Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
These crispy baked chicken wings taste just like the fried version—minus the guilt and calories! Crispy skin gives way to tender meat that’s full of flavor. Pair these with some veggies and dipping sauce, and you’ve got a complete meal!
If you have extra wings to cook, you might also enjoy this Air Fryer Chicken Wing Recipe (super crispy)Â or these yummy easy garlic chicken wings.
The Best Oven Baked Chicken Wings
I have eaten a lot of wings in my day, so I can honestly tell you this recipe makes the BEST oven-baked chicken wings! Bookmark this one now, because you are going to use this recipe again and again. It’s that good!
To be honest, I never was a huge fan of baked wings. It always felt like it was soggy somehow–the meat was just lacking in texture and flavor. These crispy wings are anything but that! Your teeth will sink right into the meat with a crunch that gives way to tender, flavorful chicken. My mouth is watering just thinking about a plate of these oven-baked chicken wings!
How to Make a Baked Wings Recipe Taste Like Fried Wings
First of all, make sure to pat your chicken wings fully dry before you toss them with the coating.
Secondly, there is a top-secret ingredient in this baked wings recipe that makes the chicken skin crispy-crunchy, just like the deep-fried version, minus all the fat and guilt, of course. Ready to know what it is?
Baking powder.
A coating of baking powder, yes, baking powder (!!), helps to draw out all the moisture from the chicken skin. This leaves the skin so crispy that everyone will think this baked wings recipe is deep-fried!
How Long do You Bake Chicken Wings?
It’ll take about 45-55 minutes total to have these wings fully baked. The time can vary depending on the size of the wings and your oven.
I suggest investing in an instant-read thermometer. You’ll know the baked wings recipe is fully cooked once the internal temperature of the meat hits 165 degrees.
How to Serve this Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
The great thing about this baked chicken wings recipe is it creates a blank canvas that can be enjoyed in so many ways. I am a huge fan of sauces and seasonings, and I love experimenting with different flavors for this recipe. Here are just a few ways you can season these wings:
- Lemon-pepper wings – add a dusting of lemon pepper seasoning to your oil before coating the chicken wings.
- BBQ wings – dip your wings in a sweet, tangy BBQ sauce to up the flavor profile.
- Hot wings – if you are a fan of spicy food, you can coat these wings in hot sauce before baking. If you do this, I suggest serving with a side of ranch dressing – the cooling effect is fantastic when paired with the spicy hot sauce!
- Asian wings – grab a bottle of your favorite Asian sauce and drizzle the wings with it before baking. The sweet and sour sauce is one of my favorites!
Of course, you can also be a purist and enjoy this baked chicken wings recipe as-is too, because the dried ranch seasoning already gives them lots of yummy flavors!
I will usually serve these wings as an appetizer before meals, or as a snack. When you serve them this way, they don’t need much to go with them. Typically, I’ll keep it classic and serve the wings alongside carrots and celery.
However, if I make these as a main meal, I will pair this baked chicken wings recipe with salad and fluffy mashed potatoes.
How to Make Crispy Baked Oven Wings
For detailed recipe instructions see the recipe card bottom of the post.
Ingredients:
- chicken wings
- paprika
- ranch mix
- Any neutral oil or mayo
- salt
- baking powder
How to Make the Oven Baked Wings
- Preheat the oven and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a paper towel to pat the wings dry. Don’t skip this step!
- Toss the wings together with baking powder until evenly coated.
- Add the seasonings and oil and toss again until coated.
- Spread the wings on the parchment sheet and bake.
- Flip them upside down and bake again.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe with precise ingredient amounts.
More Appetizer Recipes:
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings (How Long to Bake Wings + Temperature Chart)
Crispy baked chicken wings with skin that crackles like the fried version, no fryer needed. One pantry ingredient does it, plus a timing chart for every oven temp.
Ingredients
- 5 lb chicken wings about 2.3 kg
- 1 Tbsp baking powder 15 ml; NOT baking soda
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt 15 ml
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil or mayonnaise 30 ml
- 2 tsp smoked paprika 10 ml
- 2 Tbsp dry ranch seasoning 30 ml; no salt added
Instructions
-
Heat the oven. Preheat to 425F with a rack in the middle. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
-
Dry the wings. Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel. Add them to a bowl or a zip-top bag and toss with the baking powder until they are evenly coated.
-
Add the seasonings. Add the dry ranch seasoning, smoked paprika, kosher salt and the oil or mayonnaise. Toss again until every wing is coated.
