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.
I tried these today for the first time and they turned out really great. The only thing I added was cayenne pepper before cooking To give it a little more spice. The one tip I would say is that I used a meat thermometer to check the chicken wings about 20 minutes before they should have been done and they were already done. Maybe my local grocer (Kroger) Had smaller Wings in their chicken party pack? I don’t know but they would have definitely been overcooked had I not checked them. Just a suggestion.
Hi, I have two batches of wings marinating (one in lemon juice salt and pepper and the other in soy sauce and honey). I was wondering if I could still use the baking powder method on marinated wings. If I dry them completely and then coat them in baking powder, wouldn’t they come out too salty since one batch already has a generous amount of salt and the other has pure sou sauce? Thanks so much!
Shell, I’ve never tried this. If it works out, do come let us know though.
Thanks! They came out nice and crispy., but not dry inside. (Was afraid it would be too long in the oven, but it wasn’t.) We used Hain brand organic GF baking powder. No adverse taste, but may use a tad less next time, thinking of it as a light “dusting” (and maybe try the shake and bake suggestion above or just a dredge). Not only were they crispier, but the sauce sticks to the wings much better, too,,,, thanks again.
My fiancé had been asking me if there’s a way to make crispy chicken that’s healthy. I found this recipe and made it last night. We both loved it. Very crispy! My only issue was the bottom of the chicken stuck to the rack a little. I had thought about spraying it with cooking spray but I wasn’t sure if that would interfere with the baking powder. Any ideas?
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Wow! I’m impressed. By far, the crispiest wings I’ve ever put in the oven. I will admit though, after an hour of total cooking time for our ‘party wings’, I drizzled some olive oil on them and turned the oven to broil (flipping often) to finish them up.
LOVE this recipe!! I am a bonafide wing snob and these are truly the best wings I have ever had, bar-none!! I have a pan of them crisping away in the oven right now as I type!! This is my 4th go at them and they turn out perfect every-single-time…true story!! I also use the sauce recipe, but I do “jazz” it up a tad by using Frank’s buffalo wing sauce instead of hot sauce and for a little extra heat and drama, I add 2 HEAPING TBS. of Chili Garlic Sauce and go a little heavy-handed on the garlic and sometimes, I finish it off with a bit of melted butter in addition to the olive oil, just to soften and round out the flavors. Kudos to you!!! Fabulous recipe that me and my family will enjoy for years to come!!!
Patti, You’ve made my day! Thank you so much for letting me know about how much you like it and about the tweaks you’ve made. Your sauce sounds amazing!
Have to try this. Usually I steam my wings foe about 10-15 min to render some of the fat then bake them on parchment paper flipping half way. (You have to chill them 30 min afterwards) TheY come out quite crispy. Neext time I’ll try baking powder in addition to steaming. i will also try without steaming.
Sounds good. Let us know how they turn out.
Hey there! Thanks for the recipe! First time making hot wings and this was easy and delicious! Definitely will make this recipe again.
Fantastic! Thanks, Adley!
I forgot to mention that I combine the salt and baking powder and stir it together with a fork so it is
evenly distributed.
Great idea!
Hi, Love these wings! Will never buy them in a restaurant again. I have used only Rumfords baking powder for many years, as the aluminum is not a good thing to eat. Now I make my own aluminum and corn-free baking powder, as we are also corn-free. Works great and you never run out, and you save money..
Mix 1 t. Baking soda, and 2 t. cream of tartar. Make enough for about a month so it doesn’t lose action.
Charlene, What a fantastic tip! I’m going to give it a try and then add it to the blog post up above. Thank you!!!
I made these for super bowl and just spent trying to find this recipe. They were the best. I did want to ask if you can use the Kirkland frozen wings? Would u just rinse and thaw prior
Susan, If they are plain, unseasoned, unbreaded wings then yes. Just thaw according to package instructions and then follow the recipe here. Glad you liked them!
I didn’t necessarily find this recipe here; I was actually wondering if it is better to back with skin side up or down… But after making wings this way several times now, I don’t ever want to go out for wings when I can make them this well at home. I MAKE space in my fridge for these to dry out more for a few hours or overnight for the skin to render even more. Prepping some now to bring to a friend’s surprise b’day party. I can’t recommend this method enough. If you don’t have baking powder, there is a way to make it with baking soda, cornstarch and/or cream of tartar. Yum!!!
Amy, I love them more than restaurant wings too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I made these tonight. I do not have a wire rack, just a sheet pan, foil, and cooking spray. Did not seem to make a difference. I made sure to bake with the fatty skin sides up and immediately transferred to a paper towel lined plate after taking them out of the oven. Still came out crispy on both sides. Maybe a little fattier than with a wire rack, as the bottom side seems to get “fried” in its own fat, but they sure are tasty. Let them cool for a few minutes and they stayed crispy even after tossing in a lot of sauce. This is the secret I’ve been seeking for decades; thank you!
Dan, you’re welcome and thanks for the info about how they turned out without the wire rack. A lot of people have asked me that so now I can show them your comment.
I have half a bag of wings in the freezer. Made the first batch the regular baked way and hubby didn’t want me to make them again because of the soggy, slimy skin. Now I will try this recipe but am wondering if the aluminum-free baking powder is the only way to go. Christine, did you ever do your test using the aluminum free vs. the baking powder with sodium aluminum sulfate? I only have the kind with aluminum, so wondering if I need to buy the other kind before I try this recipe. Thanks, and I can’t wait to try this!
Val, I have tested it and I don’t find a difference. But then, I am not one of the people who can taste that strong taste in the baking powder. I need to find someone who does have that issue and then test the two types of baking powders on them. I haven’t done that yet!
Best wings ever!! We eat these once a week in my house now! Just wanted to say thanks!!!
Awww…thanks! So glad you guys like them. Thanks for letting us know!
I’ve been trying for a long time to make crispy chicken wings. This recipe is fantastic. This is the only way I will make wings . Thank u soooo much!!!!
Sharon, Thanks so much and thank you for letting us know!