If you love hot wings you are going to love these crispy oven baked wings
September means fall is finally here, there’s that back-to-school vibe and who knew “it’s also buffalo wing season.”
Did you know the Buffalo Wing was invented in 1964 in Buffalo New York? It is one of the original bar foods of our generation, and has been the staple of Super Bowl parties and served in most every bar since the mid 1980’s. They were a best kept secret in NY and didn’t really take hold across the USA until that time.
People love wings so much there is even an annual Buffalo Wing Festival held each September in New York in the stadium that is home to the Buffalo Bills. It’s known as one of the best in the country and draws tens of thousands of hot wing enthusiasts and in 2019 they served over 4.8 million wings.
If you enjoy wings but are trying to stay away from deep fried foods, then you’ll love this super easy baked chicken wing recipe. In fact, these oven baked wings are so crispy you will think they came straight out of a fryer!
Plus, baking offers a healthier alternative to frying your wings, but they are just as delicious.
PREPARING THE WINGS
If you’ve purchased whole chicken wings, you’ll need to cut them apart before using them in your recipe. This keeps the wings more manageable when you eat them. And in case you were wondering: Boneless wings aren’t really wings (read more here).
The standard cutting process is quite simple. If you want to create a more visually interesting dish, you could also try French cutting or “Frenching” the wings before cooking them. Follow these step by step directions with photos on WikiHow.
Dry the wings well with paper towels. Don’t skip this step, this is essential to getting a crispy coating. The less moisture left on the skin, the more crispy your wings will be!
SPICE RUB
Toss wings with a dry spice rub.
Combine any of the following seasonings in a small bowl (in any amount you wish):
- 1 Tablespoon Aluminum Free Baking Powder (this ensures they are super crispy)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Old Bay® seasoning
- Paprika
- Chili Powder
- See Mike Mills’ “Magic Dust” dry spice blend for wings here for inspiration.
Then sprinkle the seasoning over the dried wings, tossing to evenly coat. Or you do the old 1980’s style “shake and bake” by placing them in a gallon-sized plastic bag and adding the baking powder and your chosen spices. Seal the bag and shake to coat.
BAKING THE WINGS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Arrange wings on an elevated tray or wire rack on baking dish to bake. This is key – if you place them in a flat dish they will bake in their own juices and not crisp up, so you want the juice to run away from them while they cook. If you don’t have a wire rack, then consider using a broiler tray with base as the juice will run through the cracks and settle underneath the tray.
Flip the wings over after about 20 minutes and continue to bake until wings are crispy and browned. The total cook time will depend on the size of the wings but could take 45 minutes to 1 hour.
SAUCING THE WINGS
Remove wings from oven allow to rest for 3-4 minutes before tossing in desired sauce.
For an extra special Honey-Sriracha sauce you will need to mix together:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup honey
- ⅓ cup sriracha
Or you can use the standard Frank’s Buffalo Sauce, teriyaki sauce or any of your favorite bbq sauces. If you’re making wings for a group, then they’ll probably enjoy an assortment.
SERVING THE WINGS
Now the wings are ready to enjoy.
Stack the assortment of wings grouped by flavor profile or sauce on a large platter with cut celery and blue cheese dressing (or ranch if you’re from the South) and prepare to get messy! These are finger foods y’all.
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