Follow our complete, step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe to learn how to make these amazingly crispy chicken wings right in your oven. Printable recipe included.
You really can make crispy chicken wings in the oven. Then, serve them plain, or dress them up anyway you like. These are really easy to do and turn out great. No fryer needed.
I do love some fried chicken. It’s probably the item I always order the most when I would eat out, and one of the things I enjoy most here at home. I do fry it in the skillet myself at times, but I’m just as happy to see a bucket or box of chicken as well. Did I mention that I love fried chicken?
Chicken wings are one of my favorites. But, I can eat any of it.
Since I’ve never been a sports fan, chicken wings on game day have never been on my schedule of things. I do know lots of people, family members included, that love to have a big batch of wings ready for all the big games.
Buffalo Hot Wings are tolerable at times, but me and spicy hot foods just don’t always get along. So, I decided to do some plain wings for dipping in Ranch type dressing. That’s the way I enjoy them the best.
While I do like them fried, I also enjoy these that are baked in the oven. You’ll be pleased with just how crispy they can actually be when made this way. The magic is in the bit of baking powder and flour that the wings are tossed in prior to placing them in the oven. I don’t fully understand the reason why, but baking POWDER does indeed make a big difference. I hope you will think so as well.
So, whether you just want to enjoy some wings for supper, or whether you need some for game night, this version will quickly become a favorite I suspect. You’ll never know unless you actually try them though. Smile.
Ready to give our Crispy Chicken Wings in the Oven a try? Alright then, let’s head on out to the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Cooking!
Crispy Chicken Wings in the Oven – You’ll need these ingredients.
Before we get started, let’s go ahead and prepare our pan for baking the wings.
Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, then place a wire rack inside. Spray the rack with cooking spray to keep the wings from sticking while they are in the oven. Set this aside until needed.
Grab a large mixing bowl and add the All-Purpose Flour and the BAKING POWDER to the bowl. Keep in mind that we are using baking powder and not baking soda. There is a difference. Smile.
Mix this together well with a fork or spoon.
The chicken should be patted dry with paper towels before you toss it in the flour mixture.
Add the chicken pieces to the bowl. Toss the chicken to fully coat it. The mix I made was just enough for the 4.5lbs of chicken I had. Doesn’t take much.
I didn’t take photos, but these were whole wings. I cut off the tips and divided the drumettes and the flats into two separate pieces. And, I didn’t wash these. Most sources now tell you it is safer not to rinse or wash chicken in your sink to prevent contamination. This is kind of a hard new rule for an old timer to follow. I’ve always rinsed chicken and turkey before using it in the past. Live and learn.
Place the coated chicken pieces on the wire rack in the baking pan. Try not to have them touching if possible. Leaving some space between them will allow for better air circulation while they are in the oven and helps them crisp up better over all. Mine are packed a bit close I must admit, but I wanted to get them all on one tray.
Pre-heat your oven to 400F degrees.
Let the wings sit on the counter for about 20 minutes to dry just a bit and to let the chicken come up closer to room temperature while the oven is warming up.
Just before you place the wings in the oven, sprinkle them with a light coating of the Lawrys Seasoning Salt.
We do not add salt or this seasoning salt any sooner because salt tends to draw liquid from the chicken. This would make the skin moist instead of being crispy like we want it to be.
Place the wings in a 400F degree oven. Let them bake for 45-60 minutes, or until they have browned sufficiently. Ovens will vary so you will need to keep an eye on them and not let them burn. It will take some time for the flour to begin to “disappear” as the wings cook. I had a couple that never did completely brown. They were done, but still showed a bit of flour on them. It happens. Smile.
Let the wings cook until they brown sufficiently. These were light brown in color, but were at about 185F degrees when I checked them with a digital thermometer. They still turned out very moist I thought.
This step is optional, but you might want to do it. Flip a couple of the wings over and see if the bottoms look browned to your liking. You can flip them all if desired and put them back in the oven to brown some more on the bottom side.
I decided to flip all the wings and then to turn my oven to BROIL. I placed the wings back in the oven for just about two minutes. You have to be very careful if you do this. A couple of the pieces had started to burn in just two minutes under the heat of the broil unit. Be careful.
I decided to toss a few of the wings in some Buffalo Wing type sauce that I made. I’m not a big fan of hot and spicy foods, it just doesn’t agree with me. But, I wanted to do just a few so I made a small amount of sauce and placed it in a bowl. Then, I tossed a few pieces of the chicken wings in the sauce until they were coated.
Here’s what I made if you’re interested:
1/2 cup Texas Pete Hot Sauce
1/2 cup Butter
1 teaspoon Worchestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
You can find lots of variations on this type of sauce recipe, this is just what I made. I placed all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and placed it over the lowest heat setting on top of the stove, basically just to melt the butter. Stir it a time or two while the wings are in the oven, then toss the wings in the sauce when they’re done.
Enjoy!
I like these with Ranch Dressing. You can coat wings with your favorite hot sauce, honey, barbecue sauce and other such things. Lots of options for a true chicken wing fan. What’s your favorite way to enjoy them?
