Oven Baked Chicken Wings
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Oct 20, 2025 
These amazing oven baked chicken wings are first coated in a secret ingredient so they bake up super crispy without oil, then are tossed in a buttery, fiery and sweet homemade buffalo sauce. Serve the best baked buffalo hot wings with dipping sauces like ranch or blue cheese dressing for a finger licking-good appetizer or game day snack!
While I enjoy a lot of fresh, light, and nutritious foods, I must admit… Deep frying is one of my love languages. Just dunk (practically) whatever you want into a vat of hot oil, like bone-in or boneless chicken (to make my famous Nashville hot chicken), and voila, in minutes my favorite foods come out crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, and packed with amazing flavor in every bite. Yummm! (PS, I’m also crazy over my Taiwanese popcorn chicken and hot honey chicken recipes.)
But, obviously, I can’t have fried foods too often. So, if you are trying to take a break from cooking with oil or simply don’t like deep-frying, this baked buffalo wings recipe is for you! Not only are these wings not quite so heavy, thanks to a secret ingredient, this is by far the best way to get super crispy wings for dunking in decadent spicy buffalo sauce.
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
- Easy to feed a crowd – This convenient oven baking method makes batches of 24 wings at a time!
- That secret ingredient – The trick to make the best oven baked chicken wings is to first toss them in a coating of baking powder. The baking powder draws the moisture out of the skin as the wings bake, so they get extra crispy.
- Perfect fiery flavor – We toss the crisp, tender chicken in buttery and spicy cayenne pepper sauce for wings that are THE definition of finger-licking good. With or without dipping sauces like blue cheese and ranch dressing!
From game days to movie nights, this is a must-have recipe to get a party started and keep your guests happy!
Ingredients and Tips
- Chicken wings – You want party wings, which are a combination of drumettes and flat wings (wingettes) that are already trimmed and ready to go.
- Baking powder – Choose a quality aluminum-free baking powder for the best taste.
- Spices – Just a simple combination of garlic powder, salt, and pepper is all you need!
- Buffalo sauce – We are making our own homemade buffalo wing sauce with a combination of cayenne pepper sauce like Frank’s RedHot, plus butter and honey.
Recipe Variations
Use this lighter oven baked chicken wings method to make other flavorful wings as well! Try our recipes for habanero peach or chili with lime wings next time you are craving wings that are fiery and fruity.
How to Make Crispy Baked Wings
Tip for Success – Note, that when you bake wings with baking powder, this will create some popping and smoke. It’s a good idea to turn the vent on over the oven before you open the door.
Find the full Oven Baked Chicken Wings recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Preheat the oven – First, I preheat my oven to 450°F and place a wire baking rack on top of a large rimmed baking sheet. Then I lightly coat the rack with nonstick cooking spray. Elevating the wings on a rack allows the hot air to circulate all the way around them, which helps them get wonderfully crispy while baking.
Dry and season the wings – I use paper towels to thoroughly pat every wing completely dry. This is one step I never skip because the drier the skin, the crispier the finished wings will be! In a large bowl, I combine the baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then toss the wings until they’re evenly coated. Next, I arrange them on the baking rack, making sure they aren’t touching so they brown evenly.
Bake until crispy – I bake the wings for 30 minutes, then flip each one with tongs. After that, I return them to the oven for another 15–20 minutes until they’re golden brown and irresistibly crispy. My favorite tip is not to pull them out too early, the extra color means extra crunch!
Make the buffalo sauce – While the wings are baking, I set a small saucepan over medium heat and combine the cayenne pepper sauce, butter, and honey. Once the butter has completely melted, I whisk everything together until smooth, glossy, and perfectly combined, then remove the pan from the heat.
Coat and serve – As soon as the wings come out of the oven, I transfer them to a large bowl and pour the warm buffalo sauce over the top. Then I gently toss until every wing is coated in that buttery, spicy sauce. I love serving them immediately with ranch or blue cheese dressing and plenty of celery and carrot sticks for the ultimate game day feast!
Serving Suggestions
Serve spicy baked buffalo chicken wings with classic dipping sauces like blue cheese dressing or classic ranch dressing. Or mix it with our peppercorn parmesan sauce for some extra heat!
We also love the traditional pairing of celery and carrot sticks to help cut the buffalo sauce heat. You usually need them if the sauce is truly fiery in all the best ways!
For a fun main dish, consider pairing oven baked chicken wings with side dishes like potato salad, creamy coleslaw, air fryer carrots, or my favorite potato mac and cheese (you’ve got to experience it for yourself!)
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Cold buffalo wings make a great late-night snack, in my opinion! They’ll keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing – You can freeze crispy baked chicken wings, but I recommend doing so before tossing them in buffalo sauce. Place the cooled wings in an airtight plastic freezer-safe ziploc bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat the chicken wings before tossing in any sauce.
- Reheating – To keep the skin crispy I recommend baking them in the oven on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, or you can just pop them in the air fryer them for a few minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you want to flip the wings about halfway through the total cooking time. This ensures they get evenly crispy on both sides.
Toss the warm wings in the buffalo sauce after they have fully baked in the oven. That way, the skin bakes to full crisp perfection without getting soggy.
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Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Video
Ingredients
- 2.5-3 pounds trimmed chicken wings (often called party wings)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum-free)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 ounces cayenne pepper sauce (like Frank's RedHot Original)
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 3 1/2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Set a baking rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
- Use paper towels to thoroughly squeeze and dry every single wing. The drier the wings are, the crispier they will get.
- In a large bowl, mix the baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the wings to the bowl and toss to coat. Lay the wings on the baking rack, making sure they do not touch.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Then use tongs to flip the wings. Bake another 15-20 until very brown and crispy.
- Meanwhile, set a small saucepot over medium heat. Add the cayenne pepper sauce, butter, and honey. Once the butter has fully melted, whisk into a smooth sauce, then turn off the heat.
- Once the chicken wings come out of the oven, move them to a large bowl and pour the hot wing sauce over the top. Toss to coat. Serve warm with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping!
Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Cold buffalo wings make a great late night snack, in my opinion! They’ll keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing – You can freeze baked wings, but I recommend doing so before tossing them in buffalo sauce. Place the cooled wings in an airtight plastic freezer-safe ziploc bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat the chicken wings before tossing in any sauce.
- Reheating – To keep the skin crispy I recommend baking them in the oven on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, or you can just pop them in the air fryer them for a few minutes.
Oh, I see it!!! Can’t wait to taste!
Where in the directions does the 2tsp. baking powder go?
Excellent recipe! Will use again, but this time I’ll line the baking tray with a non-stock cookie sheet, so no skin sticks to the tray. The wings turned out crispy, thoroughly cooked, and everyone loved them!
This is my favorite wing recipe. I was so sad when you took it down. Now it’s back and just as good as ever!!