How do you make chicken wings crispy? I'm sharing my top 5 tips to give you the crunchiest, crispiest wings straight from your oven. This easy baked crispy chicken wings recipe uses just 4 ingredients you already have on hand!
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Chicken wings are a great choice for casual parties, game days, and cookouts where you want to enjoy good food while chatting with friends.
With chicken wing recipes, you can easily switch up the seasoning flavors to give your guests plenty of choices. This is a recipe for salt and pepper baked chicken wings.
They're so customizable! But before you think about slathering on the sauce for your wings, your mission is to crisp them up first and I'm here to help!
How to make chicken wings in oven crispy?
Before I did my research, I always wondered, "How do I make chicken wings crispy? I didn't want to deep-fry them. I already developed a small batch recipe for Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings. I wanted to bake them in the oven without a lot of effort.
Well, I tested and tested the recipe again, just for you, and here are my Top 5 Tips for making the crispiest chicken wings in the oven.
1. Start with Dry Chicken Wings
Pat them dry with paper towels. Wet wings won’t hold onto the seasoning as well, so your spices and rubs might slip off or clump unevenly. The drier your chicken wings are before baking, the crispier they will turn out.
2. Bake at a Higher Temperature
Chicken wings baked at 425°F always come out crispy and irresistible. This temperature also works for a whole chicken or other cuts like thighs and drumsticks.
3. Use Baking Powder
Baking powder (not baking soda) is the secret to making the crispiest oven baked chicken wings! It raises the pH level of the skin, aids in browning the wings, helps break down proteins faster, and draws out moisture- which all lead to a crispier texture.
4. Air-Dry or “Cure” in the Fridge
Similar to curing beef steak, leaving the chicken wings uncovered on a rack in a rimmed pan in the fridge allows cold air to circulate, making them even crispier.
If you're short on time, just pat them as dry as possible and bake them at high heat on a wire rack. You’ll still get delicious, crispy wings.
5. Dry Rub vs. Marinated Chicken Wings
While marinating adds flavor, a dry rub is the best choice for crispy wings. Remember the first tip? This may be an unpopular opinion, but my recipe testing showed this did not work as well.
Now, if you want to marinate them or brine them in salt water, THEN, pat them dry, that will work for baked dry rub chicken wings!
Save those sauces to toss them in until AFTER they are baked and crispy.
So, my top 5 tips and tricks for how to make chicken wings crispy in the oven are: start with dry wings, bake at a higher temperature, toss with baking powder, let "cure" uncovered in the fridge, and use dry rub seasoning instead of marinade.
If you're planning a game day or family movie night, bake up a big batch of the crispiest baked chicken wings with your favorite dry rub flavors. I give you lots of choices in the Substitutions and Variations section on this post.
While your guests will love these crispy wings, they’ll also appreciate some easy shortcut side dishes and snacks to go with them like my Fried Green Tomatoes and Crunchy Vidalia Onion Rings .
You can also bake a big batch of these easy baked crispy chicken wings, divide them up, and coat each portion with a different wing sauce. I love to coat them or dip them in my Comeback Sauce.
Oven baked chicken wings can give you all the crunch without the extra oil of deep frying.
Don't have a party to prepare for and just want to satisfy your cravings? Try these Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings for a small batch you can quickly enjoy on a laid-back evening.
Shortcuts
- Buy pre-cut wings – Skip the extra prep by getting wings that are already cut into drums and flats. If buying whole wings, ask the butcher to cut them for you.
- Use store-bought sauce – Just buy your favorite sauce and toss the wings in it after baking instead of making a homemade one.
- Prep ahead – Season and air-dry the wings in the fridge the night before. This make ahead step not only saves time but also helps make them even crispier when baked!
Ingredients
What you will need to make easy baked crispy chicken wings:
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Chicken wings - Getting fresh chicken wings? The skin should be light pink. If you buy them frozen, be sure to allow time to thaw safely, first.
- Table salt - Don’t worry, this won’t make your chicken too salty. In fact, it helps bring out the natural taste of the meat.
- Pepper - This can be optional or traded out with your favorite dry rub.
- Baking powder - The secret ingredient that can help you make the crispiest oven baked chicken wings, just like fried ones. I highly recommend using aluminum-free baking powder to avoid the metalic taste.
How to thaw frozen chicken wings
- Thaw frozen chicken wings in the refrigerator 24 hours in the bag. You might want to put the bag in a bowl to catch drips.
- If thawing the frozen wings in a bowl on the counter or in a bowl in the sink, be sure to cover the chicken (out of the bag) in a large bowl of cold water and trade out the cold water every 30 minutes. This method will only take about 2 to 3 hours, depending on the amount of wings.
Pro tip: Trading out the bowl of cold water every 30 minutes (outside the fridge) keeps the raw chicken from entering the danger zone temperature of 40F degrees to 135F degrees. (It used to be 140F)
Substitutions & Variations
This recipe starts with a basic salt and pepper chicken wings, so it’s all up to you if you want to make them even more flavorful.
