Easy Baked Crispy Chicken Wings
These easy baked crispy chicken wings will be your new party favorite. This recipe includes five easy tricks to get that perfect crunch from baking them in the oven.
Servings: 6 servings (About 18 pieces)
Calories: 3pieces
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
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.
Pro tip: Use aluminum-free baking powder such as Rumford or Argo to avoid the metalic taste.
Chicken wings flavor variations:
- 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.
