Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
If you’re looking for the absolute best Crispy Baked Chicken Wings, these are it! I have tested several competing methods against this one, and these reign king, with hundreds of rave reviews in the comments. These turn out extra crispy thanks to parboiling away the excess fat, then cooking in a super hot oven. Less fat, less calories, and healthier than deep-fried!
This recipe is one of the oldest and most popular on my site, and for good reason. A crackly skinned chicken wing is SO good!
I have long been enamored with wings (as evidenced by the many variations of chicken wing recipes on my site, like these Garlic Parmesan Wings, Korean Chicken Wings, and Honey Garlic Chicken Wings), and I’ll use any sports event that comes up on TV as an excuse to make them.
Why This Recipe Is The Absolute Best:
The crispiest crackliest skin, without deep frying – In the 9 years since this recipe has been posted, I have repeatedly revisited this to see if newer methods were better than this one. But I’ve found that this two-part cooking method of parboiling, then baking, gives the crispiest skin.
Easy to scale – Because we don’t have to worry about overcrowding a fryer, it’s easy to make a ton of these at once, and get several trays in the oven. Of course, you can also just make a few.
The healthiest option – I try not to fry in vegetable oil at all anymore, since the evidence is pretty clear that it’s bad news on the health front. I love that these are still wonderfully crispy, but not deep fried in bad oils.
Can be mostly made ahead – You can parboil the chicken ahead of time, then keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Then just toss in the oven before you’re ready to serve!
I have done a ton of recipe testing on oven baked crispy chicken wings (and have done many deep fryer renditions as well), and have seen some people using baking powder. The skin felt leathery to me, which you can sort of see in the photo below. I wasn’t a fan.
After lots of testing, the original parboil and bake method from 2012 has always remained king, and you can see in the comments people saying things like, “This was the best ever… did it for Super Bowl, and hubby and I emptied the bowl of wings in minutes!” and “The best crispy baked chicken wing recipe ever!”
Tips for the Best Results
Dry the skin well – Water and moisture are the enemies of crispy, so you will need to make sure to dry the chicken skin thoroughly so they can get supremely crispy.
Flip once during cooking – It’s a little more work to flip the pieces over during cooking, but it really is essential. They won’t get as crispy all over unless you flip them over and give the other side a chance to brown.
Buy “party” cut pieces – It’s true that you can sometimes save a tiny bit of money by cutting the whole wings yourself into wingettes and drumettes (and discarding the wing tips), but pre-cut pieces tend to be more consistent. This consistency in size is essential for even cooking and browning. If you have some larger pieces and some smaller, you’ll have a mix of over and underdone chicken.
How to Make It Step by Step:
Here’s an overview of the game plan.
- Cut the chicken wings into drumettes and wingettes, if needed. If you buy “party wings” at the store instead of whole, they are already prepped for you. I recommend this to save time and hassle.
- Simmer the chicken in salted water for about 7 minutes, to render excess fat.
- Dry them thoroughly.
- Place them face down on a sheet pan and bake, flipping once while cooking.
- Coat in sauce, and serve.
Let’s look at some step by step photos.
Parboil first to render some fat
Parboiling is one of the secrets for superior crispy skin. All parboiling means is we’re going to partially cook the chicken in simmering water before baking in the oven.
Boiling meat feels very strange, but I’ve done test batches comparing parboiling to straight baking, and parboiling is the way to go. It helps get rid of some of the excess fat so they turn out crispier.
It’s kind of like when you have to render out the fat on a duck breast in order to get it crispy. Parboiling boils away some of the excess fat so we can get a thin layer that crisps more easily than a thick and flabby layer.
Make sure to bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat slightly to a simmer.
Drain in a colander
After parboiling for 7 minutes, drain the chicken in a colander or on a wire rack:
Really let it sit for a few minutes so the steam can finish burning off.
Dry the pieces even more
Lay the chicken pieces out on paper towels and dry very well, giving each one a squeeze.
