Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

These crispy baked chicken wings come out of the oven juicy and tender with crisp, golden skin. Cleanup is easy, and they are game day perfect, but easy enough for a weeknight.

Actually Crispy Oven Baked Wings on a baking sheet with celery and carrots and writing

Why Make It: It’s a big batch of crispy baked chicken wings with less mess than frying, and more room than an air fryer.
Flavor: A savory, lightly seasoned base that pairs well with any wing sauce.
Technique: Dry the wings well to cook with less moisture, coat, and chill uncovered in the fridge. Bake hot on a wire rack, with an optional broil for extra crispiness.
Time-Saving Tip: Buy pre-split wings, line the pan with foil, and use a pre-made wing sauce to save time.
Serving Suggestions: Serve dry with dips and dressings, or toss in your favorite sauce right before serving.

oil , chicken wings , baking powder , flour , seasoned salt and pepper with labels to make Actually Crispy Oven Baked Wings

Ingredients for Crispy Wings

Chicken Wings: Use evenly sized split wings that can be found in the meat section or at a butcher. Thaw fully and pat very dry for the best crisp!
Coating: A simple crispy coating and some salt and pepper are all you need for the basic recipe, but feel free to mix in other seasonings to the flour coating. If using a salty seasoning blend, like powdered ranch dressing or taco seasoning, cut back on the seasoned salt so the wings don’t taste overly salty.
Baking Powder: It’s the secret restaurant trick for crispy skin, but be sure to use baking powder, not baking soda, and distribute it evenly over the wings.

ingredients to make Actually Crispy Oven Baked Wings in a glass bowl

chicken on a rack to make Actually Crispy Oven Baked Wings

How to Bake Crispy Chicken Wings

Pat wings dry.
Whisk together the coating ingredients (full recipe below), and toss with wings.
Place on a foil-lined pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).
Once wings are chilled and fully coated, toss them in oil, then bake.

Once the wings are baked, serve them plain as salt and pepper wings, or toss with your favorite sauce. Add a dip like homemade ranch or blue cheese dressing for serving.

Actually Crispy Oven Baked Wings cooked on a baking sheet

The secret is in the light coating they’re given (and the rest and fridge time). Once in the oven, the baking powder crisps the skin, making it extra crunchy.
Place on a rack and space the wings out so air can circulate all around.
For an extra-crisp, put the baked wings under the broiler for about 2 minutes until the skins start to become golden brown.

Storage, Freezing, Reheating

Let leftover chicken wings cool all the way, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze and use the baked wings within 4 months, so they keep their best quality.

To bring back that crisp bite, reheat them on a rack in the oven at 375°F to 400°F or air fry in a single layer until hot. For the best results, warm the wings first, then toss them with sauce right before serving.

Game Day Wing Spread

Did you make these crispy chicken wings? Leave a comment and rating below!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 36 minutes

Chill Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 16 minutes

Pat wings dry with a paper towel.
Prepare a pan by lining with foil and placing a baking rack on it. Spray the rack with cooking spray.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Toss with wings and place on prepared pan. Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours) uncovered.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss wings with olive oil in a bowl (ensuring there are no dry spots of flour) and return back to the prepared pan.
Bake wings 20 minutes, flip and bake an additional 15 minutes. If your wings are smoking, remove the foil and add new foil. Cook until crisp and broil 1 minute each side if desired.
Toss with sauce or serve with dips.

Pat the wings dry, moisture makes them steam (not crisp).
Don’t skip the resting period, this allows them to dry out and to draw moisture from the skin.
Toss with olive oil for a little bit of crisp without the deep fry.
Place on a rack on your baking pan, this allows air to circulate all around the wings.
Line the pan with foil for easy clean up. If the pan begins to smoke from the drippings, add a new sheet of foil on top of the old foil.
For an extra-crisp, put the baked wings under the broiler for about 2 minutes until the skins start to become golden brown.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Appetizer, Chicken, Party Food, Snack

Cuisine American

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