Easy + Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
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.
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!
Serving: 1wing, Calories: 50kcal, Protein: 4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 117mg, Potassium: 36mg
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