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I used to think that good oven-baked chicken wings were a myth, but as it turns out, it’s very possible to get crispy, juicy, amazing wings with just an oven and basic ingredients! The key to this easy recipe is to really dry out the wings and add a little baking powder, which gives the wings their signature crispy skin. Toss them with some hot honey buffalo sauce, your favorite BBQ sauce, or my famous garlic butter sauce!

A white platter of crispy oven-baked chicken wings, celery, and a white bowl of hot sauce on a green marble counter next to a brown bowl of ranch, glasses of beer, and a gold bottle opener.

As you know, I’ve been perfecting my chicken wing recipes for a long time. Back when I was in culinary school, we mostly fried them, but ughhhh, frying? It was one thing when I had access to a deep fryer and didn’t have to clean up the oil spatters, but now, I’m all good on that. 🤪

So, I set out to figure out an amazing version that you can make with just an oven and a basic wire rack. This recipe truly couldn’t be easier, and the wings come out perfectly crisp and juicy every single time.

While they’re amazing on their own, I also like tossing them with some dry rub (my fave!) or dipping them in this sticky honey lemon pepper sauce. But of course, if you want to keep things easy, you can always stick with store-bought buffalo sauce and blue cheese. A classic forever and always.

Wire rack

Before you start this recipe, make sure you have an oven-safe wire rack on hand. I like baking the wings on a rack, because it allows for more airflow, which makes for crispier wings!

The right way to make oven wings

A hand using paper towels to dry chicken.
Start by drying the wings out super well. The drier the wings are, the crispier they will be!
A white bowl of chicken wings with baking powder and spices.
Then, transfer the wings to a mixing bowl. Add the baking powder and spices.
A white bowl of wings tossed with baking powder and spices.
Toss the wings until they are thoroughly coated in baking powder and spices.
A hand spraying a wire rack with a bottle of cooking spray.
Grease a wire rack with a good amount of oil. Trust me, you don’t want these wings sticking!
Rows of raw chicken wings on a wire rack.
Place the wings skin-side up on the wire rack. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 25 minutes.
Rows of oven-baked chicken wings on a wire rack.
Flip the wings and bake for another 15-25 minutes. Look how crispy they are!!

The total cook time will depend on how big the wings are. Smaller wings will need about 40 minutes total. But if you have bigger wings, you may need to cook them for upwards of 50 minutes. Also, I like to broil them at the end for extra crispy skin!

Don’t skip the baking powder

White and brown bowls of chicken wings, baking powder, and spices on a green marble counter next to cooking spray and a wire rack.

I know baking powder seems weird, but trust me, it’s 100% necessary! The few times we made baked wings in culinary school, we always used baking powder, and it made a big difference in the overall crispiness.

The reason why is that the baking powder breaks down the meat and creates small bubbles in the skin, making it extra brown and crispy. You’ll need aluminum-free baking powder, because you don’t want a weird metallic aftertaste. And please, for the love of all that is holy, do NOT use baking soda!

Let the wings sit for 5 minutes

After you take the wings out of the oven, let them sit on the wire rack for about 5 minutes. The skin will continue to crisp up a bit as it cools. Then, once they’re nice and crispy, you can serve them as-is or toss them in your favorite sauce or dry rub!

A white platter of crispy oven-baked chicken wings, celery sticks, and a white bowl of hot sauce next to a plate of wings, orange and cream striped linen, glasses of beer, and brown bowl of ranch with a green marble background.

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Easy + Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Yield: 24 wings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Making crispy baked chicken wings at home is so much easier than you'd think! All you need is a wire rack and baking powder for wings that come out super crispy, juicy, and savory every time. Serve the wings as-is or toss them in your favorite sauce for a casual and crowd-pleasing appetizer.
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds party chicken wings (900 grams)
  • 1 Tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder, NOT baking soda! (15 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, I use Morton
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1-2 pinches cayenne pepper, to taste
  • Neutral oil or cooking spray, I use avocado oil
  • Sauce or dry rub, see Recipe Notes for ideas

Equipment

  • Mixing bowl
  • 1-2 sheet pans
  • Parchment paper or tin foil
  • Wire rack

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or tin foil. Then, place an oven-safe wire rack on the prepared sheet pan. Grease it generously with neutral oil or cooking spray so the wings don't stick.
  • Dry the wings super well with paper towels. You want them to be as dry as possible so the wings crisp up. (Alternatively, you can dry them out in the fridge overnight. See the Recipe Notes for details.)
  • Place the wings in a large mixing bowl. Add the baking powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Toss the wings with the dry rub until they are well-coated in the seasonings.
  • Place the wings skin-side up in a single layer on the wire rack. It's ok if they're touching a bit on the sides, they will shrink down as they bake!
  • Bake the wings for 25 minutes. Then, flip the wings and bake them for another 15-25 minutes until they are crispy on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. If you want the skin to be extra crispy, feel free to broil the wings skin-side up for 2-4 minutes. Keep a close eye so they don't burn or dry out!
  • Remove the wings from the oven and let them rest for about 5 minutes to crisp up more. After the wings have crisped up for 5 minutes, serve them immediately or toss them with your favorite sauce or dry rub. Enjoy!

Notes

You’ll want to use ‘party wings’ in this recipe which is chicken wings that have been broken down into drums and flats. You can also buy full wings and break them down yourself.
Dry all sides of the wings really well. You want them to be as dry as possible so they crisp up instead of steam. If you have time, you can also dry the wings on a wire rack overnight in the fridge. Place the wire rack on a sheet pan to prevent cross contamination and leave the wings uncovered so they dry out.
The secret to crispy baked wings is baking powder. Make sure you’re using fresh, aluminum-free baking powder. Not baking soda! Otherwise, the wings will come out with a bitter, metallic aftertaste.
You can use any seasonings you like in this recipe. The above spices are my go-to, but I also like to replace them with about 2 Tablespoons of Cajun seasoning or my everything BBQ rub!
The total cook time will depend on the size of the wings. Small wings will cook in about 40 minutes, but bigger wings will need closer to 45-50 minutes.
2 pounds of wings is about 24-28 wings, depending on the size.
If you’re looking for flavor ideas, try my hot honey buffalo wings, famous garlic butter sauce, or this amazing honey lemon pepper sauce!
Cuisine: American
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1wing, Calories: 50kcal, Protein: 4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 117mg, Potassium: 36mg
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