Want to make crispy chicken wings but don't want to deep fry in a bunch of oil? Look no further than my Crispy Oven-Baked Wings! You get tons of flavor with a juicy inside and crispy crust in less than an hour - plus the cooking is hands-off.
Y'ALL. Get into that crispy skin - no frying required. These crispy oven-baked wings are so crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Bursting with flavor, and not even requiring a lot of prep, I was mind-blown that these came out so well just by baking! Serve alongside a fresh batch of Crispy Air Fried Potato Wedges.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving (6 wings): $1.76
- Total Cost (about 24 wings): $7.04
- Those Other Guys: $15.99+ per serving
Ingredients
- Party-Sized Chicken Wings - Grab the wings that have been cut into wingettes and drumettes, also known as party wings. You can buy frozen, but defrost overnight in the fridge.
- Garlic and Herb Seasoning - McCormick makes a garlic and herb seasoning that tastes so great on these wings! If you can't find it, feel free to use a similar spice blend.
- Smoked Paprika - To provide color and a smoky, savory flavor.
- Garlic Powder - Gives our wings some extra umami.
- Baking Powder - This helps get the crispiest wing without frying. Make sure you get baking powder, NOT baking soda.
Wing Sauce Ideas
Lemon Pepper Wet: An Atlanta-area staple and one of my most popular recipes on Coined Cuisine. These Lemon Pepper Wet Wings are covered in a homemade sauce and are so delicious! And you can air fry or bake these wings.
Garlic Parmesan: Toss crispy baked chicken wings in a tangy garlic-parm sauce and top with extra grated parmesan. So good!
Sweet Chili Jerk: These Sweet Chili Jerk Wings are a beautiful fusion of Asian and Caribbean flavors. Top them with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
Garlic Honey Soy: I use this Garlic Honey Soy Sauce on all types of protein, including these baked wings. Toss your chicken in the sauce, then add them back into the oven and broil until the sauce is caramelized.
Ranch, for Dipping: Don't forget the homemade high-protein ranch dip to accompany these wings!
How to Make Crispy Chicken Wings in the Oven
Step 1: Make sure you pat the wings completely dry using paper towels. This allows the seasoning to really stick to the wings, as well as allowing the skin to get crispy in the oven.
Step 2: Add the dried wings to a large bowl and top with your seasoning mix. I used garlic and herb seasoning, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
Step 3: Toss well, ensuring each wing is evenly covered in seasoning.
Step 4: Add them to a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil with a wire rack on top.
Stick this pan in the fridge, uncovered, to marinate for at least 20 minutes. For the maximum flavor and texture, overnight works well too.
Step 5: Sift baking powder on top of the dried wings and toss once more until evenly covered.
Step 6: They should look like this. Add them back to the wire rack and bake at 400°F.
We do 20 minutes on the lower rack, then 20 minutes on the top rack. Finally, crank the oven up to 425°F and bake on the top rack for another 10-15 minutes, until all sides of the wings are golden brown and crispy.
Recipe Pro Tips
- Dry, dry, dry your wings! It's extra work, and I really don't like using tons of paper towels... but it's imperative to get your wings as dry as possible. If you have the time, you can add the raw wings to a wire rack on top of a lined baking sheet and pop it in the fridge overnight.
- Double check your labels. Trust me, you do NOT want to mix up baking powder and baking soda in this recipe. Baking powder is what we use for crispy skin; baking soda will result in an absolute mess and wasted chicken.
- Do you have an oven with the convection setting? Use it! The convection setting allows for a more even air flow throughout the oven, so your chicken wings crisp up even better.
Recipe FAQs
The baking powder raises the pH of our chicken wings, which breaks down some of the proteins in the skin. That makes a crispier, more evenly-cooked wing without having to deep fry.
For crispy oven-baked wings, yes. This is because when we bake these wings at a high temperature, a lot of the fat underneath the skin renders out. You need to elevate the wings on a rack so the extra fat can fall. If you don't have a wire rack, you can try and flip more often but the side of the wing that touches the pan will be oily and take longer to crisp up.
To get the skin crispy again, you can pop these in the air fryer until they are fully heated through. If you don't have an air fryer, add them to a lined baking sheet (no wire rack required for reheating!) and bake for 8-10 minutes at 390°F.
Other Tasty Game-Day Recipes You'll Love!
If you tried this Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Baking Sheet with Wire Rack
Ingredients
- 4 pounds party-sized chicken wings about 24 wings
- 2 tablespoons McCormick roasted garlic & herb seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
Instructions
- Use paper towels to pat your wings dry, then add the dried wings to a large bowl.Take your time to do this thoroughly - the drier they are, the better they crisp up in the oven.
- Sprinkle the garlic & herb seasoning, garlic powder, and smoked paprika onto the wings. Toss wings to ensure they are evenly covered in seasonings.
- Line your baking tray with aluminum foil and add the wire rack on top.
- Add the seasoned wings to the lined baking sheet and wire rack. Let the seasonings marinate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. If you let them sit overnight, that's fine too.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Add the marinated wings to the bowl. Sift baking powder over the wings and toss once more until evenly coated.
- Place the wings back on the lined baking sheet. It's okay if they are a little snug on the wire rack; they shrink while cooking.
- Bake the wings on your lowest oven rack for 20 minutes. Flip the wings, then cook for another 20 minutes on the highest oven rack.
- Finally, turn your oven heat up to 425°F. Bake for another 10-15 minutes on the top rack, flipping the wings every 5 minutes.
- Once they are at your ideal level of crispiness, you're done. Remove them from the oven and serve.
- The marinated seasoning makes these wings taste amazing on their own, but you can also toss them in your favorite sauces. See above for some suggestions. Enjoy!
Morgan Bailey says
Our family New Years’ Resolution was to cut down on fried foods, but my partner loves wings. This recipe has been a lifesaver. The wings really do get a good crisp in the oven! I’ve found the best flavor comes from marinating overnight.
Shani W. says
Agreed - if you have the time to marinate your chicken overnight, it makes a world of difference on flavor! Thank you for your kind words Morgan!