No false promises here – these crispy oven baked wings are SERIOUSLY crispy! You will be gob smacked how easy they are to make. They honestly taste like they’ve been deep fried, with a thin shatteringly crisp golden skin. You can see how easy these are to make and hear how crispy they really are in this cooking video.
These are so good they can be eaten plain. Or toss them in your favourite sauce, or serve it on the side. I’ve provided a selection of sauces for these crispy baked wings in the recipe below!
Truly crispy oven baked wings
This recipe for how to make Crispy Oven Baked Wings is a discovery by the genius folk over at Cook’s Illustrated. Being the food nerd I am, I really enjoy how Cook’s Illustrated explains the science behind why they do things in a particular way.
And I honestly believe this to be one of their most all time most epic recipes, especially because it’s so insanely EASY!!! And today, I’m sharing the secret with you. Are you ready? 🙂
How to make crispy oven baked wings
Crispy oven baked wings in 3 easy steps:
Pat wings dry with paper towels;
Toss wings in baking powder and salt;
Bake at 120°C/250°F for 30 minutes, then at 220°C/425°F for 40 – 50 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Yes, that’s it. That’s all there is to it. 🙂
Why this recipe works
In those 3 simple steps are 2 very important things to make these truly crispy oven baked wings:
1. Coat in baking powder – yes, you read that right, baking powder! I won’t go into all the technicalities, but in a nutshell, the baking powder draws moisture to the surface of the skin so it can evaporate, thereby making the skin crispier; and
2. Bake for 30 minutes on low to melt the fat before blasting in a very hot oven to crisp up the skin. There’s a lot of scientific explanations around this and I’ll skip it because I’ll bore you! But basically, the wings are first baked on the lowest shelf in the oven at a very low temperature for 30 minutes which causes the fat under the skin to “melt”, then you move the wings up to the top shelf and crank up the heat which crisps up the skin.
The other tip is ensuring that the wings are dry. If you are organised enough, put the wings on the rack and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight. However, I neither have the fridge space nor am I organised enough, so I just dry them using paper towels (see photo below for how I do this).
When these come out of the oven and you tap the skin with your nail, you can instantly “hear” how crispy the skin is. They even look like they’ve been fried! And in case you are concerned, you don’t taste baking powder at all.
Got questions? See FAQ under the recipe card.
You will notice that the wings are smaller than you are used to. That’s because so much of the fat under the skin melts off the wings – you’ll see it all pooled on the tray. So these have the added benefit of reduced calories too!
You can toss the wings in your sauce of choice or serve the sauce on the side. I’ve also shared classic Buffalo Wings using this same method for crispy oven baked wings. For this recipe, I’ve included a few simple sauces that I like to serve wings with: Honey Garlic Sauce, Honey Mustard Sauce, Ranch Dipping Sauce.
Let’s get stuck into these wings! – Nagi x
PS I’ve now published the Buffalo Wings version! Here it is: Truly Crispy Oven Baked BUFFALO Wings.
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Truly Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Crispy Wings
- 4 lb / 2 kg chicken wings , cut into wingettes and drumettes (Note 1)
- 5 teaspoons baking powder (NOT BAKING SODA / BI-CARB SODA!!)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Oil spray
Instructions
Crispy Wings
- If you are organised enough, uncover the chicken wings and leave them in the fridge for a few hours to dry out. Otherwise, use a paper towel to pat the wings dry.
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.
- Preheat oven to 250F/120C (all oven types – standard/convection/fan).
- Line a baking tray with foil, then place a rack (like a cooling rack) on the foil. Spray the rack with oil spray.
- Place wings in a large bowl or in a ziplock bag. Add the baking powder and salt, then toss to coat evenly.
- Place the wings on the baking tray in a single layer with the skin side up. They should just fit snugly. They will shrink when they cook because the fat renders out so don’t worry if they look too snug.
- Place wings on the lower middle oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.
- Move wings up to the upper middle rack and increase the oven temperature to 425F/220C. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through.
- Remove baking tray from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Toss wings in sauce of choice or serve it on the side to dip / drizzle on the wings, then serve.
Recipe Notes:
* Honey Garlic Sauce: Mix together 4 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp white vinegar (or sub with any other vinegar except balsamic), 2-3 garlic cloves, minced. Use for dipping OR tossing.
* Honey Mustard Sauce: 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup honey
* Ranch Dipping Sauce: Mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sour cream, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp EACH dried dill, parsley, chives, onion and garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste.
