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Extra Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

· 109 Comments · Chicken Recipes

These baked chicken wings are extra crispy on the outside and very juicy inside. They are like deep-fried wings, only without a mess and added calories. Oh, and they only take 30 minutes to bake.

After many experiments I finally was able to make my baked chicken wings extra crispy on the outside and very tender and most on the inside. They taste just like deep-fried wings, only without the oily mess and added calories. Actually, they taste better than deep-fried. Try these extra crispy baked chicken wings, you’ll know what I am talking about.

Extra crispy skin and moist, tender interior is the holy grail of chicken wings. That’s the reason why deep-fried Buffalo chicken wings are so widely popular. No other chicken wing recipe is as cloned and copied as the original Buffalo wing recipe.

I am big fan of Buffalo chicken wings and visit Duff’s Famous Wings or Anchor Bar a couple of times a year when I visit Buffalo. In an effort to replicate the famous wings at home I deep-fried chicken wings and used the original sauce. They came out perfect, just like at the restaurant, but the pain of dealing with hot oil was a big turn off. My kitchen smelled like burnt oil, the stove and the surrounding area were covered with oil droplets. The cleaning was a pain in the neck. Then I had to find a container to store strained oil. I was too cheap to throw it out after one cooking session. A deep-fryer would help with some of these issues but I refuse to buy one as that would encourage unhealthy eating.

I knew the solution would be baked chicken wings. What I needed to find was a way to bake them such that they would come out just as crispy as deep-fried. I figured out how to bake amazingly flavorful and crispy enough chicken wings, I posted about it in my How to Bake Chicken Wings post, but they are not like deep-fried.

I experimented with different temperatures, convection, with and without oil, but couldn’t get what I wanted. The solution was prompted by Serious Eat’s The Food Lab: In Search of the Best Oven-Fried Buffalo Wings article. Similar approach is used in the Cook’s Country Oven-Fried Chicken Wings recipe.

What the recipes in the above links suggest is tossing wings in baking powder to help with browning and crisping up the skin. Then baking for 30 minutes at 250F, followed by 40 minutes at 400F. Using baking powder was genius. It really does help. While I generally liked the results I had a couple of issues. One issue was that the wings would come out a tad too dry inside. Another issue was the crispness – the wings weren’t quite as crispy as deep-fried. Finally, I could not stand the length of baking. Seriously, over an hour to bake a couple of dozen wings?

These baked chicken wings are extra crispy on the outside and very juicy inside. They are like deep-fried wings, only without a mess and added calories. Oh, and they only take 30 minutes to bake.

What worked to get extra crispy baked chicken wings

To make a long story short, after a few experiments, I did the following:

  1. Baking powder stayed. It helps a lot with getting a nicely browned, crispy skin.
  2. Dry chicken wings with a paper towel before tossing in baking powder.
  3. Stopped salting the wings before baking. Salt draws out moisture and prevents crisping and browning.
  4. Bumped the baking temperature to 425F convection. High temperature significantly helped reduce baking time. Convection did it’s magic with crisping up the skin and quickly removing moisture from the skin.

After tossing chicken wings in baking powder (1 tablespoon per 2 pounds of wings) and baking for only 30 minutes at 425F convection I got these beautifully crisp chicken wings:

These baked chicken wings are extra crispy on the outside and very juicy inside. They are like deep-fried wings, only without a mess and added calories. Oh, and they only take 30 minutes to bake.

Another time I baked them for 40 minutes. I liked the result better. These baked chicken wings had a thicker crust and more crispiness. Here is a picture of a wing baked at 425F convection for 40 minutes:

These baked chicken wings are extra crispy on the outside and very juicy inside. They are like deep-fried wings, only without a mess and added calories. Oh, and they only take 30 minutes to bake.

The interior of the wings was still tender and really moist and juicy.

These baked chicken wings are extra crispy on the outside and very juicy inside. They are like deep-fried wings, only without a mess and added calories. Oh, and they only take 30 minutes to bake.

Serving the wings

To serve, toss the wings in your favorite Buffalo wing sauce. In the picture below I am using the famous 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce and a couple of minced garlic cloves. I also add 2 teaspoons of salt as I do not salt before baking. While I like wings with this sauce, they do taste a bit too rich for my taste.

These baked chicken wings are extra crispy on the outside and very juicy inside. They are like deep-fried wings, only without a mess and added calories. Oh, and they only take 30 minutes to bake.

My favorite sauce is the Duff’s Hot Sauce with a little bit of melted butter. About 1 tablespoon of melted butter per 1/3 cup of Duff’s wing sauce, plus 1 teaspoon of salt. That’s enough for 2 dozen wings.

