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. Add sauce if you’d like and serve them up at your next game-day party.
The ultimate party food, wings were something that I always wanted to make at home but never thought I could get right until I finally decided to go for it a few years ago.
Let me assure you that you CAN make wings at home and they are easy and delicious!
The vast majority of wings are made by deep frying, which is (of course) amazing, but I didn’t want to have to take out (and clean up) our fryer every time we wanted wings at home.
I was hesitant about baking the wings in the oven, convinced they would be dry and boring, but 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 taste the difference between these and conventional dry-rub fried chicken wings.
This is a wonderfully easy chicken wings recipe that you can make at home, and they’re totally customizable using your favorite rubs or sauces, and take only 10 minutes to get into the oven.
Simple Ingredients
I did a dry rub on these wings because, while we often get wings that are sauced, my husband LOVES dry seasoned wings.
So this is all you need to get your wings ready to be baked:
- Chicken Wings: 3 lbs (see section below on types of wings and cutting them at home)
- Seasoning Blend: Brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and cumin, as well as a little cayenne if you like your wings spicy!
They are a little bit sweet, a little bit smoky, and a little spicy if you include the cayenne.
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 before the last 30 minutes of baking.
How to Cut Chicken Wings
There are two ways you can purchase wings:
- Whole
- As “party wings”, which have already been separated into drumettes and wingettes (“flats”).
I usually buy them whole, as we often like to cook them that way (and they are much more economical), but if you’re making them for a crowd and want smaller-sized wings, you will want to either purchase them already cut or buy them whole and cut them yourself.
To separate the wings yourself, simply hold the wing by the drumette end and bend it back to stretch open the wing, then use a sharp knife to slice through the joint. Next hold the wing tip and bend it the same way, and slice straight down through the bend.
The wing tips can be saved to make homemade chicken stock, if you’d like.
Baking Temperature
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 (20 minutes);
- 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.
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How to Make the Wings
It takes less than 15 minutes to get these wings into the oven, here’s what we do:
- Pat the wings completely dry using paper towels. Removing any excess moisture helps with keeping the wings crispy.
- Place the wings in a large bowl and get your pan ready with foil and a wire rack.
- In a small bowl, mix together the seasoning blend.
- Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, then use your hands to mix them together and ensure that the seasoning is rubbed evenly over all of the wings.
- Transfer the wings to the wire rack and bake! Sauce them or leave them plain, and enjoy!
The Key to Crispy Baked Wings
The key to getting wonderfully crispy oven baked chicken wings is to place the wings on an elevated surface, like a wire rack. Doing this ensures the wings aren’t sitting in their own rendered fat, which would make them soggy, not crispy.
My cooling racks fit perfectly inside my half sheet pans, so I used those. Lining the sheet pan with aluminum foil first makes clean-up much easier!
There are several recipes that call for tossing wings in baking powder and baking soda before seasoning and baking to make them crispy, but I didn’t find that it made a difference when trying it that way.
Sauce Options
If you want to add sauce, you will do so during the last 30 minutes of baking (and then again when they come out of the oven, if you want them extra-saucy).
The options are pretty much limitless when it comes to wing sauces, and you can buy bottled versions of so many of these now. Some of our favorites have been:
- Buffalo Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce) if you love buffalo wings!
- BBQ or Honey BBQ
- Teriyaki
- Garlic Parmesan
- Honey Garlic
How to Serve the Wings
Wings are great alongside a spread of other dips and appetizers, and are traditionally paired with the following:
- Fresh-cut veggies, such as carrots and celery sticks
- Ranch dressing
- Blue cheese dressing
Recipe Tips
- Ensure Crispy Wings: Make sure to dry the wings thoroughly before seasoning, and bake on a wire rack.
- Storing Leftovers: Extra wings can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating Instructions: Leftover chicken wings are best reheated in a 350-degree oven for 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Giving them a spritz with water before heating can help keep them moist, as well as re-crisp the skin. You can also simply warm them in the microwave or reheat them in an air fryer (350 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping once). If using an air fryer, you can give them a quick spray of oil.
- Freezing Instructions: Cooked wings can be frozen, though they freeze best if not sauced. Freeze in an airtight container or ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then follow reheating instructions above.
Watch How to Make Crispy Baked Chicken Wings:
If you make these baked wings and love them, please stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
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
- Wings: You can bake the wings whole or separate them into drumettes and wingettes (or buy a bag of “party wings” that are already separated).