If you want crispy results, you have to dry thoroughly
It’s REALLY important to dry the pieces well with the towels, because it has a big impact on how crispy they will end up later. In order for the skin to get crispy, all the surface water must evaporate and cook off first, so you want as little there as possible from the start.
Want to add seasoning?
If you’d like to add some sort of seasonings or a dry rub, now is the time to rub it onto the chicken. Popular choices are garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and of course, black pepper and kosher salt. However, because I like to add the flavorings via the sauce, I do not add any spices to the meat here.
Get them in the oven!
Lay the wings in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in a 450F oven for about 25 minutes, until you start to see golden brown bits on the bottom of the wings.
Look closely, and you can see golden bits peeking out from the sides here:
Flip them over
Flip all the pieces over, and you can see those caramelized parts starting to develop:
This is what we want! But, we need to cook it more. Most of it is still isn’t crispy yet.
Continue baking for another 5-10 minutes, until much more of the skin has crisped:
Variations on Baking Time: Size Matters
The sizes of chicken wings at grocery stores vary hugely, so the visual cues are incredibly important! Make sure to look at the photos above, and to use the baking times as estimates, but go more by visual cues. If the wings turn out dry, this means they were overcooked. They definitely shouldn’t be dry on the inside.
Now you should have the crispy wings that you desire, ready to be paired with a cayenne hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, celery sticks, or whatever your heart desires.
Toss in your preferred sauce
At this point your crispy baked wings are ready to be tossed in a large bowl with Buffalo Sauce (assuming you want to enjoy these as the classic buffalo wings, but oven baked), and devoured.
Don’t like spicy sauce?
If you prefer something that isn’t spicy, you may like Garlic Parmesan Wings better. I also have sweet and spicy Korean Chicken Wings, Honey Garlic Chicken Wings, or you can toss in BBQ Sauce. Feel free to try out your personal favorite sauces, as this cut of chicken is like a blank canvas that works well with most flavors.
What to Serve with This Recipe:
Serve your delicious wings with a side of Blue Cheese Dip if you’re doing classic Buffalo Sauce, along with celery sticks and carrot sticks. This is one of the most popular and favorite dips on the blog.
You can also do a side of Buffalo Garlic Knots and Buffalo Chicken Dip (or the Crockpot version, Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip) to round out a full spread of tasty appetizers for football or game day snacks!
I also love making Homemade Guacamole and a pot of Ground Turkey Chili.
How to Make Sure The Meat Doesn’t Stick to the Pan
A few people have reported issues with the wings sticking to the pan. This means they were too wet when they went into the oven.
Make sure to:
- Dry the wings very thoroughly after parboiling. As stated in the recipe, let them air dry for a few minutes (you will literally see steam evaporating off the wings as they cool). Then dry them very well with towels, squeezing well.
- If you want extra insurance, you may grease the pan with a high smoke point oil, like ghee, tallow, avocado, vegetable, canola, etc. Just make sure you don’t put parchment paper or a silicone mat underneath the wings, because they won’t crisp up the same.
- Bake on an uncoated sheet pan (affiliate) for best results, and use a turner like this (affiliate) to really get under the wings and scoop the crispy bits off.
Tips and FAQs:
I only recommend you bake these fresh. They won’t stay crispy later.
Yes, go through all the steps of parboiling the wings and drying well with a paper towel, then place the chicken pieces on a sheet pan and refrigerate UNCOVERED for up to 24 hours. Then all you have to do is pop them into the hot oven and bake them. Because they will be cold, they will likely need to bake a little longer.
Never cook meat from a frozen state, always thaw first. Because you will be parboiling these anyway, you can thaw them quickly in cold water, then parboil them.
Yes, definitely! Parboiling renders out some of the fat, and the remaining fat is used to crisp the wing naturally. Plus, the vegetable oils most people use for frying are very unhealthy.
Absolutely. Unfortunately, frozen meats lose moisture in the freezing process. This is true not just for chicken but also beef, pork, etc.
Yes, these are made without baking powder, without flour, without breading of any kind. They are also Paleo, Whole30, and friendly to other kinds of eating styles. You can add the sauce of your choice or eat them as is.