These baked chicken wings are extra crispy on the outside and very juicy inside. They are like deep-fried wings, only without a mess and added calories. Oh, and they only take 30 minutes to bake.

Or just a little bit (2-3 tablespoons) of plain Duff’s hot sauce and some salt, like this:

These baked chicken wings are extra crispy on the outside and very juicy inside. They are like deep-fried wings, only without a mess and added calories. Oh, and they only take 30 minutes to bake.

After tossing baked chicken wings in sauce or sauce and butter mix they will become less crispy. If you want optimal crispiness serve them with a wing sauce on the side.

You may also like my Killer Baked Chicken Wings, they taste like grilled Buffalo wings and take less than 45 minutes from start to finish.

Killer Baked Chicken Wings

Update on March 9, 2017

I stopped using a cooling rack as it’s a major pain in the back to clean it afterwards. I now bake directly on the baking sheet lined with foil and parchment paper. The difference is barely noticeable. The bottoms come out a little greasier, but also crispier due to contact with a hot baking sheet.

Update on August 14, 2017

Every now and again I see an email or a comment on social media that the recipe did not work and that the wings tasted like crap because of the baking soda. Dah! DO NOT USE BAKING SODA! It’s not the same and can’t be used as a substitute in this recipe. The recipe calls for BAKING POWDER!

This is a tested recipe and it works exceptionally well. I’ve made it at least 2 dozen times with great results. As was mentioned above, this recipe uses a modified version of the approach proposed by The Food Lab: In Search of the Best Oven-Fried Buffalo Wings article. A similar approach is used in the Cook’s Country Oven-Fried Chicken Wings recipe, which also uses baking powder.

Update on October 30, 2018

I’ve tried making these extra crispy chicken wings in an air fryer and they turned out absolutely amazing. If you have one, definitely give that recipe a try.

 

Also remember to check out my Buffalo-Style Baked Chicken Drumsticks recipe. It’s the bomb! Those baked drumsticks taste just taste just like my extra crispy chicken wings. Heck, they even look like oversize chicken drummettes.

Perfect for parties, game days and more!

 

Baked chicken drumsticks

Baked Chicken Wings - Extra Crispy, Like Deep-Fried

4.96 from 43 votes
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 2 dozen wings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken wings (tips removed, separated into wingettes and drumettes)
  • 1 Tbsp BAKING POWDER (whatever you do, do NOT use baking soda)
  • 1-2 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • Favorite Buffalo wing sauce for tossing or serving on the side
  • Or a mix of favorite hot wing sauce and BBQ sauce, my new favorite

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450F
  • Dry chicken with a paper towel really well. Place the wings in a large bowl. Sprinkle baking powder over the wings. Toss until all wings are evenly covered in baking powder.
  • Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack (see note) on top and spray with Pam or rub with cooking oil to prevent sticking.
  • Lay the chicken wings on the rack, leaving space between the wings.
  • Place the baking sheet in the oven. Turn the heat down to 425F and set the mode to convection.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the wings are nicely browned and crisp.
  • Season with salt. Serve hot, tossed in Buffalo sauce or with the sauce on the side.
    Tip: Let the wings sit for 5 minutes before tossing in sauce. This will preserve crispy skin.

Notes

While a cooling rack helps with getting the melted chicken drain off the wings, it's a major pain getting it cleaned afterwards. I stopped using a cooling rack and bake the wings on parchement paper. I don't notice much difference, if any.

Looking for more crispy chicken recipes? Check these out:

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Comments

    • Convection is a requirement in this recipe as you get better results – as in noticeably crispier skin and a shorter cooking time. You can even easily get away without baking them on a wire rack. However, if you don’t have a convection oven try the method below originally suggested by America’s Test Kitchen. You should get somewhat similar results.

      Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 250 degrees.

      Arrange wings in single layer on a wire rack placed over a backing sheet. Bake wings on lower-middle oven rack for 30 minutes. Move to upper-middle rack, increase oven temperature to 425 degrees, and roast until the wings are golden brown and crisp, 40-50 minutes longer, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Remove sheet from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer wings to a bowl with wing sauce of your choice, toss to coat, and serve.

      I swear by my method though 😉

      Reply

  2. This is a great recipe for crispy baked wings. The only thing I would suggest is that I would preheat the oven to 200 degrees and bake the wings for about 20 minutes. This will allow the fat under the skin to slowly break apart at the low temperature. At that point, I would crank up the heat to 425 for 30 min to get the extra crispy skin.