-
Spread them out. Arrange the wings on the pan in one layer with space between them. Do not overcrowd the pan or they will steam instead of crisping. Use a second pan if you need to.
-
Bake 30 minutes. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes, then flip each wing over with tongs.
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Finish and check. Bake another 15 to 25 minutes, until the wings are deep golden and the skin is crisp. They are done at 165F in the thickest part. If they are not crisp yet, the pan was crowded or the oven runs cold, so give them a few more minutes.
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Serve. Serve hot, plain or tossed in your favorite sauce.
Recipe Notes
1. Ranch seasoning: This is written for a no-salt-added blend. If your packet already has salt in it, cut the kosher salt back by about half.
2. Baking powder: Use baking powder, never baking soda. Baking soda tastes soapy and bitter here. An aluminum-free brand keeps any metallic taste off the skin.
3. Wire rack: A rack set inside the pan lets air reach the underside of every wing, so they crisp more evenly. If you do not have one, parchment is fine. Just flip the wings halfway.
4. From frozen: Thaw the wings and pat them dry for the crispest skin. Baking from frozen takes roughly half again as long and the skin stays softer.
5. Storage: Fridge up to 4 days, freezer up to 2 months. Reheat at 400F for 8 to 10 minutes in the oven or air fryer.
6. Metric: Spoon measures are the same in metric. The wings are about 2.3 kg.
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Marina | Let the Baking Begin
I’m making these today I’m using light mayo let you know how they turn out
This recipe is very good. Husband loved them. I will definitely be making these wings again. Used dry packaged of ranch dressing. It’s usually a little salty so I put no extra salt in the recipe. Big baggie worked well along with parchment paper. Such an easy cleanup. Thank you so much.
Amazing! Thank you much for taking the time to share your feedback. I appreciate it!
The wings are in the oven. My husband loves wings that are just baked. His favorite Restaraunt does not have them anymore. I saw this recipe and I’m making them. Will let you know how they come out. Thanks
These are the best ever! Have made them several times and they are so crispy. Love them! Thanks
Love it! Thank yo for sharing your feedback, Chris!
Followed the recipe but the 1T of Kosher salt was way too much. The chicken was just way too salty —- will try again but possibly cutting amount to 1/4 t or omitting it all together. Smelled wonderful while cooking and spice combination seemed to be one I’m sure I would have enjoyed.
Hi Dawn, so glad to hear you liked the spice combo in this recipe.
Sounds like you might’ve been using a seasoned ranch dressing instead of powdered, unseasoned dressing. If you use unseasoned dressing, 1 tablespoon per 5 pounds of meat should not result in oversalting.
Hi, I am making these wings tonight and was wondering what you consider neutral oil to be and do I use the same ziploc bag with the baking soda to put the seasonings in?
Thank you so much! I’ll let you know how they turn out.
Melissa
Neutral oil is any oil without very pronounced flavor/smell. Vegetable oil or light olive oil work well.
Yes, you use the same ziplock and you add the baking powder first, shake it, then add the seasoning and shake it again. Or combine it all together, it will work still.
You mean baking powder NOT baking soda.
You are correct, baking powder. I corrected my above comment. Thanks for catching that!
I dusted these wings with vinegar powder & salt~ they were amazing & crunchy!
How much oil? Please??? I noticed another person asked as well. I have no idea if I should add a tbs. or 1/4 cup?? This is important.
Hi Martha,
Line #4 of the ingredient list says “2 Tbsp of mayo or oil” – this is how much you need to add with the chicken.
Delicious. This dish is the my favorite food. I love the chicken dishes. I made this according to your recipe yesterday. It’s great. Thanks for the great article.
I’m so impressed, these were the crispiest wings I’ve ever tried! I actually added more then 1 tbsp of baking powder because I felt like 1 tbsp wasn’t enough to coat all the meat. I probably added about 3-4 tbsp. My family all loved them! Thank you so much for another great recipe!
That’s a great review! Glad you liked this recipe!
Cant wait to make this. Pictures are mouthwatering !!
Thank you so much, Luba!
I am gonna try it! Yemmyyyyyyy
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe
I hope you love it! Let me know how you like it when you do 🙂
How much oil or mayo and tell me about the mayo option please. I haven’t heard that one before. ThankyouThankyou
Hi Carol,
In the recipe card, 4th line of the ingredient list says “2 tbsp of mayonnaise or oil”.