Achieving Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings can be a challenging process. But I’m here to show you exactly how to do it step-by-step. This recipe has been made 1000+ times and never disappoints!
Through the years of wing tasting I’ve found that finding the perfect crispy chicken wing isn’t as easy as one would think. In my quest to find the perfect crispy baked chicken wing I decided to do my research first.
The first step is knowing the difference between a naked wing and a breaded wing. Naked wings do not have any type of breading or batter, using only the skin to make up the crunch. Something like Shake-n-Bake would be a breaded wing, while traditional wings do not.
The trick isn’t much of a trick at all, more common sense. Using the same technique as to make super crispy skin on a whole roasted chicken or turkey, you need to allow the skin to dry out prior to baking which can be done several ways.
Why You’ll Love These Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
Buffalo wings that are perfectly seasoned and crispy- what’s not to love!
- Perfectly crispy – There’s nothing worse than a soggy wing, so read below to find out my tips for perfectly crispy wings!
- Great for game day – Wings and football go hand in hand, so save this recipe for the next big game- especially the Super Bowl!
- Simple ingredients – You only need a handful of ingredients, seven to be exact, to make these crispy baked buffalo wings.
- Healthier- While I don’t claim these to be healthy- they are better than deep fried chicken wings!
Ingredients
Besides the wings, you might already have all of the ingredients on hand that you need to make these baked buffalo wings.
- Chicken wings – I like to use a combination of drumettes and wings, but choose which you like best. If you buy wingettes, you’ll have to trim them yourself. Make sure they are very dry. Follow my tips below on how to do that.
- Baking soda – The combination of salt and baking soda will help the wings to dry out overnight, making for the crispiest skin. Do not confuse this with baking powder.
- Kosher salt – The combination of salt and baking soda will help the wings to dry out overnight, making for the crispiest skin.
- Seasoning – This blend is fairly simple, but still delicious. I use a blend of garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder to season my wings.
- Homemade buffalo sauce – while you can certainly use a store bought hot sauce like Frank’s Red Hot sauce, I prefer to use my own homemade sauce.
Tips for Drying Out Chicken
The key to crispy wings is making sure to have dry chicken. Here are a few ways you can do that easily.
- Blotting – blotting with a paper towel.
- Cold drying – placing chicken in the refrigerator and allowing to dry.
- Salting – well salting the chicken and allowing to sit, then shaking off excess salt.
- Salt + Baking Soda – Together, they don’t need to be shaken off.
Personally, I like the combination of cold drying and salt and baking soda. To throw my own spin on the recipe, I also made a basic dry rub before baking. Onion and garlic powder with chili powder make the best simple and flavorful mix.
Buffalo sauce is another recipe often over thought. The experts at Anchor Bar, the birthplace of the buffalo wing, will tell you that the best sauce is best in its simplicity. Hop over to my buffalo wing sauce recipe to hear about how I went on a date with Uncle Jesse from Full House at the Anchor Bar. True Story!
The last trick for super crispy baked buffalo wings is to bake them on a broiler pan or wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. This allows heat to circulate all the way around the wing and fat or liquid to drip off. No pools to sog up the batch.
You can also try making super crispy wings in the air fryer!
How to Make Baked Buffalo Wings
Making your own wings at home really couldn’t be easier.
- Toss chicken with salt. Rinse chicken and pat dry. In a large bowl, toss chicken with baking soda Kosher salt. Arrange in a single layer and place, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight.
- Prepare oven and pan. When ready to bake, preheat oven. Prepare a broiler pan or place a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet to allow fat and liquid to drip off. You can line with foil to lessen the clean up.
- Toss in seasoning. In a small bowl, mix together garlic and onion powder and chili powder. Toss with dried chicken wings.
- Bake chicken wings. Arrange in a single layer on wire rack. Bake, remove, turn each wing and return to oven for an additional baking.
- Toss in sauce. Remove and either toss crispy baked buffalo wings in Homemade Buffalo Sauce or serve on the side for dipping.
Dipping Sauces for Wings
Some people don’t dip their wings at all, but if you want to dip them, here are a couple of crowd favorites.
What to Serve with Baked Buffalo Wings
In addition to the dipping sauces listed above, I like to serve my wings with either celery sticks, carrots sticks or both. These wings are great as an appetizer or snack for game day, but can also be serves as a main meal.
If serving for dinner, try pairing these wings with something leafy and green like a side salad or broccoli. A starch like potatoes or rice would also go nicely.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Store any leftover baked buffalo wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. For best results, reheat in the air fryer or oven to keep that crispy skin.
Freezing: You can also freeze these chicken wings. Leftover wings can be stored in a freezer bag and stay for up to three months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because I like my baked buffalo wings to be crispy crispy, I bake mine at 450. The high heat ensures the kin is super crisp.
Personally, I like the combination of cold drying and salt and baking soda. To throw my own spin on the recipe, I also made a basic dry rub before baking. Onion and garlic powder with chili powder make the best simple and flavorful mix.
To prevent the wings from getting soggy, I prefer to sauce my wings right after baking. In fact, you can just serve the wings as is withe the buffalo sauce on the side if you prefer.
More Chicken Recipes
Marry Me Chicken Recipe
Chicken Piccata Meatballs
Garlic Buffalo Potato Chicken Wings
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wing Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings , drumettes and wings
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup Homemade Buffalo Sauce
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. In a large mixing bowl, toss the chicken with the baking soda and Kosher salt. Arrange in a single layer and place, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450°F. Prepare a broiler pan or place a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet to allow the fat and liquid to drip off.
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic and onion powder and chili powder. Toss with the dried chicken wings.
- Arrange the wings in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove, turn each wing and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the wing, this could take less or more time. Use a digital instant thermometer to check for doneness!
- Remove and either toss crispy baked buffalo wings in Homemade Buffalo Sauce or serve on the side for dipping.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
This sounds like a great way to achieve crispy wings in the oven! i grew up outside of buffalo, ny so my dad and i are total buffalo wing snobs, haha. he has it down to a science with his deep fryer, but i’ll have to give this a shot—it would be nice to avoid the frying sometimes!
A great way to liGhten up a Game day classiC. These look delicous.
I hate frying, so this sounds perfect! I really appreciate the tips for getting it Crispy.
I am so with you – why reinvent the wheel when you’ve found a good thing?? and these absolutely look like a good thing – so crispy and delicious! perfect for game day snacking as we head into football season!
Wings are a big think with my family. These look delicious! Your sauce is spot on!
Wings are a big thing with the family! Your homemade Buffalo sauce is spot on.
Frank’s really is the best Hotsauce.