Dry-Rubbed Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
You’ll never believe these baked chicken wings were made in the oven! Super easy, crispy skin, meat that falls off the bone, and covered in a sensational dry rub. Perfect for your next party.
Is your house a wing house? My husband LOVES wings, but we used to get them way more often when he was still apartment living and we weren’t sitting down to dinner every night with two toddlers. We still get them from time to time, and I’ve always wanted to try them at home, however I had this notion that they were “one of THOSE things” that are just better left to the bars and take-out places.
I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG.
Let me assure you that you CAN make wings at home and (news flash!) they are actually easy and delicious.
Let’s talk wings!
The vast majority of wings are deep-fried, which are amazing (of course); once while on vacation in Florida, my husband and I stumbled upon a regional chain, Shane’s Rib Shack, that sold smoked wings. It was the first time either of us had ever had them, and they were crazy good. We still talk about them!
So when I started thinking about making wings at home, I immediately thought of the smoked wings, but… we don’t have a smoker, so that took care of that idea. I could have easily fried them since we have the indoor turkey fryer that we use for Thanksgiving, but I really wanted an option that didn’t involve me taking out the fryer and filling it up with oil every time we wanted to have wings at home.
That left baking the wings in the oven, but I was hesitant. I was convinced they would be dry and sort of just… blah.
Let me tell you… they were fall-apart tender, the skin was crisp, and they were phenomenal. My husband said if he hadn’t known I made them in the oven he may not have been able to tell the difference between these and conventional dry-rub fried chicken wings.
How Long Do Baked Chicken Wings Take in the Oven?
When I started researching making chicken wings in the oven, there were two decidedly different schools of thought… bake at a high temperature (400-450) for a very short amount of time (2o minutes) to get a crisp skin; OR bake low and slow (200 to 300) for a long period of time (3 to 4 hours).
I was pretty much sold on the low and slow method since I know how fabulous a stew or braised meat can be when cooked in the oven at a low temperature for several hours, so I went that route.
I ended up starting the wings at 200 degrees and then gradually increasing the temperature to 300 degrees over three hours to crisp up the skin, and it turned out perfectly.
The key to getting that crisp skin in the oven is to place the wings on an elevated surface. My cooling racks fit perfectly inside my half sheet pans, so I used those (and also, don’t be like me, think ahead and line that baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup!). Doing this ensures the wings aren’t sitting in their own rendered fat, which would make them soggy, not crispy.
I did a dry rub on these wings because, while we often get wings that are sauced, my husband LOVES dry seasoned wings.
However, you can easily adapt this recipe by using a simple seasoning of salt and pepper to start with and then tossing the wings in the sauce of your choice prior to the last 30 minutes of baking.
Alternatives to Seasoned Wings with Dry Rub
The options are pretty much limitless when it comes to wing sauces, but some of our favorites have been:
- Buffalo wings (toss in your favorite hot sauce!)
- BBQ or honey BBQ
- Teriyaki
- Garlic Parmesan
- Honey garlic
If you’re looking for an easy chicken wings recipe that you can make at home, and maybe an alternative to fried wings, give these a try! They’re totally customizable using your favorite rubs or sauces, and take only 10 minutes to get into the oven.
Perfect for a Super Bowl party or the next time you’re craving wings!
One year ago: Fudge Ripple Monster Cookie Bars
Five years ago: Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
Six years ago: Peanut Butter Blondies
Seven years ago: Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dry-Rubbed Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds (1.36 kg) chicken wings
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon (0.5 tablespoon) black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) cayenne, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place a wire cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with foil.
- Place the chicken wings in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin and cayenne pepper (if using).
- Sprinkle the seasoning mix evenly over all of the chicken wings, then rub evenly all over the chicken. Place the wings on the cooling rack.
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn the wings over, increase the oven temperature to 250 degrees F and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn the wings over, increase the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- You can bake the whole wings (which I prefer) or separate them prior to baking.
- If you want to sauce the wings, you can do a simple seasoning rub, then toss in sauce before the last 30 minutes of baking.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
If I could give zero stars I would. LOL followed the directions exactly and they turned into INEDIBLE RUBBER! Haha.
What’s one serving
I like this recipe without the cumin or cayenne. It’s pretty amazing
I found this recipe and made it a long time ago (best wings ever!), and then I couldn’t find it to make again. I just happened to pull up a different recipe of yours online, and remembered your name, then found this recipe again.
