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 an 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.
This was awful! It looked beautiful in it into it and it was baking powder central. I thought using aluminum free would help but I will never try this again smh
Jamie, There is this strange thing with this recipe. Most people love it and don’t taste the baking powder at all. I know, for instance, that I’ve served these wings at parties and they disappear like crazy. Gobbled up. And also, there are lots of comments here from people who love these wings. And yet, there are a few people who have commented who really really taste the baking powder and find it terrible. I’m so sorry that you are one of them. I’m also sorry to discover that the aluminum-free didn’t help. I was counting on that.
I had a thought. I’m just trying to troubleshoot here. Is it possible that you only made half as many wings as were called for in the recipe? The recipe calls for 10 whole wings, which some people might think means 10 wing pieces. I still think it’s confusing to people though because at a restaurant if you order 10 wings you actually get 10 wing pieces, which would have come from 5 whole chicken wings. You get 5 whole chicken wings and cut them into flats and drumettes, and the result is 10 wing pieces. I’ve gone in and edited the recipe and the post above to be very specific about the amount of wings involved. Whether you made this mistake or not, I figured it was good to clarify this amount issue for everyone who lands at this post. Thanks again for your feedback.
Fantastic, my tonight dinner was so delicious, thanks to the chicken wings cooked in your way, I changed the recipe just a bit I add 1/4 of seasoning salt + tiny bit of garlic powder and a bit of black pepper, the flavor was super.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Juan, You’re welcome. And thanks for sharing your variation. It sounds great!
I tried this recipe and they came out GREAT! My go-to whenever I crave Buffalo wings! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Can you make boneless wings using this method?
Kevin, I’m betting it would work alright with boneless skin-on thighs or wings. Without the bone, the meat might dry out though given the long cooking time. It would definitely not work with boneless chicken breasts, which many people use to make boneless wings. The cooking time is way too long and the white meat will dry out. I have a boneless wing recipe on this site though. It’s for breaded boneless wings that uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs. It’s over here https://thecookful.com/how-to-make-boneless-chicken-wings/
These were the best wings I’ve ever made! I did brine mine too. So good.
Connie, brining sounds like an interesting twist. I’m going to have to try it!
I tried this recipe tonight and they came out perfectly crisp and delicious. I’m adding this to my bag of cooking tricks. The only minor change I did was to add some garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika (2 tsp of each) to the baking powder/salt combo before I mixed it into the chicken.
I also made my version of hot Buffalo sauce (1/4 cup melted butter + 1/4 cup of Sriracha sauce, some additional hot sauce (to taste) and tsp of honey.
Wife and kids loved it.
Will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing the recipe/technique.
Jack, The sauce sounds great! So happy you all liked them.
had parchment paper in the bottom of my cookie sheets along with the racks had one heck of amess with splashing in the oven is it due to the parchment paper or do we have to clean our oven each time we make these .they did turn out good.
Linda, I’m really not sure what happened. I don’t get any splashing, just a bit of dripping fat from the wings onto the pan below. Does anyone else know what might have gone wrong here?
I followed the recipe exactly. 15 minutes into turning the oven up to 425, they were literally smoking. I had to crank the heat down to 400. Perhaps my oven just gets too hot. However, the end result produced a fairly crispy chicken wing that everyone seemed to enjoy. I served them plain without tossing them in anything and offered dipping sauces (BBQ sauce, ranch dressing and sriracha). Don’t think I’ll make them again, though, as they would have set my smoke alarm off if I hadn’t turned the heat down and now I’m gun-shy.
Linda, it could be that your oven is too hot. You can get a thermometer that stands in your oven to test the temperature. However, if they got nice and crisp at 400F for you, you can just do them at that temperature.
Hi Christine, I also faced the same problem with smoking in the whole oven. And after baking it, my whole house is full of the chicken smell. Not sure if it got to do with the function selected. I used bake function (both top n bottom heating) instead of grill function (only top heating). And realized my wings are crispy but a little dry. And I only bake at 425 for 20min.
Joanne, I’m not sure what’s up. This never happens to me and I’ve made them at my place (tons of times) and at two friends’ places at this point. If I think of anything, I’ll let you know.
Om-Nom-nom! Can’t wait to try this!!!
I use cornstarch with flour…never tried the baking powder.
I’ve never tried this. Does the flour make a coating on the wings, like a breading almost? I wonder what the cornstarch does in there.
I worked at a chicken wing place as the kitchen manager when i was younger so cooking wings were never a problem for me….. Now I have a wife who hates the oil smell and how long the smells ruins the house lol but this trick works great, same results as frying them but so much less of a pain for a small batch of wings.
Now i do have a question, i’ve begun smoking my wings and they frying them. I’ve done it where the wings are smoked through to a done point and then fried and also just to a point where the wings were smoked, kinda like bacon, then fried to finish. Do you think if I used this method with wings that were only smoked for flavor and not cooked would i be able to just bake them at 425 with the baking powder and salt and still achieve the crispy skins?
Sheldon, Yes, I do think it would work. I’d do the baking powder prior to smoking. If you try it, do come back and let me know how they turned out. I’d love to know!
Can’t wait to try this….would the temp/time be the same for convection oven? Thanks in advance!
Made these for my boyfriend yesterday, he actually liked them🙌🏽. I’ve finally found a crispy wing recipe he actually like. He gave it a 3 out 4 stars. Officially going into my recipe binder.
Ashley, Fantastic! So happy you guys liked them and that the recipe is binder-worthy!
I am in the “tastes like baking powder” camp. The crispiness was fine and the chicken was nicely done – but it had that floury flavor. Couldn’t get past that and I’ll be going back to Buffalo Wild Wings again. We did 20 wings with gluten free powder and 10 with regular powder and they all had that aftertaste that was quite unpleasant. It was worth a try but I am giving up on doing my own wings.
Blair, Was either of your baking powders aluminum-free? That seems to be the issue, not whether it’s gluten-free.
These were SO crispy! I had been STRUGGLING to figure out how to make crispy wings without frying them. This recipe is a LIFESAVER!
Angie, so happy you liked them!
This is a great recipe! I followed this recipe using drumsticks instead of wings (I didn’t want to cut up the wings). Nice and crispy. I coated drumsticks with baking powder to cover (I had about 15 drumsticks, so ended up using about 3 TB of Baking Powder). Sprinkled with salt (did not measure). After about 35 minutes at 250, I used olive oil to baste and then sprinkled with salt, pepper and Garlic powder. I cooked them at 400 for total time of an hour, turning half way. Re-basted and re-sprinkled at the half way mark. My oven runs hot, so I think 425 would be perfect. I let the guest pick their sauce afterwards: I offered a variety of hot sauce and BBQ. Or they could eat as it was. Great success! Love that I found this.
Also, I used a broiler pan as I do not own oven racks. I did put butter on the top pan to ease the stickiness. Last time I tried this, the wings stuck to the pan pretty bad. I guess that would not happen if I had true oven racks! I would recommend aluminum foil on the bottom to help with the mess.
Bonny, Thanks for the info. Your drumsticks sound fantastic!