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I love love LOVE buffalo wings!
Since Super Bowl game day is coming up, I wanted to share some amazing recipes that I know you will love. These tangy, spicy, crispy wings are sooooo good when made right. The best part? There is NO frying involved!
These buffalo wings are baked in the oven for about 50 minutes. The timing may vary depending on the size of your wings and the strength of your oven, but it will generally be 50-55 minutes. I know this sounds like a long time but trust me- they are still very moist and tender on the inside!
I am extremely particular about buffalo wings. I find that the best ones are usually made at small sports bars/dive bars. I’m pretty sure they deep fry their wings, which is totally fine but I try to avoid frying in my home if I can. I hate the lingering smell afterwards and it’s just not healthy, plus it can be dangerous!
What’s the secret to crispy chicken wings?
When I was working at Saddle Ranch Chop House many years ago, the head chef shared one of the best cooking tips I have ever gotten- toss the wings in baking powder and bake them on a wire rack so the fat can drip off, leaving a super crispy outer skin!
This with a few other steps gave me INCREDIBLE results. My husband says these are the best wings he has ever had, and he couldn’t believe they weren’t fried.
Ingredients:
- Chicken- you can use all flats or drums if you prefer! I used a mix of both. Just make sure you have good quality chicken wings- try to avoid the really small ones because they will dry out and generally don’t taste as good in my opinion.
- Seasoning- all you need is salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Even without the buffalo sauce, these wings are SUPER tasty with these simple spices.
- Baking powder- okay guys, this is the secret to crispy wings. Make sure you are not confusing baking soda with baking powder here! Baking powder will help to dry out the skin which will make it SUPER crispy.
- Buffalo sauce- Frank’s Red Hot, butter, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, and as much Tabasco as you want. I like my Buffalo wings vinegary and spicy! You can add some sugar if you prefer a touch of sweetness too.
- Ranch dressing- this is a really simple homemade ranch dressing that I learned from a friend many years ago. You’ll need sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, fresh lemon juice, and some seasonings (recipe below).
Tips for making the crispiest chicken wings:
- Make sure the wings are really dry- one of the keys to crispy wings is to remove as much moisture from them as possible. The night before, I arrange them on a wire rack and baking sheet then put it in the refrigerator. This is also a great way to thaw them if you’re using frozen wings. You’ll see a pool of liquid collected at the bottom the next day. I also like to pat them dry with paper towels before coating in the seasoning mix.
- Place your oven rack higher than the middle, but not all the way to the top- we want the chicken somewhat close to the heat source to crisp up the skin
- Arrange the wings skin side down first before baking- chicken wings have skin pretty much all around, but I recommend starting off with the “presentable” skin side down first (usually where the skin is thicker). That way when you flip them, the side with the most skin is crispy and undisrupted by the wire rack.
- Naked wings- if you want the wings to stay very crispy for a longer period of time, consider keeping them naked and dipping into the buffalo sauce instead. You can even just eat them plain- they taste VERY good on their own!
More chicken wing recipes
If you like this recipe, try some of my other chicken wing recipes on the blog!
- Yangnyeom chicken– Korean fried chicken is arguably the BEST kind of fried chicken in the world. It is influenced by southern style fried chicken, with the addition of sauces that are finger lickin’ good!
- Spicy lemon garlic chicken– you can use the chicken wing recipe from this post, and pair it with the sauce from my spicy lemon garlic chicken. It’s a Chicken Maison copycat recipe for their rotisserie chicken, but I’ve made it as wings before and it is SO good!
Recommended
Crispy Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
Chicken wings:
- 3 lbs chicken wings & drumettes, medium to large size- do not use small wings
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt, *do not use table salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Buffalo sauce
- 1/3 cup Frank's Red Hot
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire
- Tabasco
Ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1/4 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp dill
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Optional: rest the chicken wings on a wire rack in the fridge overnight (to remove as much moisture as possible).
- Mix together ranch dressing ingredients. Mix the milk in last, adding it slowly until you get the consistency you want. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan then add the rest of the buffalo sauce ingredients over medium low heat for a couple of minutes. Add as much or as little Tabasco as you want- this will make it spicier. I added aroud 10 dashes! Set aside until ready to use.
- Mix together seasonings for the chicken: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and baking powder. Note: I used about 1 tsp of salt which was perfect for me, but I like my food WELL seasoned. Use less or more depending on your taste. You can get away with less salt if you are going to coat these in the buffalo sauce as well.
- Pat the wings dry with paper towels.
- Toss to coat the chicken wings in the seasoning mix evenly.
- Place the wings on a wire rack on a baking sheet with at least 1 inch between each piece.
- Bake in a preheated oven of 450 degrees Fahrenheit with the rack positioned higher than the middle, but not all the way to the top. Set the timer for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, flip the wings over and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes. I usually bake this portion for 23 minutes, but timing depends on your wings and oven.
- Reheat the buffalo sauce then pour over the wings to toss until fully coated. Alternatively, you can serve them naked and dip into the buffalo sauce (it will stay completely crispy for a longer period this way).
- Serve with ranch, carrots, & celery.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This are truly the best wings recipe I’ve ever tried. My family always enjoys when I make it for them
OMG we made these wings and not only were the wings so deliciously crispy and well flavored but the ranch was so so good. I’m not a huge buffalo fan but I’m already craving these again, and my fiance isn’t a huge ranch fan, but he raved about how good this ranch tasted.
Best wings ever!
I made these last night, best oven or air fryer wings I’ve ever made. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Made them last month and making them again today! They’re so bomb ?
these were so good ?
Made this and it was a hit w my husband! Made these for the Super Bowl. Followed your recipe for ranch, which was also delicious (used fresh dill from the garden!). Both were so easy to make.
Can I use 2% milk for the ranch if I don’t have whole milk?
Yes that’s totally fine 🙂
I’m going to follow your recipe, but instead I will air fry vs. bake the wings! Thank you!!!
Perfect
I’ve never made wings at home and these were delicious!
Hi Laura, thank you so much for your comment. I’m glad you liked them 🙂