You can certainly play around with the seasonings, but these cooking instructions make an amazing wing.
I made these yesterday for the Super Bowl and they were SOO good! Everyone raved about them. The recipe is definitely a keeper!
Do you think you could do this recipe with other chicken parts?
Hi Elisa, I think it would!
Thank you for the recipe. It really looks delicious and not so difficult to prepare. I will definitely make if for my family. When it comes to check wings, I have one special recipe that I just love: Honey Garlic Chicken Wings. You should try them as well. They are so sweet and savory at the same time!
Spent ALL the time, results SUCK!!
If the Asian inspired suck this bad, I am unfollowing you. serously. What a disappointment!
Sincerely,
Violet
Are u serious? You must be doing something wrong
Or you just can’t cook!
That’s a bit unkind.
Maybe you should hit the trail. No one needs negativity like yours.
I’ve made them as well and they are delicious. I used a tablespoon of chili powder to replace the garlic salt and cumin. We are not garlic lovers. My husband loved them..
We’ve made these three or four times and love them in our house. Based on most of the rest of the comments, it would seem that your unkind comments are really unnecessary.
I’ve made this several times and it is always perfect! Better than fried. I like them so much that I bought a second rack for another sheet pan to fit more. Thanks for the great recipe!
I made these wings last night, and they were everything you described. They were tender, had crisp skin, and were delicious. I followed your recipe exactly, and they were perfect. This is definitely a keeper recipe. I will, however, either reduce or eliminate the cayenne pepper next time to accommodate my own taste buds. Thanks for so many great recipes and the stories about your amazing family.
Made these last night, I was a little sceptical about the 3 hour cooking process but stuck with it. I used the convection oven for the first and second cooking time but then for the last timing switched to regular oven. I thought the convection may be cooking the wings a bit faster than necessary and I didn’t want them dried out. They turned out beautiful! Crispy outside, tender inside. I did add Cajun spice to my rub to give them a bit of kick along with my dipping sauces of buffalo, spicy bbq, sweet chili Thai and homemade Mexican salsa. This is definitely a recipe I will be sharing with friends.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe; your dipping sauces sound amazing!
What do you do if your oven won’t go down to 200degrees
Hi Charles, I would put it as low as it will go and reduce the cooking time as necessary.
Awesome recipe! I made them last night. I followed the recipe exactly, and used the racks to hold the wings. They were delicious and yes, the skin was nice and crispy. Passed the hubby test and they are definitely on my make again list. 3 hours to cook chicken wings is daunting but during pandemic times cooped up in the house we don’t have much else to do! Lol thank you!
Came out so good! I ended up air frying instead of baking (380 degrees for 10 minutes, then at 400 degrees for 5 minutes) and the wings came out amazing!
Hello,
I need help with this recipe. I had high hopes for this recipe because of the spices and because the recipe name states “crispy baked chicken wings”. The flavor was good and my husband liked the flavor, too. However, the skin was NO where near “crispy”. Skin was soft which I find unappealing. I was expecting crispy chicken skin. :-((. How do I fix this so the skin is actually crispy? Thank you.
Hi Teresa, I’m sorry these didn’t crisp up for you! Mine definitely come out crisp; I would recommend a few minutes under the broiler to crisp up the skin and you should be good!
You have to make sure you dry your chicken with a paper towel. If they are wet or too moist, they won’t crisp up.
Delicious!
Super Tasty
LOVE THESE WINGS
Followed the recipe exactly wouldn’t change a thing.
Thanks for sharing!
(I took pictures but I am not on Insta)
Have made twice……absolutely worth the time…..they are the best wings I have had……
Going to do drumsticks as my Godson loves drumsticks….. going to leave out the cayenne pepper though….
These are my favorite go to wings! Huge hit in my house! I cook them differently though. I use a rack on a backing sheet and preheat to 400 cook for 20 minutes and flip, cook for another 20 and broil for about 3 minutes per side. They come out perfect. Juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside.
Thanks for the variation on the time . Both ways turned out perfect but the 2nd time I made these I was in abit of a time crunch. These wings are so good & flavorful.
Totally worth the time
Absolutely delicious
Hello, this looks great and I’m going to try them out tomorrow. I don’t really like sweet for wings. I’m assuming we need the brown sugar to get the carmelization and browning. Do the wings taste at all sweet at the end of baking? Should I reduce the amount by half? Thanks any answer, if you happen to see this before I start them up!