In a 450F oven, bake for 25 minutes, then flip and bake for about 10 more minutes, until crispy on both sides.
Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
For the Chicken Wings:
- 2 lbs chicken wings "party style" (pre-cut into wingettes and drumettes)
- salt
What to Serve With Them:
- Blue Cheese Dip
- Cut celery and carrot sticks
- Buffalo Sauce
- Buffalo Garlic Knots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Heat up a big pot of boiling water. Season the water like you would for cooking pasta (taste the water, it should taste a little repulsively salty, like sea water).
- Add the chicken wings to the pot, and reduce the heat slightly to keep them at a simmer for 7 minutes.
- Drain the chicken pieces in a colander, then place them on a wire rack for a couple minutes, letting the steam evaporate from the cooling wings and also letting any excess moisture drip down. Then dry them very well with paper towels or highly absorbent kitchen towels.
- Place the chicken wings directly on a metal sheet pan, with the fattier top side down.
- Bake for 25 minutes on the first side, then flip the pieces over and bake for another 5-10 minutes on the other side, until the skin looks golden and crisp. Make sure to keep your eye on them, particularly if you have smaller wings, to check for doneness. Overcooking risks drying the inside out.
- If serving the wings with sauce, coat them while they're hot out of the oven. Enjoy!
Notes
- Dry the wings very thoroughly after parboiling. As stated in the recipe, let them air dry for a few minutes (you will literally see steam evaporating off the wings as they cool). Then dry them very well with towels, squeezing well.
- If you want extra insurance, you may grease the pan with a high smoke point oil, like ghee, tallow, avocado, vegetable, canola, etc. Just make sure you don’t put parchment paper or a silicone mat underneath the chicken, because the skin won’t crisp up the same.
- Bake on an uncoated sheet pan (affiliate) for best results, and use a turner like this (affiliate) to really get under the pieces and scoop the crispy bits off.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
Post updated in August 2020. Originally published in 2012.
817 Comments on “Crispy Baked Chicken Wings”
Does the 7-minute parboil begin once the pot of water begins to simmer after adding the wings? And, should the wings be straight from the fridge before adding to the pot of water; or, allowed to sit at room temperature for a specific period of time?
Hi, Since the water is at a full boil before, for me it only takes about a minute for it to come back to a simmer after adding the wings, so I do 7 minutes once adding the wings. I have a pretty responsive gas stove, though. I add the wings straight from the fridge, but if you have an electric stove or something less responsive, you could take the wings out of the fridge 30 min before cooking, to take the chill off.
Amazing! My first time ever making wings and I never have to look for another cooking method again!! Thank you
Hi Katie, that’s fantastic! Glad they turned out well for you.
These are seriously better than fried wings. Everyone loved them, and I paired them with your wing sauce.
Why can you only hold them up to 6 hours? Is it because they’re not technically cooked all the way? I do weekend prep so it’d be great if I could make it Sunday then do the actual bake the night of.
Hi JJ, great question, and I say 6 hours because that’s as far as I’ve tested them. You’re spot on, it’s because they’re partially cooked, and I don’t want to hold them longer than that for food safety reasons. It’s possible you could do it longer.
VERY VERY GOOD
Hi Joe, glad you enjoyed!
I made these wings before and everyone loved them. I want to make a large amount for a group of people. To save time I was thinking of boiling them in advance and then baking them when everyone arrives. Your recipe says to bake right away. Will it ruin the wings if I wait?
Hi Krista, how long do you want to hold them for before baking?
Love it! Parboiled and then popped in fridge on wire rack on cookie sheet for a bit to dry out further. Korean sauce amazing. Thanks!
Hi Khaki, really glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I thought about this too, but the serious risk of salmonella poisoning when stopping and restarting the cooking process isn’t worth it. The only way to avoid it would be to par-boil the chicken until it’s fully cooked (165 degrees internal) before drying in the fridge, and then you’ll likely get tough meat as a final product.
i’m curious – would the water from parboiling be thrown away? or could you save and treat it like stock – for boiling veg and the like? or could you boil away to try and recover the smaltz (chicken fat)?
