Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
These Baked Chicken Wings deliver deep-fried crunch and flavor, with juicy meat and seasoned skin, making them a game-day go-to.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 2 teaspoons salt + more to taste
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 tablespoons warm melted unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder or granules
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder or granules
- 1 ½ teaspoons sweet or smoked paprika
Instructions
- Place the wings in a large bowl and pat them dry well with paper towels. Next, season them with 2 teaspoons of salt and mix until fully combined.
- Put them on a rack over a sheet tray and place them in the fridge, uncovered, for 2 to 24 hours to dry brine. The longer the dry brine, the crispier, more flavorful, and better browned the wings will be.
- When you’re ready to cook the wings, remove them from the fridge and preheat the oven to 250°F with no fan.
- Transfer the wings to a large bowl and toss them with the baking powder and pepper until thoroughly mixed in. Place them back on the rack over the sheet tray, spreading them out as best you can, making sure they are not touching too much.
- Place them on the middle rack in the oven at 250°F (no fan) or 225°F (fan on) for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, quickly baste the wings with half the butter, then crank the heat up to 475°F (no fan) or 450°F (fan on) and bake for 25 minutes.
- In the meantime, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper into the remaining melted butter.
- With 10 minutes left in the wing baking process, generously brush them with the spiced melted butter. This will add amazing flavor and help them brown up even more.
- Remove and serve with optional buffalo sauce, ranch, blue cheese, carrot, and celery sticks.
Notes
If you want these wings to taste even better than any restaurant version, you need to use my 3 techniques: dry brine the wings to draw out moisture, toss them in baking powder to crisp up the skin's surface texture, and cook them on a wire rack to allow the hot air to circulate. Do all that, and you'll have extremely crisp and juicy wings.
Dry brine for hours: I’m talking about anywhere from 2 hours and 24 hours. The longer you dry brine chicken wings, the more moisture will be drawn out and the crispier they’ll become.
Fan on vs. no fan: I bake chicken wings in my convection oven since it circulates hot air constantly, which speeds up fat rendering and skin crisping. If you don't have a fan, just stick to the "no fan" temperatures listed in the recipe and keep an eye on the wings.
How to tell when they're done: A deeply golden, crispy skin is the #1 sign. Or, a meat thermometer will measure the wing’s internal temperature between 175°F and 185°F. Wings have a lot of connective tissue, so cooking them to a higher temperature means the meat will pull cleanly from the bone while staying juicy.
Saucy wings vs. plain wings: I didn’t think these wings needed a sauce the first time I tried them. But if you love the saucy mess that comes with sauced-up chicken wings, go ahead and toss the freshly baked wings in homemade BBQ sauce, buffalo sauce, or teriyaki sauce. Just don’t forget the napkins.
Make-Ahead: I prefer to eat these wings as soon as they’re ready, since that’s when they have the most crunch. When I need to hold them, I’ll keep them covered with a loose sheet of foil on a wire rack over a sheet tray in a 200ºF oven for up to 1 hour before serving. The dry-brined raw wings can also sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
How to Store: I cover and refrigerate any leftover wings for up to 4 days. Store them in a single layer in an airtight container to prevent them from getting too soggy.
How to Freeze: I freeze the leftover wings in a single layer on a sheet tray until they’re frozen solid. Then, I transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat: I’ll reheat the wings on a wire rack over a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until they’re heated through and the skin looks crispy again.
Nutrition
Calories: 484kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 23gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 155mgSodium: 1259mgPotassium: 445mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 1252IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 2mg