- Flavors: 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 before the last 30 minutes of baking.
- Ensure Crispy Wings: Make sure to dry the wings thoroughly before seasoning, and bake on a wire rack.
- Storing Leftovers: Extra wings can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating Instructions: Leftover chicken wings are best reheated in a 350-degree oven for 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Giving them a spritz with water before heating can help keep them moist, as well as re-crisp the skin. You can also simply warm them in the microwave or reheat them in an air fryer (350 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping once). If using an air fryer, you can give them a quick spray of oil.
- Freezing Instructions: Cooked wings can be frozen, though they freeze best if not sauced. Freeze in an airtight container or ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then follow reheating instructions above.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published in January 2018.
Photography by Dee Frances.
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!
3 hours for wings?
Sounds delicious but three hours????
I made these using whole chicken wings and they were delish.
Have you tried this recipe in an Air Fryer? Do you know how long they would take?
3 hours to bake tiny chicken wings?
Really delicious wings. Very time consuming but easy and everyone loved them.
I made this recipe a while ago, then forgot to save it! I’ve spent what feels like a million years looking for it again!
Best recipe, EVER! This technique is amazing, the rub is awesome. I wont lose this again.
I made these for game day yesterday, and they turned out SO well! Instead of the oven, I used our pellet smoker but with the same temperature settings. Crisp, moist and flavorful. I never would have thought the low temp would produce a crispy skin, but it did.
I know this may sound like a ridiculous question but how do you remove the little hairs from the wings. I made these but my son almost threw up when he saw the little hairs on the wings.
Burn the hair on the stove or with a lighter before seasoning
These look amazing! I love a great crispy wing! And thank you SO MUCH for linking to my Honey BBQ sauce too! I really appreciate it!
Definitely will try because they look amazing. We love dry rub as well. Where did you get the wings? I hardly ever see them sold whole but would love them that way. I’m a Pittsburgher too so I’ll be able to get there. Thanks so much!
I can smash a chicken wing! LOL!. Love cayenne and paprika so going to give this a go!
This is such a delicious recipe. The wings are so tender yet the skin has the perfect crisp. I’ve used this recipe for bone in skin on thighs and liked them as well, if not more, than on wings. This recipe is on regular rotation!
Would doing a couple of trays of the wings in top and bottom ‘thirds’ of the oven be ok? Maybe switch once or twice?
Could you also do the first two temperature portions of the recipe be done earlier in the day then finishing them off around game time?
I am from India.l follow your recipes and find them amazing.wanted to ask you if you have tried plain yogurt in the marinade lt . makes it easy to apply on the chicken.do let me know your opinion.regards
Michelle- I have done the wings and they are awesome. But I have family that do not eat chicken “on the bone”. 🙄🙂
Can this recipe be done with bones less chicken tenders? I don’t want to overcook them.
Thanks!
Not Michelle, but you could make this with chicken tenders. Bake at 350˚ for about 25 minutes. If using chicken breasts, bake for about 30 minutes.
Do you use frozen chicken ? Do you defrost them first?
Thanks!
Hi Linda, No I use fresh chicken wings. If you have frozen wings, then you should thaw them before proceeding with the recipe. Enjoy!
That’s what I was going to ask- frozen or fresh- what’s the process for frozen? I’ve heard par-boil or just thawed completely. I’m trying these tomorrow.
Made these for the Steeler game today! You were right about them being so tender. WAY better than anything fried.
I followed your recipe exactly, but tried it on the convection setting. I had to crisp them up under the broiler for a minute or two. Do you think the convection oven makes them less crispy?
I used your rub for half and something called DIzzy Dust for the other. I think I prefer your recipe. Our store didn’t have the whole wings, so I had to use the winglets. Next time I’ll preorder some whole wings. Thanks for an awesome recipe!!
Hi Jann, So thrilled that you loved the wings!! I’m honestly not sure if the convection could have made them less crispy, I’ve never tried making them on convection.
If not on the grill, this is the only way I make wings now. No exception. They’re better and healthier than fried. This is the only way to make wings in the house.
I have a hard time finding chicken wings at the store, the small package I did find was $7.89 a pound. What is going on??? Anyway my option was drum sticks for about a fourth the cost. They turned out great.
My supermarket had air chilled wingettes on sale so I just made these. I used the seasonings as written with the addition of about a teaspoon of McCormick’s pork rub which I love. Baked as written. These are the best wings ever!! Thought I’d miss some sort of sauce, but no. Thanks for the recipe!