No false promises here – these are seriously crispy Baked Buffalo Wings that are made entirely in the oven! Using a now-world-famous Cooks’ Illustrated technique, the skin is so shatteringly crispy it’s hard to believe they aren’t fried.
Don’t believe me? I don’t blame you! See and hear it for yourself in the recipe video……
Super Crispy BAKED Buffalo Wings!
The great thing about the internet is that there are loads of options for any recipe your heart desires.
The bad thing about the internet is sifting through all those Google search results to find a recipe that actually works as promised and is exactly what you are after.
So here is what I promise you: If you love perfectly seasoned crispy buffalo wings, tossed in a classic spicy, buttery Buffalo Sauce with a tinge of sweetness, and you prefer to avoid the mess and calories of deep frying, this is The One.
These aren’t just “quite crispy but still not like they’ve been deep fried”. These wings are seriously crispy. Read hundreds of testimonials from people who have tried it!
You can’t see how crispy the skin is when I’ve smothered them in that glorious Buffalo Sauce so here’s a photo of them plain, straight out of the oven. And if you have 90 seconds, watch the recipe video below the recipe so you can hear how crispy they are!
The recipe is ridiculously simple, and it’s a genius discovery by the amazing folk over at Cook’s Illustrated who used science to figure out how to make truly crispy wings in the oven.
How to make Ultra Crispy Buffalo Wings in the Oven
The 2 unique steps in this recipe that make all the difference are:
1. baking powder (secret ingredient!) – tossing the wings in baking powder which draws moisture to the surface of the skin and helps make it crispy. Rest assured you can’t taste the baking powder at all; and
2. bake on low then high – usually, the fat under the skin is part of the reason why baked wings don’t get really crispy. In this recipe, we start at a low temp first which melts the fat under the skin, then we crank up the oven which makes the skin super crispy!
What you need for Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
And here’s a visual for what you need.
1. The crispy baked wings
2. The Buffalo Sauce
That perfect combination of spiciness from Franks hot sauce, buttery goodness and and hint of sweet.
3. Blue Cheese Dip
I know some people aren’t a fan of blue cheese dip – but I’m all in!! In fact, I love blue cheese dip so much, I like to keep mine a bit lumpy so I get little pops of blue cheese. But usually, restaurants serve it completely smooth. Go with what rocks your boat!
Celery?? YES!
Crispy wings + spicy, buttery Buffalo Sauce + earthy, creamy blue cheese dip + fresh, crunchy celery = MAGICAL COMBINATION
I don’t know who discovered it, but they deserve a Nobel Prize. I remember the first time I tried it, I squinted at the celery sticks and thought, “who would bother with them?”. But they work! It’s like the perfect way to reboot your taste buds in between each wing!!
You’ll make a total mess of yourself eating them. It’s just not possible to eat wings elegantly. You’ll get Buffalo Sauce smeared all around your mouth. You’re doing well if your shirt stays clean.
But that’s all part of the Buffalo Wings experience, right?? The dramatic clatter as you toss the naked bones into a bowl. Smack you lips. Suck each finger clean.
Dive in for another.
YES PLEASE. – Nagi x
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
Watch how to make it
PUMP UP THE VOLUME so you can hear how crispy they are!!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Truly Crispy Oven Baked Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
Crispy Baked Wings
- 4 lb / 2kg chicken wings, wingettes & drumettes (Note 1)
- 5 teaspoons baking powder (NOT baking soda / bi-carb soda) (Note 2)
- 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt / cooking salt (not table salt, too fine)
Sauce
- 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt / cooking salt
Blue Cheese Dip
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, softened (I use gorgonzola)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise , preferably whole-egg
- 1 clove small garlic , minced
- 1 – 3 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt / cooking salt
- Black pepper
To Serve
- Celery sticks
- Lots of beer!
Instructions
Crispy Baked Wings
- Dry overnight (optional) – If you plan ahead, lay the wings on a rack on a rimmed baking tray and let them dry uncovered in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, pat them dry with paper towels.
- Preheat the oven to 250°F/120°C (all oven types). Put one oven shelf in the lower quarter of the oven and one in the top quarter.
- Line the tray with foil. Put a rack on the tray then spray the rack with oil.
- Toss wings – Place the wings in a large bowl. Sprinkle over baking powder and salt. Use hands to toss well (or shake in ziplock bag) to coat wings evenly.
- Bake 30 minutes on low temp – Place the wings skin side up on the rack (ok if snug, they shrink). Bake on the lower shelf in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Bake 40 minutes on high – Move the tray up to the higher shelf and turn the oven up to 425°F / 220°C (all oven types). Bake for a further 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through. The wings do not need to be turned over. They are ready when dark golden brown and the skin is very crispy.
- Toss in sauce – Transfer the wings into a large bowl. Pour over sauce and toss to coat. (Alternatively, serve wings plain with Buffalo Sauce for dipping).
- Serve immediately with Blue Cheese Dip (for both wings and celery sticks dunking)!
Buffalo Sauce
- Whisk together the Sauce ingredients until the sugar is melted. Keep warm or reheat just prior to using.
Blue Cheese Dip
- Mash the blue cheese with sour cream until smooth (or to your taste).
- Add remaining ingredients and mix well until combined, using milk to get it to the consistency you want. Store in the fridge until required. Remove from the fridge 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes:
* Salt – only a small amount is required, it’s a phenomenon I can’t explain but this small amount perfectly seasons 2kg/4lb of wings using this baking method.