    Reply

  3. Did fine in my oven , pre heated to 450 put wings in reduced heat to425 baked for 60 minutrdy they were crispy tender just delicious! Did not trim wings left them whole they were very good and more to chew!!

    Reply

  4. Made these wings as per the instructions and they came out perfect. Wouldn’t change a thing. Never had Duffs wings sauce before but bought it for this recipe and liked it a lot.

    Reply

    • Glad to hear that. It’s the most used wing recipe at our house. I still grill or smoke wings every now and again, but, like you said, the simplicity of these wings and the results are hard to beat.

      Reply

  7. These wings came out perfect just as pictured. We did not use sea salt but regular salt, pepper & a little onion powder. Baked at 450 for 40 minutes, then 350 for an additional 40 minutes. Delicious and crispy!

    Reply

  8. These wings were perfect. I flipped them after 20 minutes but didn’t change anything else. THANK YOU for using parchment paper.

    After I made wings this way, tried it with legs. It was deee-licious!

    Thank you for sharing and for doing all the experimentation (so I didn’t have to.)

    Reply

  9. I must admit I was skeptical about this recipe but I am glad I tried it. These wings are 100% legit. Super easy to make and my buddies now think I am a master chef.

    Reply

    • I’ve never used an air fryer but it sounds like a good alternative to a convection oven. Perhaps try with a very small batch first and see how it goes.

      Reply

  11. These look delicious , I really prefer dry wings, have you ever tried to baste them with the wing sauce or add anything to the baking powder? I would still like them crispy but flavored . I have bought Sam’s rotisserie chicken wings and added wing sauce as they were cooking in the convection and turned out great.

    Reply

    • What a coincidence! I just posted another recipe – http://ifoodblogger.com/killer-baked-chicken-wings/ – and it’s exactly what you are talking about. Try it, it’s my favorite for now. The wings, of course, lose some crispiness because of the sauce but nothing like a fairly soggy-skinned plain baked wing. I think you will appreciate these. Check out the video, at the end you can see how they look coming out of the oven.

      Reply

  12. I just made these – I’ve been craving wings but whenever I eat the fried ones it messes with my stomach. I did exactly what this recipe said but I only baked mine for 35 mins in the 425 convection. I then tossed on a little sea salt- even those plain were amazing. I put a few for me into my fav buffalo sauce. I’m soooo keeping this recipe in my rotation!

    Reply

    • Thank you for the feedback Laura and glad to hear that you liked my recipe. Interestingly, my stomach also doesn’t like deep fried food and that is the primary reason I searched for a way to make healthier crispy, like-deep-fried wings.

      Reply

  13. I was a little skeptical about the baking powder on my wings but decided to try your recipe anyway on a small batch. The results were great. I also used Duff’s hot sauce. I made 6 dozen wings again yesterday (in 2 batches) for a party and got tons of compliments and requests for the recipe. I gave them your website so expect a bump in traffic soon, lol.

    Reply

    • Yes, that should not hurt the crispiness. I’ve added pepper before and the wings turned out great. The only thing I am not adding before baking is salt as it tends to draw out moisture.

      Reply

  16. Love this recipe! Thank you! I modify just a bit by taking the wings out at 30 minutes, shaking them in sauce, and sticking them back in the oven for another 10 or 15 minutes, then shaking them in more sauce once fully cooked. They come out perfect every time,

    Reply

  17. These wings were indeed very crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. I love this idea. I added powdered hot pepper sauce and powdered ranch dressing with a little garlic and ginger powder sprinkled on top. The flavor was phenomenal! No sauce needed. They browned up great and were oh so crispy. Thanks so much again for this recipe. This is my second time using it. Fried foods mess with me something fierce. Going to try more variations in the future. Looking into trying the chicken legs too.

    Reply

  18. Like some of the others, was not real sure about the baking powder. But I had just got my new countertop convection oven and was dying to try new things. Made it exactly as stated in recipe and they came out fantastic!! They pretty much got devoured within minutes. This is definitely a Keeper. Thanks!!

    Reply

    • I am glad you tried my recipe and it came out great, Mary. Thanks for posting your feedback, I am sure others will appreciate it as much as I do.

      Reply

  19. Aloha, your recipe hit it right on the spot… tried it twice and it turned out the same…still crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside… I created my own hot sauce and family says it’s better than Humpy’s… they can’t get over on how it holds it’s crispiness on the outside and juicy on the inside without deep frying… Thank you…

    Reply

    • Aloha, Jo! Thanks for stopping by and chiming in with your feedback, much appreciated. Glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do.

