Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
There’s a reason why crispy baked chicken wings are so popular. Simple to make at home, they work as an appetizer, party food, or main course. Chicken wings cooked in the oven can be seasoned with flavors from anywhere in the world, aren’t very expensive, and are the type of finger food everyone loves.
I’ve been working on this oven baked chicken wing recipe for years, changing it slightly wing by wing, trying different seasonings and cooking techniques. What I wanted to figure out was how to infuse the wings with as much flavor as possible while simplifying the cooking process to get rid of anything that didn’t make the wings more delicious.
Highlights
This crispy baked chicken wing recipe is the best way to cook wings that balance plump and juicy chicken on the inside with crispy skin on the outside.
Content
The best wings I’ve eaten have a balance between plump and juicy chicken on the inside and crispy chicken skin on the outside.
For this recipe, I wanted to find a cooking method that worked at home and avoided the issues a lot of existing baked chicken wing recipes have when they try to recreate the deep fried wings served at bars and restaurants.
The challenge with trying to recreate the crispy, deep fried chicken wings served at bars using high heat from the oven and long cooking times is that it turns the wings into chewy little mummy wings.
How to get Oven Baked Chicken Wings Crispy
One of the reasons chicken wings are so popular at bars and restaurants is that they deep fry their chicken wings to a crisp golden brown and let people choose a sauce that fits their mood. The sauces can draw on flavors from around the world and range from cloyingly sweet to excruciatingly hot to super delicious.
The challenge with preparing all of the chicken wings one way and then dressing them with a sauce is that the chicken itself doesn’t have a lot of flavor and becomes more of a sauce vehicle – Aka a chip for dips.
Since most of us don’t have or want a deep fryer at home, it’s not a very practical approach to making wings. Bathing the chicken wings in hot oil also limits your ability to infuse the chicken with flavor, making them somewhat one-note.
To crisp up the outside of the chicken wings, it’s important to circulate the hot air from the oven around the entire chicken wing. A simple way to do this is to roast the wings on a cooking rack placed on a rimmed baking sheet.
Elevating the chicken wings allows the hot air from the oven to circulate around the wings, helping them cook evenly while crisping up the skin. It also keeps any fat that renders out during the cooking process away from the chicken wings, which can make them soggy and greasy.
The secret to getting baked chicken wings crispy is to bake them on a cooking rack so the hot air can circulate around the wings. I use a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil.
Another advantage to using a cooking rack is that it eliminates the need to flip the wings while they’re cooking. A standard rimmed baking sheet with a cooking rack holds around 2 pounds of chicken wings. Here is a good option for a set that includes a rimmed baking sheet and cooking rack.
To help take some of the moisture out of the chicken skin, I add a little bit of corn starch to the dry rub. Adding corn starch to the seasoning increases the PH level in the chicken skin, helping draw out the moisture. The reason I prefer corn starch to baking powder is that baking powder, especially if it contains aluminum, can impact flavor, giving the wings a metallic aftertaste.
Tips for Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
- Choose fresh chicken wings that have been cut up into drumettes and wingettes.
- Drain any liquid and dry the wings before seasoning.
- Use a deeply flavored dry rub that includes a touch of corn starch.
- Place the chicken wings on a cooking rack that is set on a rimmed baking sheet so the hot air circulates around the wings.
- Lining the baking sheet with aluminum foil helps to crisp the underside of the wings and makes cleaning up a breeze.
- Bake the chicken wings skin side up in a 350℉ (177℃) oven until their internal temperature reaches 165℉ (74℃). This usually takes 35 to 40 minutes.
Cooking Time & Temperature for Crispy Wings
When I was researching baking chicken wings in the oven, I found a lot of recipes start the wings in a low 250℉ (121℃) oven for 30 minutes or so and then blast them in a 425℉ (218℃) or 450℉ (232℃) oven, sometimes for as long as an hour.
Unfortunately – This will produce very crispy baked wings.
So crispy that they won’t taste like much, since cooking them this way will render out the fat, the flavor, and the moisture. Emaciating the chicken wings to such a degree that many of these recipes have a note apologizing for how much smaller they look after cooking.
The approach I use is simpler – one temp, no turning, deep flavors, and a delicious dry rub for plump, juicy wings with crispy skin that taste like chicken.
In my testing, I tried all sorts of different time and temperature combinations. What I found is that a 350℉ (177℃) oven hit the sweet spot where the chicken wings were both plump and juicy on the inside and still nice and crisp on the outside. When I tried using 400℉ (204℃) or higher temperatures, the chicken wings ended up drying out.
In a 350℉ (177℃) oven, it takes around 35 to 40 minutes to cook chicken wings to an internal temperature of 165℉ (74℃), which is the temperature recommended by the FDA. The simplest way to measure internal temperature is with an instant read thermometer.