* These shrink when baked because the fat under the skin renders out (melts) which is how these become super crisp. So they can be snug on the rack.
* They are JUICY not dry, despite the long cook time. This is because the first bake at the lower temp barely cooks them, it only melts the fat.
* These bake to a golden brown, not a deep golden brown. You will know they are done because the skin will be lovely and crispy. 5. Source: The recipe for the wings is from Cook’s Illustrated “Meats Book” cookbook. The sauce recipe is my own. 6. To reheat: Allow wings (not tossed in sauce) to cool, then cover and refrigerate. The skin will wrinkle and soften. Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F. Spread wings out on tray, skin side up, and bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until the skin puffs up so the wrinkles smooth out and becomes crisp again. Works 100% perfectly! 7. Make Ahead: These stay crispy for as long as the wings are warm, so around 20 – 30 minutes. The skin stays crispy for around 10 – 15 minutes after tossing in the sauce, then after that they start to soften but not go soggy, up to around 30 minutes. If you reheat after tossing in sauce, they go soggy. 8. Comprehensive FAQ is available in the original Truly Crispy Oven Baked Wings. 9. Nutrition for just plain crispy wings (419 cal) and including the hot sauce (476 cal), both assuming 8 servings. Note that the wings have been adjusted to reflect the amount of fat that is rendered out (I measured the fat I poured off the tray 🙂 ).
Nutrition Information:
Originally posted June 2015. Republished February 2020 with improved video and photos, then updated with tidy ups in 2023. NO CHANGE TO RECIPE. I wouldn’t dare – it’s perfect as is!
Life of Dozer
This is what a Food Coma looks like.
Perfectly delicious every time!
awesome wings! me and my family enjoyed them
Hi are these spicy? My niece and nephew can’t handle too much spice!
Franks hot sauce is indeed spicy. For you niece, skip the buffalo sauce and just give her ranch dressing to dip them in…still great!
I made it multiple times and it’s always a hit! This is one of my family’s fav dishes.
These are simply amazing.True Buffalo style. I no longer have to drive to Buffalo from Toronto for wings. 5 stars all the way!
This recipe looks great! Should I adjust the recipe (temp / timings) at all with a fan oven vs conventional (no fan)? Many recipes advise adjusting down by up to 20 degrees C if using a fan… what do you think?
Hi Matthew, where it matters, I’ll advice the two different temps but for this recipe, it’s the same all oven types 🙂 N x
The recipe is good, the wings come out perfect. The only problem I’m having is that the fat burns in my oven, producing lots of smoke. Does anyone else have this problem and is there a way to fix this?
Occasionally drain the fat and it won’t smoke.
Hi Emmanuel, sorry you’re having issues here – what setting are you using to cook these? N x
Another keeper. We all loved it! Thx Nagi. Cheers from the Northern Beaches
I seriously have to add my comment to this recipe!! We did the initial cook on the BBQ, but we took the cooking rules into consideration. Never had anything so good! I am from N.Ireland and we got the franks sauce, no problem. The sauce was OUTSTANDING. Nagi, your website is just phenomenal. I have made many recipes and all have been epic. I wish I could show pics
So excited to try this recipe but have just seen woolies sell Frank’s buffalo wing sauce. Have you tried that? If so is it just as good as the recipe for the sauce above?
How was it with the Frank’s buffalo sauce?
Franks hot sauce is the bomb! It’s the only one I use for my buffalo wings (I’m in the US). I only add a couple of tablespoons of butter with the Frank’s and it’s perfect! For my bleu cheese dip, I added just a couple of extra things: dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and a dash of hot sauce. Great recipe!! Wings are one of my favorite meals!
I haven’t tried it sorry Samantha! N x
I feel very happy to find you Nagi, Now you make my days more easy and fun with this delicious recipies
Finally! The perfect oven-baked hot wings recipe complete with the perfect blue cheese sauce. I left the USA over 20 years ago and have been missing wings like this. This recipe is the real deal. (I omitted the sugar for lower carbs and still perfect)
A definite keeper! Due to health reasons, omitted the salt and sugar from the sauce, but still delicious.
This is my third time making these wings, I was thirsty I forgot the salt this time🙃
80 minutes for chicken wings?
Yes, you start them low and then increase the heat. This results in crispy baked wings! N x
I don’t particularly like chicken wings as they are often greasy. But I really enjoyed these and they will be a regular at our house. So my partner who loves chicken wings sends you his sincere thanks! Another winner!
These were awesome & easy to make. Like others, I took them out of the oven with a few minutes to go, tossed them in the sauce & put them back in to finish. Made them for super bowl & now my kid wants them made for supper. That’s a first. Thanks!!
These were great! I made them today due super bowl, only chance I made was I put them under the broiler after tossing them in the buffalo sauce. They were perfectly crispy and tasty, thank you!
I’m so glad you loved them Susan!! N x
Sorry for typos 🙂
10 Stars! Made these for Super Bowl and they were all gone in 20 minutes. They were so crispy outside and chicken was moist inside. Simply perfection with the sauce. Thank you for sharing this amazing hot wings recipe. We all loved it.
WOOT!! I love hearing this Cindy! N x
Made the wings for super bowl along with french fries but followed your recipe for the truly crunchy potatoes. Just finished our meal and both were delicious.
That’s great to hear Helen!! N X