      Reply

  20. I made these wings today. I like the fried chicken taste without the high fat content of deep frying. I like spice, but not the messiness of the wing sauce so I just added cayenne pepper with the other seasonings and ate them as they came out of the oven. Delicious! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    • You are very welcome, Chandra. Glad you liked them and thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback. I like cayenne a lot by the way and use very often.

      Reply

  22. Great recipe. The parchment paper made for easy clean up and the wings were really crispy. I might be done with deep frying forever. Thanks!

    Reply

    • I would advise against baking them frozen as they will release some water which will prevent the skin from crisping up. Thaw them first (I put mine, vacuum sealed, in lukewarm water and they are ready to go in 20 minutes or so), then pat dry with paper towels really well.

      Reply

    • I don’t own an air fryer so I’ve never tested it with any of my recipes. I’d be the wrong person to ask therefore. That said, an air fryer is essentially a compact convection oven so it should technically work just as well. Keep a close eye on the wings the first time around and make adjustments as needed. Good luck!

      Reply

  25. Bye-Bye fried wings. Followed the 425 convection for 45 mins – so crispy. Amazing! Thank you for the tip as it’s just too cold to grill wings these days.

    Reply

  26. The wings were perfect! I dried them with paper towels, seasoned them and let them sit for a while. Right before cooking I dabbed them with paper towels right before cooking and then tossed them with some powder. Lined a baking sheet with parchment paper and cooked on 20 minutes EACH side at a temp of 425. Perfectly crispy brown wings. My husband is obsessed. Saving money on making them at home and better baked than fried!

    Reply

  27. I made these in my Air fryer abd they were Perfect! My air fryer only goes up to 400 so I pre-heated it for 5 min and cooked them for 40 min. I used a spatula to gently stir them every 10 min since I couldn’t lay them all side by side. My husband isn’t a big wing person, but he said these were some of the best he has had and wants to have them again.

    Reply

  28. I made these in my Air fryer and they were Perfect! My air fryer only goes up to 400 so I pre-heated it for 5 min and cooked them for 40 min. I used a spatula to gently stir them every 10 min since I couldn’t lay them all side by side. My husband isn’t a big wing person, but he said these were some of the best he has had and wants to have them again.

    Reply

  29. This is an excellent and would have made excellent replacement for wings on my keto diet, but I was an idiot and didn’t read the instructions all the way. I tossed the wings with like 2 CUPS of baking powder and that is not a good idea. Thank you for the recipe. I’m sure that next time they will be amazing caus will follow the recipe properly. Lol

    Reply

  30. Followed the recipe (use of baking powder) without other ingredients. I just really wanted to reach the crispy consistency. Superb!

    Reply

  32. I made two batches of your wings for the Super Bowl last night and everyone praised them. The best homemade wings, period!!!!!!!!

    Reply

  34. I just made this, with a couple of (very minor) adjustments, and it was awesome! We don’t have a convection oven, so I baked them on a rack at 425F for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through. I also added about a tablespoon of salt-free dry rub to the baking powder. Holy moly were these tasty! Thank you for sharing this method!

    Reply

    • You are very welcome! And thank you for sharing your feedback very much! I am sure those without convection would be very happy to hear that the method works in regular mode too.

      Reply

  36. My husband loves fried wings. Today he said he wouldnt be able to tell the difference. Loved the ease and no mess clean up. I used the regular oven recipe.

    Reply

  38. OMFG… thank you. This has to be heaven. I don’t write review of recipes, but just had to let you know these came out absolutely perfect. Actually, in my opinion, these came out better than fried. They are really crispy. I don’t have a convection oven but followed the settings in the comments and still was able to produce the crispy skin. It did take over an hour, but oh so worth it. Thanks again.

    Reply

  39. I didn’t have a convection oven but I used the directions in the comments. They turned out wonderful! The looked just like the pictures and tasted great!

    Reply

    • When I toss them with Buffalo sauce… mentioned this in the post but not explicitly in the recipe instructions, will fix that.

      Reply

  41. These truly are amazing. Cooked them last night for the grandkids. So lucky I cooked twice the amount, as they completely devoured them. Thanx heaps for this recipe.

    Reply

  42. I usually don’t leave comments but I had to because this turned out AWESOME!! I never have to fry wings again!!!! WOOOHOOO

    Reply

  43. Best recipe ever. I don’t use the convection of my oven but still followed temperature settings and wings come out beautifully.