Choosing the Right Wings
This recipe is designed for wings that have been cut up into drumettes and wingettes. It also works for whole chicken wings, which usually require a slightly longer cooking time depending on size.
Always choose fresh chicken wings, with good color and a clean smell. Old wings can look splotchy and have an off-putting odor. Try to avoid wings that have a grayish tinge.
If you’re working with chicken wings that have a lot of liquid or have recently been defrosted, it can be helpful to pat them dry with a paper towel and to season them in a colander placed in the sink to get rid of any excess liquid.
Frozen chicken wings that have been completely defrosted work just fine. Defrosting the chicken wings makes it easier to get rid of any excess liquid and allows them to cook evenly. I don’t recommend trying to cook wings that are still frozen.
Try to avoid frozen wings with a lot of freezer burn. Freezer burn is an indicator that something is very old and that the flavors will likely be off.
Tastier Baked Wings
The key to delicious baked wings is a great dry rub – one that balances sweet and spicy and adds depth of flavor so each bite lingers on your palate.
The dry rub for these oven baked chicken wings uses brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, and cumin to create robust flavors with a hint of the southwest and a touch of smokiness.
To add another dimension, I coat the chicken wings with a little apple cider vinegar and hot sauce before adding the seasoning. Adding the apple cider vinegar and hot sauce before the dry rub makes it easier for the seasoning to stick to the chicken wings.
The dry rub for this recipe covers anywhere from 2 to 3 lbs of wings and also works for chicken thighs, legs, and quarters cooked on the grill or roasted in the oven. Using this dry rub creates baked wings that come out crispy and golden brown.
Use our Smoked Chicken Rub for wings with more pronounced smokey barbecue flavors.
Sauces and Dips for Baked Wings
Baked chicken wings can be served wet, which is coated in a sauce after they’ve finished cooking, or dry, which is without being coated in a sauce. Cooking the wings in sauce generally produces soggy wings that are extra sticky. Serving chicken wings with a dipping sauce or two on the side is a fun way to let people customize the wings to their taste.
There’s no right or wrong choice when it comes to dips and sauces; it’s just a question of what types of flavor you’re looking for and how messy you want to get with the wings.
The simplest way to coat chicken wings in sauce is to place the wings in a large metal bowl once they come out of the oven, add in some sauce, and toss the wings using the bowl itself or a large spoon.
One of the most popular options is to coat the wings in buffalo sauce. A simple way to make buffalo sauce is to use Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce, either by itself or with a little melted butter to thin it out.
When I’m deciding what dipping sauces to serve, I try to pair them with the other dishes I’m serving.
My personal favorite for these wings is to serve the wings dry with a nice creamy Blue Cheese Dip.
For more Southwest focused flavors, use this Ancho Chili & Honey Barbecue Sauce to coat the wings and serve them with a fresh Taco Salad and Mezcal Margaritas.
For summer barbecues, use our Old No. 44 Barbecue Sauce and serve the wings with a Smokehouse Potato Salad and Grilled Corn on the Cob.
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Chipolte Tabasco
Dry Rub
- 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Instructions
- Combine the brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin, corn starch, salt, and pepper with the chili and garlic powders.1/2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp cumin
- Place the chicken wings in a large bowl or colander, add the hot sauce and apple cider vinegar, mixing the chicken wings and the sauce.2 lbs chicken wings, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp Chipolte Tabasco
- Add in the dry rub and mix it thoroughly with the wings, making sure the wings are evenly coated.
- The wings should be cooked on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil that has a cooking rack set on the inside.
- Set the chicken wings skin side up on the rack, leaving a little space between each wing.
- Bake the wings at 350℉ (177℃) for 35 to 40 minutes. The wings are done when they’re cooked all the way through and have an internal temp of 165℉ (74℃).
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Recommended Equipment
Tips for Baked Chicken Wings
Leftover chicken wings that have been baked in the oven can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. Leftover wings can be served hot or cold.
The best way I’ve found to reheat chicken wings is to place them in a 350℉ (177℃) oven for 10 to 15 minutes. I cook them uncovered to keep the skin crisp.
Reheating chicken wings in the microwave will result in soggy wings that taste of disappointment.
More Tasty Chicken Wing Recipes
We’re such big fans of chicken wings that we wrote an entire piece about All the Best Chicken Wings we could find on the internet. It’s filled with tons of ideas and unique flavor combinations.
A few of our best chicken wings are:
Tequila Lime Grilled Chicken Wings – these grilled chicken wings get their scrumptious flavors from a dynamite tequila lime marinade.
Smoked Chicken Wings – These tasty smoked chicken wings use Tabasco and a homemade spice rub with deep smoky flavors and some heat to create bold, flavorful smoked wings.
Korean Chicken Wings – These Korean chicken wings are full of ginger, garlic, and the deep umami flavors that make Korean BBQ so delicious.
Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umami’s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.
More Info About Mark Hinds
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