Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Chicken – I prefer and strongly recommend purchasing wings in the large family packs in the refrigerated section. This will give you the best price per pound, but you’ll need to cut them yourself. The amount can vary, but once cut into separate drums and flats, you should get around 28-32 wing sections. You can also save the wing tips and freeze them to make homemade chicken stock later.

Baking Powder – I moved away from using flour as a binder for wings. Taking a cue from my Chinese chicken wing recipe, I started using baking powder instead a few years ago. It makes a good binder for the seasoning and gives more even coverage, but its main advantage is that it helps to dehydrate the skin a bit. This leads to crispier wings. Be sure to use baking powder and not baking soda and use one that is aluminum-free.

Butter – Instead of baking my wings on a rack, I prefer to bake them directly on top of a baking sheet with some parchment paper. I literally use only 1 tablespoon of butter, but this helps to not only brown the skin as the wings cook but also keeps them nice and moist in the hot oven. This is the single biggest trick for making crispy baked chicken wings that aren’t dry inside.

Seasoning – As mentioned above, I use a combination of 13 seasonings that I split into 3 categories. The must use spices make the base of the dry rub and include salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, and crushed red pepper. The next seasonings are recommended if you have them, and include chipotle powder, ground cumin, and ground ginger. The last seasonings are suggested, but I don’t always use them either. These include dried basil, ground coriander, and ancho chile powder.

This may seem like a lot of seasonings, but I’ve been making these wings for many years now, and I spent months tweaking and trying various seasoning combinations. I arrived at this blend being just the right balance of hot, smokey, and full of flavor. I wanted spicy oven baked chicken wings that were as crispy and moist as a deep-friend wing, but just as hot and spicy as a chicken wing tossed in a buffalo sauce without the mess. If you’d like to add a sauce though, I recommend using the base seasoning at least.

If you’re starting with whole wings, which I recommend, you’ll need to cut them into individual segments of drums, flats, and tips. The tips can be tossed or frozen until you save up enough to make homemade chicken stock later. If you haven’t cut chicken wings before, I have an article on how to cut chicken wings that breaks it down well.

Once you have your wings cut, portion out enough for a meal or a large batch for appetizers. This recipe is for 10-12 wing segments, so adjust accordingly. I also recommend no more than 16 wings per half-sheet baking pan.

Some oven baked wing recipes mention using paper towels to pat the wings dry. Do not do that here. Using fresh, wet wings helps the baking powder and seasoning mix stick to the chicken.

In a gallon sized zipper locked bag, add the baking powder and all seasonings. Shake back and forth until fully combined and it has a light rust color. Hold the bag upright so all the seasoning falls to the bottom.

Lay the bag flat and place the chicken wings just inside of it. Seal the bag, then open a small area and blow inside to fill it with air, then reseal. Lift the bag and gently shake until the wings are fully coated.

Leave the bag sealed and set it aside for 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Once the oven is preheated and the wings have been sitting for 15-20 minutes, dump them out onto the baking sheet and arrange them so they have a bit of space between them. Cut the butter into 4 pieces and arrange it in a zig-zag pattern over the wings.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and flip all the wings over, tilting the pan a bit to move the melted butter around. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Once fully cooked, let the wings rest on the baking sheet about 5 minutes and serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce, like blue cheese or ranch, and any veggies you like, such as celery or carrots.

❄️ Storing & Reheating Spicy Baked Wings

Once cooled completely, you can store any leftover spicy baked wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftover chicken wings for 2-3 months for longer storage. If freezing, I would suggest vacuum sealing for wings.

For reheating, preheat the oven to 350°F and leave the wings at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake the wings for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they reach an internal temperature for 165°F.

Alternatively, you can reheat in a 375°F air fryer as well. Spray with a bit of oil and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the wings reach 165°F.

If frozen, thaw the chicken wings in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat the same as above.