* Spicy Creamy Dipping Sauce: 3/4 cup mayo, 1/2 tso garlic powder, 1/8 tsp paprika, 3-4 tbsp sriracha, salt & pepper
* Pink Sauce: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp sriracha (or other hot sauce) 7. Nutrition: The nutrition is per serving, assuming 8 servings. Note that the calories is HIGHER than it actually is because so much fat is rendered out (melted) and discarded which is not reflected in the nutrition below. I measured the discarded fat once and calculated that it should be 60 calories LESS per serving (around 1/4 cup fat in total was discarded).
Nutrition Information:
Originally published in November 2014, updated with fresh new photos and step by step photos!
Frequently asked questions
I don’t have a rack. Does this cause a problem? The skin will still be crispy but the bottom of the wings that is in contact with the tray will be oily. This is because the purpose of the rack is to elevate the wings off the tray and allow the chicken fat to drip down.
One way to get around an oily underside is to take the wings out after around 35 minutes during the high temp cooking. Drain the oil out of the tray then return to the oven to finish crisping/browning. You could also drain the excess oil from the wings on paper towels before serving.
Can I make ahead? These stay crispy for as long as the wings are warm, so around 20 – 30 minutes. After that, the skin starts to wrinkle and soften. However, I was shocked how well they reheat! Just allow the wings to cool (uncovered), then cover and refrigerate. Spread wings out on tray, skin side up, and bake for 5 to 8 minutes at 200C/390F. The skin smooths out and puffs up, just like when they were baked fresh. Other than to you (if you’ve made as many wings as me!) and true hard core Wings experts, the difference in juiciness and crispiness is barely noticeable – my friends never notice when I reheat!
The skin stays crispy for around 10 – 15 minutes after tossing in the sauce, then after that they start to soften but not go soggy, up to around 30 minutes. If you reheat after tossing in sauce, they go soggy.
Please do not toss in baking powder then refrigerate or freeze, this won’t work (makes the wings sweat too much to become crispy).
Can I add seasonings? You sure can! It does marginally reduce the actual skin crispiness but a crust forms from the extra seasonings/spices and adds more crunch. I did a lot of testing around this and I can assure you it works really well!
There was a lot of smoke! Help! A few readers have had this problem and I don’t think it’s from the chicken wings because I’ve made a ridiculous amount of these wings (in my kitchen and others) and never had the problem. The problem may be: a) spillage of chicken fat onto the oven burners when transferring from the lower to the upper shelf or b) there already was fat on the oven burners. I can’t think of anything else. While the smoke point of chicken fat is below that of the high oven temperature used in this recipe, the fat is not in direct contact with the heat because it’s shielded by all the wings and diluted by chicken juices dripping into the fat.
You really don’t need to flip? Really! Even if you don’t use a rack, the underside will get crispy.
Can I make this with other cuts of chicken? Yes BUT the crispiness will only work on the skin. So it works best on wings because they are almost fully enclosed by skin. With drumsticks, thighs and skin on breast, they are not fully encased with skin when raw and the skin shrinks while cooking. But the actual technique works super well! For 1 kg / 2 lb drumsticks or other cut of chicken, using 2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt – less than the recipe for wings because there is less skin surface area.
Life of Dozer
No wings for Dozer – cooked chicken bones are dangerous for dogs! How about a Honey Prawn instead??
followed the recipe, they were better than fried, and mine stayed crispy even after being soaked in wing sauce! I try to keep my calories to 1200 a day and that’s hard to do when you love wings as much as I do. I only eat wings for special occasions like the beginning of SEC football season, but these will be a regular part of my menu now. Thank you so so much for this recipe and for whoever put the time and effort into figuring out how to get the fat out of them and make them still taste delicious!!!
Thank you for the review Scyanne, it’s so terrific to hear you enjoyed this! N xx
Hi Nagi! Sorry, I must be SUPER hungry for these wings, because I don’t see the Nutrition Facts that you mention? Can you point me to them?? Thanks!
Added! But please note the qualification about how the nutrition is higher than it actually is because SO MUCH FAT is discarded! 🙂 N xx
I have a question about the nutrition facts provided – the amount of carbohydrate seems really high. Since I’m on a low-carb diet and love wings, so otherwise this seems perfect. Did you include a sauce in this calculation?
Hi Jennie! Yes, I did 🙂 N x
This is my favorite chicken wings recipe!! Nagi you really know your readers- the notes are SO helpful. You almost have a way of guessing what readers will have questions about. I love your recipes b/c they are delicious, easy to follow and there are always good tips in case I run out of ingredient or need to substitute.
BTW the sauces included are excellent! LOVE LOVE them.
Thanks for the great review Jasmine! I’m SO pleased to hear you enjoyed it! N xx
This is the BEST chicken wing recipe EVER!!! Make these at least once a month for the family and they love them. So happy I’ve found this! Thank you!
