemed to make sense. Viola!!! Absolutely awesome. All the crisp of fried without frying. Doctors should be getting behind this. Rendered fat, no frying, absolutely perfect.
Thank you, Jim!
The best wings ever.
Thank you, Beverly!
Do I need to flip the wings halfway, though? I’ve read another article about flipping them. Is it necessary?
Because we’re cooking them on a rack, I’ve found that flipping them isn’t necessary. You absolutely could though. Enjoy!
I am under the assumption that the thing changing the ph level is the baking soda. But what if instead of using salt I used a seasoned salt or a dry rub? My family isn’t big fans of saucing. Could I use that instead or does it specifically have to be baking powder and table salt?
Sure, Dave! You can use a seasoned salt or add in a dry rub. Enjoy!
Hi, Dave! We’ve update our dry rub for chicken wings to work perfectly with this method. You may want to check it out. 🙂