    Reply

  45. I have made these wings so many times! My absolute go-to receipe. So easy and delicious. How does anyone even think of dusting wings with Baking Powder? Genius! Getting ready to make a double batch to take to a Neighborhood Watch meeting and probably won’t be bringing any home!

    Reply

  46. Just tried this recipe for the 1st time! They were so good. My daughter told me I need to make them more often!

    Reply

  47. Thank you!!!! This recipe really works. We’ve been trying to find a way to make good crispy wings at home and you have nailed it. I’m excited to look at your other recipes. 😋

    Reply

  48. Cooked the wings tonight- turned out great! I added Mrs Dash table blend since it’s salt free.

    One question- if I double the recipe will I need adjust the cooking time and/or time?

    Reply

    • Awesome! Thanks for your feedback. Doubling the recipe may lead to overcrowding, too much steam in the oven which may prevent browning. That said, I never tried. 4 lbs is the largest batch I’ve ever attempted. You will need to use two baking sheets.

      Reply

  49. These were delicious and so easy. We used the higher temp 35 minutes cooking time and they were very good. Hubby is a wing lover so for him to approve means they were really good! Will make again and again

    Reply

  50. Can’t believe how good these turned out. I’m about 50/50 for Pinterest recipes but this was the very best. They were gone in less than 20 minutes. Husband has already requested them for next weekend. Thank you for sharing and your tips were so helpful!

    Reply

  51. Made these today paired with a homemade Trinidad Moruga Scoprion sauce with peppers from my garden. Talk about spicy! I had to bake mine for about an hour though to get them to actually brown, not sure why.

    Reply

  53. These are hands down the absolute BEST wings I’ve ever made. I have a fryer, and these turned out even better than the fried ones I’ve made previously. I did add some paprika and black pepper in with the baking powder simply because I prefer a naked wing but still wanted some seasoning baked into the skin. I still salted them after cooking and the insides were still tender and moist with the best crispy skin. My girlfriend even asked that I make wings for dinner again tomorrow!

    Reply

  54. These are by far the best chicken wings I’ve ever had and I’ve been to Duff’s and Anchor Bar a dozen times. Seriously, these wings are better than restaurant Buffalo wings. They not as dry inside as deep-fried but still very crispy on the outside. I let them rest for 5 minutes before tossing with hot sauce and they didn’t get soggy. Love this wing recipe!

    Reply

  55. Found this recipe this morning and decided to try it. It was yummy. Love the crispness of the skin with the meat still being moist and tender. Had the with a coca cola bbq dipping sauce. Will definitely have them again. Way less messy than deep frying. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

    Reply

  57. Question I followed recipe to the letter…. minus the convection oven and there was an after taste even with the sauce… I made a lemon pepper/butter sauce. Yes I used baking powder. I tried it again with the 30 mins at 250 then 40 at 425 and still had the after taste. I know it’s not the sauce as I tasted the wings before saucing the second round and it was there. Cheap baking powder? Stale baking powder? Maybe I can just taste the baking powder? I don’t know but if you have any ideas I would appreciate it. Thanks!

    Reply

  58. Wow. I think this is the first time I have ever commented on a recipe…not my M.O., but these wings were absolutely amazing! I have never made wings before and my kids (4 kids, ages 6-11) had never had them, I made 4lbs and we were fighting over the last ones….I really think I could have doubled it if I had room in my oven! I did add some pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to the baking powder and salted them after they came out. I was concerned that they would not have enough flavor so I made 2 dipping sauces but we didn’t even use them cause the wings were so crispy and perfect on their own! These will definitely be in my regular rotation. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Glad to hear it. The fighting over these wings – you are describing what’s happening in our family when we make them;) They are so good and so addictive.

      Reply

  59. When you line the baking sheet, do you put in both aluminum foil and parchment paper? So it should be baking sheet, aluminum foil, parchment paper and then wings? Just wanted to clarify.

    Looking forward to trying this out. I’ve baked wings with dry rub before and never got it to crisp. Will try to use baking powder. 🙂

    Reply

    • The foil and the parchment paper are of course not necessary. I only use foil because I am too lazy to wash the baking sheet later on. And I use parchment paper because wings tend to stick to foil but not to waxy paper. One could just use parchment paper if it’s large enough to not let the liquids run onto the baking sheet.

      Reply

    • Hi Laura, you can something close, but not the same. How you would do that, please look at my response to the first/oldest comment. I described the method in detail there.

      Reply

  62. I just made these tonight for my husband and I. before I make them for a party and they where Awesome. I will serve these with the sauce’s on the side like I did tonight. this is a KEEPER . Thanks for the recipe. Amazing what Baking Powder does to them.

    Reply

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