That’s terrific to hear Caroline! I’m so pleased to hear that. 🙂 N xx
Hi Nagi! Tried the recipe today but the wings and drumettes came out dry and too crispy that the wing tips can be eaten whole including the bone! Not sure what I did wrong but i did leave them a lil longer to brown… Will try again next time!
Oh dear! How big were the wings?? Wait a moment – you said you left them in longer? How much longer?? 🙂 N xx
Absolutely amazing recipe! My husband and I will never go to a restaurant to buy wings again! It’s cheaper and much healthier than deep frying. Now we can eat wings more often with less guilt! 🙂
I’m so pleased to hear that Nidia! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this recipe 🙂 N xx
Why does corn starch work like baking powder?
Don’t know the science but I just know it works BETTER! N x
Wow, just made these as written. Absolutely delicious. Thank you so very much for posting this wonderful wing recipe.
Thanks for trying my recipe Beverley! So pleased you enjoyed it – N xx
I tossed chicken in baking powder and kept wings in the fridge overnight. Then I read the FAQ! Still wings came out crispy and good! Next time I will add baking powder when It is ready to cook. I don’t like deep-frying so I always buy cooked fried chicken but finally I found the great recipe for baked fried chicken.
Thank you!
Wow so great to hear they still came out great! N x
Hello Nagi
Just getting to know your website- some wonderful ideas!
I just thought you and other readers might like to know you can make a very effective rack by crumpling up a large piece of foil to the size of the tin / tray you are using which can still be lined with foil initially like you show in your photos. At the end you can just chuck the lot away!!!!
This method is also very useful for roasting duck etc.
What a wonderful tip! Thanks Hilary! N x
I use this recipe all of the time! My whole family loves wing night, and they love the way I cook the wings. They always come out crispy and perfect! Thank you!!
I’m so pleased everyone loves your wings Tanisha! N xx
Tried these last night, worth the effort for sure. If the skin is somewhat tough, did I bake them too long?
That’s fantastic to hear Irene? Hmm, tough skin? It sounds like perhaps it was the skin of the chicken itself. I’ve baked for 20 minutes longer, 10 minutes less, higher and lower temps – I did a lot of experimenting when I was making the book – and it never came out with tough skin. 🙂 N x
Can you use frozen wings and drummies from frozen foods?
Yup! Please see the recipe notes 🙂
I just made mine and I did use baking powder and the wings came out crispy but they had that Powdered film on them that I can’t get past
Hi Sharon! It sounds like they weren’t coated evenly? Once baked there should definitely not be a visible coat of powder!
These were absolutely perfect. My husband likes them well done without sauce so they were. “10”. Better than fried…..so I,ll,convince myself they are healthy.
Woah – high praise!! So pleased to hear that Nancy, thanks for letting me know! N xx
I was skeptical about trying this until I read it was from Cook’s Illustrated so I decided to give it a try. Epic fail! The baking soda permeated the skin and made them all but inedible. I removed the skin to eat the chicken but the baking soda was on my fingers, even with washing my hands. I must have done something wrong as all the commenters gave the recipe rave reviews. I’m glad I used it on only 4 chicken wings rather than 2 lbs. of them. Any feedback is welcome.
Diane! It’s baking POWDER not baking soda! Baking soda makes them inedible! 🙁
Thanks for your reply. I bought more wings yesterday. But, I’m reluctant to try them with baking powder as I poked my finger in the baking powder canister and it tastes the same as baking soda! I don’t see what the difference could possibly be re: the outcome. I’m not trying to be a troll here. I may try it on just one wing. SMH, lol.
Baking powder and baking soda are VERY different things even though they are sometimes used interchangeably in some recipes. This is not one of them. Use baking powder!
Hi Nagi,
Thank you for the recipe. I have made it twice within one month. My family loved them.
Love your blog. I have bookmarked it as a favourite. I will come back from time to time.
Recipe ranking – 5
I’m so happy to hear that Melanie! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know – N xx
Hi Nagi,
Could panfry work with this recipe?
Sorry Michele, it needs to be baked!
Will there be enough moisture on the wings to toss them in a dry rub when they are done?
Yes! The light sheen of oil is enough!
Hi, have u tried with boneless thighs n airfry them before? Thinking of trying n perhaps tap on your experience of u have tried before.
I haven’t got an air fryer unfortunately! 🙂 N x
Silly question here
Oven fan on or off?
Ta
Not silly! Works with either – within a few minutes of each other at same temp. 🙂 I use fan on most of the time. N x
Thanks for crispy oven bake chicken wings. Can feel the wing not so fatty compared to deep fried.
Right on! 🙂