Buffalo Chicken Wings are baked in the oven (not deep-fried!) and get ultra crispy and golden thanks to a secret ingredient. Once cooked you’ll toss them in some homemade buffalo wing sauce and serve them up with a side of blue cheese or ranch dressing and celery sticks. This easy baked chicken wings recipe is always a HUGE crowd-pleaser on game day or for parties!
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings Recipe
Blame it on the overly-food-focused-side of me but as soon as someone says Super Bowl, I think of chicken wings.
And not just any chicken wings… They’ve got to be crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, and then coated in a spicy finger-licking-good sauce.
Oh ya, and of course with a side of ranch dressing. And some celery for a pop of green color. (Because who ACTUALLY eats celery when there’s a big ole’ plate of wings in front of your face?!)
Up until a few years ago I thought the only way you could recreate that crispy and crunchy skin was to deep-fry the chicken wings in a vat of unhealthy oil.
That is, until I learned a little secret ingredient that makes even oven-baked chicken wings the bomb diggity.
And the best part? I bet you anything you’ve already got this key ingredient in your pantry!
Ingredients
The ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade wings recipe are actually super easy to find. This is what you’ll need to grab when you’re at the grocery store:
- Wing Portions – Or otherwise known as wingettes and drumettes. I’ll go over each of these in a little more detail below.
- Oil – And not a ton of it. Avocado oil is recommended since it has a milder flavor and a higher smoke point, but olive oil may also be used.
- Cornstarch – The key ingredient! Some people use baking powder instead of starch, but I prefer the way the starch tastes. If using baking powder (and not soda!) make sure you cut the amount used in the recipe by half.
- Buffalo Wing Sauce – An easy 4-ingredient recipe that can be whisked together in under 5 minutes and seriously takes the flavor game over-the-top! Feel free to buy it at the store if you have a brand you like, but this homemade wing sauce is so much better!
Parts of a Chicken Wing
A whole chicken wing is composed of three different parts:
- Drummette – this is the part that looks like a drumstick. Drummettes usually have a bit more white meat and more meat to skin.
- Wingettes / Flats – this is the middle part of the chicken wing. It is composed of two bones, has more dark meat, and slightly less meat to skin than drummettes.
- Tips – this is the cartilaginous tip of the wing. Most often these will not come on the ones purchased at local grocery stores.
Wingette or Drummette
You can use whichever part you like the best!!
Most grocery stores normally have both wingettes and drumettes already cut and prepared in the meat section.
You can also buy the entire wing, but it does take a bit more time to cut it into portions.
If that’s your only option, you can learn how to cut a chicken wing into portions.
How to Make
The basic step-by-step process for making any type of chicken wings recipe is as follows:
- Add wing portions to a large bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss wings until well coated.
- Sprinkle starch, salt, and pepper over the wings and toss again until the wings are completely coated. (step 1 above)
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and then place an oven-safe wire rack on top of it. Spray rack with non-stick cooking spray. (step 2 above)
- Place chicken wings evenly spaced (and not touching!) on the wire rack.
How Long to Cook
Chicken wings cook best at a relatively high heat and for a long amount of time.
Bake chicken wings in a 400°F oven for 45-50 minutes. (step 3 above)
Halfway through cooking, use metal tongs to flip the wings over and return to the oven for the remaining time.
Flipping the chicken over while baking ensures all of the skin gets exposed to the heat and gets extra crispy.
(If you want even crispier chicken wings, check out how to make these Air Fryer Chicken Wings.)
Buffalo Wing Sauce
During the last 5 minutes of baking it’s time to get that buffalo sauce mixed together. You can read more about how to make buffalo wing sauce if you want additional information.
To do this, add melted butter, hot sauce (such as Frank’s red hot or Crystal’s), garlic, honey, and salt to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk ingredients until smooth and well combined.
Once the cooked chicken wings are fully cooked and crispy, add them to a large bowl and toss in the buffalo sauce until well coated.
Serving
Buffalo chicken wings have a bit of spice, so it’s always best if you serve them with a mild and mellow sauce to complement the kick.
Ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing both pair wonderfully with the spicy wings.
Celery sticks are also a great addition for an extra crunch between wings.
Other Baked Wings
If you’ve already got your oven preheated, you might as well go ahead and try some of these other baked chicken wings recipes:
Garlic Parmesan Baked Chicken Wings
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Wings are baked in the oven (not deep-fried!) and get ultra crispy and golden thanks to a secret ingredient. Once cooked you'll toss them in some homemade buffalo wing sauce and serve them up with a side of blue cheese or ranch dressing and celery sticks. This easy baked chicken wings recipe is always a HUGE crowd-pleaser on game day or for parties!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. chicken wing portions wingettes and/or drummettes
- 1 Tbsp. oil
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
Buffalo Wing Sauce:
- ½ cup hot sauce such as Frank’s or Crystal’s
- 6 Tbsp. butter melted*
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- 1 Tbsp. honey optional
- ¼ tsp. salt to taste
To Serve:
- Ranch dressing optional
- Blue cheese dressing optional
- Celery optional
- Cilantro optional
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Add wing portions to a large bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss wings until well coated.
-
Sprinkle starch, salt, and pepper over the wings and toss again until the wings are completely coated.
-
Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and then place an oven-safe wire rack on top of it. Spray rack with non-stick cooking spray.
-
Place chicken wings evenly spaced (and not touching!) on the wire rack.
-
Bake wings in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, flipping halfway through.
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During the last 5 minutes of baking, add wing sauce ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk until smooth.
-
Add cooked chicken wings to a large bowl and toss in the buffalo wing sauce.
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Serve buffalo chicken wings with ranch or blue cheese dressing, celery sticks, and a sprinkle of cilantro. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce is recommended, but Crystal's or Sriracha sauce may also be used.
- Substitute with a vegan butter substitute or olive oil if dairy-free.
- Leave out honey if on a low-carb or keto diet.
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