The crispiest baked chicken wings pair well with many dry rub flavors. Try these options:
- Italian Baked Chicken Wings – Use 1 tablespoon of dry Italian salad dressing seasoning for an Italian tangy twist.
- Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Wings – Swap out the black pepper in the recipe for double the amount of lemon pepper seasoning.
- Garlic Parmesan Oven Baked Chicken Wings – Mix 2 teaspoons of garlic salt with 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese.
- BBQ Baked Chicken Wings – Use 1 tablespoon of BBQ Mesquite dry rub seasoning to give your easy baked crispy chicken wings a smoky, slightly sweet taste.
Always check your dry rub to see if it already contains salt and pepper before adding extra.
How to Make Easy Baked Crispy Chicken Wings
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions on how to prepare baked chicken wings time.
- First, prep the wings. If using whole wings, cut them into flats and drums by slicing them between the joints. Discard the tips or save them for broth.
- In a bowl, mix salt, pepper, and baking powder. Then, coat the wings evenly. This is called dry rubbed chicken wings.
- Place the wings on greased wire racks set inside large rimmed baking sheets.
- For even crispier wings, let them rest uncovered in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. That's right, uncovered.
- Bake at 425°F according to the times listed in the printable recipe below.
- All done! Serve them as-is or toss them in your favorite sauce before serving.
Pro Tips
Sauces and dry rubs are different, but you can absolutely use both! Apply the dry rub before baking, and once done, toss the wings in sauce for an extra boost of flavor.
I like to line my pans with aluminum foil before adding the rack. This saves a ton of clean up time and energy later on.
Helpful information
Restaurants usually deep-fry their wings, but you can get them just as crispy by baking them at high heat with a few simple tricks. Pat the wings dry, use baking powder, and let them air-dry in the fridge to get that crispy skin.
What to Serve with Baked Crispy Chicken Wings
Enjoying the crispiest baked chicken wings on their own is great, but imagine them as part of a whole spread. They pair perfectly with other finger foods.
Serve them with air fryer candied bacon, Mississippi Mud Brownies, mini chicken and waffles, and Bacon Tomato Dip to keep things interesting.
Storage
Let your oven baked chicken wings cool completely before storing them.
Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. It’s best to store them without sauce to keep the skin from getting soggy, if you are making them ahead of serving.
How to reheat baked chicken wings?
Once you're ready to enjoy them again, just reheat the wings in the 425F oven or 400F air fryer until they’re crispy and hot. If you want, you can even add a fresh layer of sauce like Buffalo, Teriyaki, or honey mustard.
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Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to rate it 5 stars if you love it!
You can also serve with Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole to keep everyone full and happy.
Easy Baked Crispy Chicken Wings
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings
- 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons table salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- If using whole chicken wings, cut them into flats, drums, and wing tips. Slice them between the joints with a sharp knife. Tip: Discard the wing tips or save them for making chicken broth.
- Pat the flats and drums very dry with paper towels. This step is key for crispy wings!
- In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, and baking powder. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture on both sides of the wings or place them in a zip-top bag and toss to coat evenly. Gently press in any remaining seasoning mixture.
- Arrange the seasoned wings in a single layer on greased wire racks placed inside large rimmed baking sheets lined with aluminum foil. Make sure the wings aren’t touching.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour up to 8 hours, uncovered, to air dry or "cure". The chicken skin will turn a bit darker but don't be alarmed! This is normal and will plump up when baked.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Bake the chicken wings for 25 minutes, then flip the wings with tongs. Continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown, depending on the size of the chicken wings. An instant-read meat thermometer should register at least 170°F in the thickest part of the meat.
- Serve immediately as-is, or toss in a bowl in your favorite sauce before serving.
Notes
- Italian Baked Chicken Wings – Use 1 tablespoon of dry Italian salad dressing seasoning for an Italian tangy twist.
- Lemon Pepper Baked Chicken Wings – Swap out the black pepper in the recipe for double the amount of lemon pepper seasoning.
- Garlic Parmesan Oven Baked Chicken Wings – Mix 2 teaspoons of garlic salt with 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese.
- BBQ Baked Chicken Wings – Use 1 tablespoon of BBQ Mesquite dry rub seasoning to give your easy baked crispy chicken wings a smoky, slightly sweet taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
Linda
My apologies, I went back and read again, it said OR. LOL No need to publish my comment. Thank you!
Kathleen
I'm so glad you asked so I could clarify! The 24 hour period is only if you just place the frozen chicken wings (in the bag) in the fridge. The changing of the cold water is for thawing them in cold water on the counter/sink in a bowl of cold water out of the bag. I'll make that difference more clear in the post. Thank you so much for asking the question so I can help make it more clear! Thank you for making my recipes, too!
Linda
Have not made these, just have a question, the recipe says rinse water every 30 minutes to thaw out in fridge. That would make it 48 times in a 24 hour period. Love your recipes, but this one threw me off on the thawing.