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!!
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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!
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Hello, looking forward to trying this later. Just one question, i notice other recipes include marinating the wings beforehand. With your recipe would marinating be of any extra benifit? Thanks
Hi Paul! Please don’t marinade, it will add water into the flesh which will affect the crispiness of the skin! 🙂
I just prepared buffalo wings for the first time using your recipe and they were amazig!! I am from Poland and here we don’t have hot sauce in every shop but I managed to buy it (it wasn’t that hard to find something similar though- I bought Louisiana hot sauce). I added also a little bit of Worchestershire sauce (that I took from somebody else’s recipe) but I think I would not feel the difference without it :).
Before, I ate buffalo wings few times in few restaurants serving american dishes but those were the best (although really similar to those in the restaurants).
The only thing I would change is that I would bake them for 30 and then for maybe 20-30 minutes on the higher temperature because they happened to be a little dry.
Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Kasia, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Have a question!! Want to make these wings this weekend. Having trouble finding a rack that isn’t a cooling rack. What kind of rack are y’all using? Every rack I find says not for use in oven or stovetop.
How odd! Just make it without a rack, it works out just fine, bits of the underside are just a bit oily that’s all! You could transfer them onto a paper towel briefly to get rid of it 🙂 Still super crispy all over!
Quick question nagi. The nutrition data….is this based on cooked or raw? I’m calculating my nutrition based on weight and know that cooked vs raw is different in terms of weight. Great recipe though.
Hi Neil! Halfway I think. This is based on cooked because I actually measured out the fat that is discarded. But it doesn’t take into account water evaporation from the chicken flesh i.e. I didn’t weigh the cooked chicken 🙂
I love buffalo wings but not if the skin is rubbery. That grosses me out and ruins my wing experience. So glad I found this recipe. My wings are in the oven now. Thanks
Oooh hope you love it Jacquie! PS Rubbery skin on chicken is yuck all round!
What king of baking powder do u use. There are different kinds
Hi George, here in Australia we only have one type of baking powder sold at supermarkets 🙂 The label doesn’t give anything away but here’s the brand I use! -> https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/browse/spreads-breakfast-baking-desserts/baking-ingredients?name=mckenzies-baking-aids-baking-powder&productId=7932
Excited to try these! Is it necessary to defrost the wings first if they are frozen, or can I add additional time to the baking time on the lower setting?
Hi Jess, please see the ingredients, must be defrosted! 🙂 N xx
Hi Nagi – my husband is a HUGE buffalo wing fan but I’ve never found a recipe that matches up to restaurant standards. Your recipe is delicious (clean plates all round) and easy to follow, even after a stressful day at work – thank you x
I’m so happy to hear that Nikcy, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Hi Nagi,
yes I did make this recipe but I actually use turkey wings and they turned out very good but it was quite salty I figured I put too much salt and baking powder because when I cook except in baking cakes and pastry, I usually don’t measure nor do I taste test , I will try to remember next time to reduce the salt.
Hi Ruby, pleased to hear this worked for turkey wings!! I do hope you try this again measuring the ingredients properly, that is quite important for this particular recipe 🙂 N x
Nagi, thank you so much for this recipe. I made them on the weekend (added a little touch of honey to the buffalo sauce) and they turned out a dream!
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this Alice, thank you for letting me know! N x
I made these for my husband for the Super Bowl. He said they were the best he’s ever had and believe me, that man has eaten a lot of wings! Very easy recipe to cut down to a smaller amount. They were perfect! Thanks for sharing!
Woah! What a compliment to the cook! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed these Janice, thanks for letting me know! N xx
I tried these for SUPER-BOWL 51. They were the
HIT of the party. People who said they weren’t into buffalo wings, tried them
and ate their fill. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
High praise James! So glad everyone enjoyed them, thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
Hi Nagi,
I’m so glad I found this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. I just have a question, I followed the recipe by the letter and the wings are turning white. And they’re half way through. I’m hoping they won’t be white once they’re done. But the sauces taste delicious, so can’t wait to try them!
Thank you again, Flavia
Have faith Flavia! They will be golden once you crank up the oven!
Yes, they were! Ok, they took longer to cook than what the recipes ask for and I had to turn each individually because the bottom didn’t cook (even in a convection oven), but they were amazing and I got lots of compliments. I panicked because I was going to someone’s house and that’s what I was bringing. I just finished baking them at their house.
Oh and everyone loved the buffalo and blue cheese sauces as well.
I’m so glad to hear that you that Flavia! Thanks for letting me know! N xx
Oh and here is my rating.
This recipe worked perfectly!! Everyone loved them! The only modification I needed to make is at the end, I did end up needing to flip the wings over because the bottom wasn’t crispy at all. It only took 10 minutes and the bottoms were golden like the top. Thanks for the great instructions.
High five! So glad to hear that Nicole, thanks for letting me know!
We made these for our game time party and they were GREAT! Really crispy and they held the sauce perfectly! Thanks for the recipe
Fantastic to hear! Thank you so much for letting me know! N xx
I typically always mess up recipes but these are foolproof and GREAT!!
Very very crispy. Thanks for the great recipe that I will use from now on 🙂
Woo hoo! So glad you enjoyed it Abbey, thank you for letting me know! N xx
Hi! Tried your recipe today and although they were really crispy, once the sauce was added it felt like my mouth was just full of powder. All the wings were evenly coated with Baking Powder. Do you have any tips for what maybe I did wrong or do you also think they are a little powdery when you eat them! I was really impressed with the crispiness but I’m a huge texture person so the powdery feeling threw me off.
Hi Camden! They absolutely 100% definitely are not powdery! In the video and the close up photos you can see they are just golden crispy skin, no powdery-ness on them at all. If there was residual powder on them after baking, I am sorry to say it sounds like there was a an error in measurement. Are you also 100% sure you used baking powder, not flour or any other powder?? Wish I could be in the kitchen with you to help troubleshoot! N xx
Okay! So I used the right measurements but I actually had to use 4.5 TBS because I ran out of baking powder so fast. I would shake off the extra and then fill the bag again. But I did have more wings so I figured that was okay! The weird thing is, the wings came out just like your photos. Crispy golden brown, they looked so yummy! Maybe I should try this again but not shake them in a bag this time? Just flip once over in a bowl of baking powder? This is my first time making wings so I followed your recipe as closely as I could. 🙂
Woah! I’m sorry to say that’s the problem Camden, that’s way too much! Please stick with the measurements in the recipe!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This was fantastic. I am always feeling disappointed after making home made wings if I don’t fry them because they just aren’t crispy. Not anymore! The only problem with this recipe is that I will want to make them at least once a week to feed my wing craving. I used a Chipotle BBQ sauce (+ butter) to put on these today for the Super Bowl! Honestly don’t care about the game as much as I do the food :).
I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed these on the MOST important GAME DAY of the year!! Food-wise 😉 Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback Jamy – and PS what’s wrong with making these once a week? ? N x
These sound very good and look amazing. My only concern is the with the skin so crispy how is the chicken? Does it stay juicy???
Yes yes YES! 🙂 When the fat melts, it is basting the flesh underneath 🙂 It is gorgeously juicy inside, just like fried wings!
Did a trial run before making them for company…….BEST wings ever!!
We have frozen wings….Can we still do this with frozen wings?
Hi Phillip! Please see note 1 – they must be thawed 🙂
Made these last night and they were excellent!
Also, because the outside temperature was in the low 30’s and there was a constant breeze, I ‘airdrie’ the wings for about 3 hours without using up refrigerator space.
Everyone loved them… I could have made a double batch!
Fantastic to hear Sumi! Thanks so much for letting me know! N xx