The choice is yours. Some people save it as stock, which you’re welcome to do.
I want to incorporate ghost peppers into this recipe. I was thinking I would toss the wings with salt, pepper and ghost pepper powder, then bake before tossing with the sauce. Or I could just add the ghost pepper to the sauce. Do you think mixing the cayenne from the hot sauce with the ghost pepper wouls throw the taste off? Not worried about the heat. I could’nt handle it, but my people can!
Hi Jean, it sounds like it’s ground up ghost pepper? My guess is you could add it straight to the sauce like a cayenne though tossing it on the wings would probably work too. Enjoy!
These were delicious! Absolutely loved them 🙂 Thanks! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!!
Thanks Haha, glad you enjoyed!
JOANNE! I stumbled upon your site as I was searching for a good baked wing recipe and I’m thrilled to find it. I fed 4 hungry boys tonight cooking the wings with your method and they all RAVED about how crispy they were-even after they were tossed in sauce. You’re a genius! If you need me, I’ll be up the rest of the night bookmarking your other recipes that I can’t wait to try. THANK YOU!! (And I love the make-ahead freezer tip from one of the other commenters too)
Hi Louise, I’m so happy to hear this! I hope you enjoy perusing the site and cooking some delicious things. Don’t be a stranger and let me know if you have any questions that pop up.
Hi, I’ve been making wings for a few years now. Even the pros need a little advice. I was looking to recreate your method of parboiling the wings. However, I like to marinade them in celery salt, cayenne, garlic powder, white wine vinegar and of course some buffalo sauce. My question is, do you think this can be combined into one. Say if I parboil the chicken, dry it off on paper with the squeeze, of course, to get them completely dry, then add this to the marinade. The sauce is pretty much the same as the marinade but doubled up in quantities. Trust me they are amazing! With blue cheese sauce, they are a winner! I’m from London UK, and wings and BBQ are starting to get pretty big over here. Any advice would be great!
Hi Stephen, I read your comment a few times, and if I understand correctly, you’re thinking of marinading them after they’ve been parboiled, then baking them? Also, jealous you live in London! I love that city so much and ponder living there sometimes, haha.
I wanted a recipe for wings that didn’t involve adding spices or coating. This was perfect. I followed your instructions to a T, and they turned out great. Cooked them in an RV convection oven where it’s difficult to get crisp skin on chicken. At the request of my husband, I left on the wing tips, and they proved to be the tastiest part of all!
The only thing I will do differently next time is add more salt to my water when parboiling. Also, may try putting foil on my pan as cleanup was a bit messy.
With your permission I’d like to submit a link to your recipe to a carnivore diet web site, Don’t Eat That http://mikhailapeterson.com/.
Hi Karen, glad the wings turned out well for you! And adding salt to the water should go better next time for your taste. Everyone has their preferred level of seasoning. Enjoy! Re: your comment on the site, adding a link is okay, so long as the recipe is not copy and pasted in full, which creates duplicate content issues on Google. Let me know if you have questions. Thanks!
Tried these tonight and they were amazing!! Thank you for sharing!
That’s great, Jess!
Hands down the best wing recipe out there! I have been following this recipe to a “t” for over a year and my family and friends love them! We call these wings, “crack wings”. Thank you for this awesome recipe!
Hi Shana, that makes me so happy!! And LOL at the “crack wings” title. Happy cooking!
These are my favorite wings! Thanks for sharing. For those that want a make-ahead/freezer tip…I often do up 6-7 dozen wings for freezing – I parboil as described here, then let the wings cool on a baking rack. Once cool, i portion out the wings into about 20 wing portions, and vacuum seal them in a flat layer and date the bag and toss in the freezer. When i want to make these i just defrost, then dry them out, and bake as described here until crispy. Thanks again for the great recipe!
Hi Amy, so happy to hear that, and thank you for sharing your make-ahead freezer tip. That is fantastic!!