One of the most quintessential game day foods, bar foods, finger foods, or party foods in America is the Buffalo Chicken Wing. You will find restaurants all across the United States selling these wonderful morsels of goodness. Most are deep-fried creating that wonderful crispy skin everyone loves. If you are like me and are trying to avoid the added fat and the mess that frying makes, then this recipe for Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings is for you.
You can use either fresh or frozen chicken wings for this recipe. If using frozen, make sure they are completely thawed before baking. You can also leave them whole or separate them into drumettes and flat portions. I left mine whole because I was short on time and this was easier. It doesn’t affect the cooking time or crispness.
Begin by patting the wings dry with several layers of paper towels. Squeeze as much of the moisture out as you can. Lay the wings in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in the refrigerator to air dry for as long as possible, 1-2 hours. This will give you additional crispness when baking but is an optional step.
In a small bowl, mix the baking powder (not baking soda), salt, and pepper.
Place the chicken wings in a large bowl and sprinkle the baking powder mixture over the wings. Toss to combine well making sure the wings are all coated.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place baking racks on top of the foil and lay the wings in a single layer on the racks. It doesn’t matter if they are touching slightly. This allows air to freely flow around the wings and prevents the wings from sitting in the rendered fat causing them to become soggy.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. When preheated, place the baking sheet on the center rack. Bake for one hour turning once until they are golden brown.
Meanwhile, prepare the buffalo sauce. Melt one stick of butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, add 1/2 cup of your favorite hot sauce and stir well. I have used several types of hot sauce…Tabasco, habanero, chili/lime, whatever you like and enjoy is what you should use.
When the wings are cooked, remove them to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the buffalo sauce over the wings reserving a portion for dipping later. Alternately, you can brush the wings with the sauce using a pastry brush. This is the method I used.
Serve hot with the reserved sauce, bleu cheese dressing, Ranch dressing, sriracha mayo, or any other sauce you prefer. DON’T FORGET THE NAPKINS!! These Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings are my family’s favorite!
CRISPY BAKED BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings cut into sections or left whole
- 2 tablespoons baking powder NOT baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 stick butter melted
- 1/2 cup Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce
Instructions
- Pat the chicken wings dry. Place in a single layer on a baking tray and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, if possible. This step is optional but helps make crispy skin.
- In a small bowl, mix the baking powder, salt, and pepper.
- Place the wings in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the baking powder mixture and toss to evenly coat all the wings.
- Line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Place cooling racks on tray. Lay the wings in a single layer on racks. If they are touching slightly that is ok.
- Bake in a preheated 425-degree oven for one hour, turning once half-way through the baking time.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of your favorite hot sauce and stir to combine.
- Remove the baked wings to a large bowl. Drizzle the sauce over the wings retaining some for dipping sauce when you serve the wings. You could also brush the sauce over the wings with a pastry brush.
- Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce and condiments.
Thanks for stopping by!
One of my favorites! Nice recipe!
Thank you! We love them, too!