An easy step by step guide on how to make crispy chicken wings at home, without frying them! Simply oven baked, without any flour, batter or yuckies!
You want to make crispy wings that are healthy, moist on the inside but with extra crispy skin, and without deep-frying them ?
The secret to crispy wings is getting rid of the moisture!
Then simply bake them at high temperature on an oven safe Cooling Rack! (<-amazon)
By roasting the wings on a cooling rack they will get even crisper, as all the moisture and fat will drip away into the bottom of the pan, so much so that you won’t even need to drain them on paper towels when done. They will be perfectly ready to be dunked in your favorite sauce. The cooling rack is everything! (<-amazon)
No flour, no breading, and no baking powder needed.
Whatever you do, don’t even think of marinading! Not if you want them super crisp anyways. Wait till the end to add your favorite sauces on top:
- chili-lime butter
- chimichurri sauce
- sweet chili sauce
- peanut sauce
- blackberry sauce
- honey soy garlic sauce
- teriyaki
- Moroccan red harissa
- brown butter sage
- arrabiata sauce
An easy step by step guide on how to make crispy chicken wings in the oven, simply baked, without frying them, the kind that are moist on the inside with extra crispy skin on the outside.
- 15 Chicken Wings organic (tips discarded)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp Spanish paprika (sweet or smoked)
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Pat the chicken wings dry very well with paper towels. Arrange them on a tray, preferably in a single layer and place them in the refrigerator to air dry overnight, or at least for a few hours.
(This step is crucial to get rid of the extra moisture and obtain that crispy wings exterior we are after.)
Preheat your oven to 450”F for at least 20 minutes. Makes sure the oven temperature actually reached 450”F before baking the wings.
Bring the wings to room temperature and let them rest on the kitchen counter while your oven is heating up, for at least 20 minutes. Pat the wings dry again with paper towels to remove any extra moisture.
Line your largest roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place an oven proof cooling rack on top.
In a mixing bowl combine the olive oil, black pepper, sea salt and paprika. Toss the wings to coat well in the oil and spice mix, then place them skin side down on the cooling rack without touching each other.
Bake the wings for 15 minutes at 450”F then flip them over without letting the heat escape from the oven. Bake them an additional 15 minutes until crispy golden brown all over. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces.
If you are making lots of wings, make sure to split them between two or more trays in the oven as to not overcrowd them.
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We love chicken wings and usually eat them sauced and sticky but crispy really hits my hot button right now.
Since you said sticky, I’m really thinking Teriyaki wings ! Yum!
I like chicken wings when they’re a little crispy, a little sticky and whole lotta spicy!
Nice! Sounds like the holly trinity of wings !
I love crispy wings with only a little bit of sauce and of course lots of blue cheese.
I like my wings boneless with mild sauce.
I have made chicken fingers but never wings. Going to try this recipe since it is baked. Generally we all eat wings sauced mild to medium
I like sticky wings. Just enough sauce for flavour but not too much to overwhelm the wing.
I like mine crispy.
I love my wings crispy, but with a great sticky sauce. *extra napkins please*
I love them drenched in hot sauce
I like my wings crispy & hot!
I love crispy chicken wings drenched in hot sauce!
I like my wings crispy and not overly seasoned. A nice honey mustard or barbecue sauce on the side, please.
I love them spicy with a spicy mustard dip.
I love my chicken wings crispy with some hot sauce on them, not drenching.
I LOVE my wings ANY way they CAN be made. I like ’em hot, sticky, crispy, drenched in sauce, sweet, spicy, cold the next day, I am NOT choosy!!!
I think you really Love wings ! Haha
Crispy wings all the way!
I love my wings saucy and spicy! My favorite combo is spicy buffalo garlic or spicy honey bbq!
These look so yummy. I prefer my chicken wings crispy.
I like my chicken wings with spicy bbq sauce,
I don’t eat that many Chicken Wings but when I do I really enjoy them extra crispy with a hot sauce that also has a sweetness to it too.
This is the second time around we made these wonderful crispy chicken wings. We grilled a whole bunch and brought it to a potluck dinner at our daughter’s school – within minutes the plate was empty 🙂
That’s fantastic ! Have you tried them with chimichurri yet ? I bet you would love that ! xo’s
I always buy store bought frozen wings . . . until now!
We did this! The recipe worked out great…my Hubz was very skeptical…but then could NOT believe the final product!
I am so glad to hear that Lindsey. This really is the only way I make wings nowadays, I’m so happy you had a great experience.
I have made this recipe twice now. It is Good! The key is letting the chicken sit before you cook them. Make sure you blot the chicken with a paper towel first. This helps the chicken get crispy. Enjoy!
Yes absolutely , both very important tips. Chicken must be very dry and at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. So glad you enjoyed your crispy wings !
Mine took longer than 30 min, also the oil splattered all over in my oven…. Making a big mess!!! So maybe put some foil down!
Hi Beth, I suspect your wings still had lots of moisture trapped inside, hence the splatter once in the oven. That is why it is so important to air dry them in the fridge the night before, and also blot with paper towels any existing moisture. Also If your wings aren’t room temperature, or simply extra large wings, it might take a little longer than 30 minutes. I definitely suggest lining the baking tray with aluminum foil to collect any of the drippings and make for an easier clean up. Hope you enjoyed the wings still and the little mess was worth it 🙂 Happy Sunday ~ Florentina
During the winter I bake my wings to get them crispy like you do. During the summer I’ve found the grill is a great place to get them crispy! It takes about an hour on the grill on low but they turn out amazing!
I’ve never made them on the grill, but that would be so great during the summer months !
These look so good. I love that they get crispy without all the oil! I’m really simple when it comes to my wings. I like good old fashioned BBQ sauce.
Simple things and simple wings are the best. I like mine crispy and dunked in chimichurri sauce !
This is awesome…baking them is so much better. I hate deep frying anything!!
Where were you when I needed this recipe for the Super Bowl?? I needed to really celebrate — our team WON!! The chicken wings look super delicious and I like the idea of baking rather than frying. Thanks for sharing.
It was always here LOL , now you have it 😉
YES. Chicken wings need to be crispy – hate it when they’re not! Great recipe!
I dont eat chicken wings but those look seriously crispy!
Wow – these look good! And, um, have I lost my marbles? I must have b/c I never would have thought NOT to marinade these to keep them crispy! Genius! Thanks for sharing!
Haha Patricia, no way to the marinade. It just ads a bunch of extra moisture that you will need to get rid of in order to get crispy wings. So do yourself a favor and say no to the marinade 😉
Ah, these crispy chicken wings…you are killing me! I never tried making them at home, but this has to change now that I have your recipe 🙂 Thanks for sharing it with us
Gotta change that, make some crispy wings for your Valentine !
i need to make wings one of these days! it looks so good..
I like to smoke mine in the smoker first and then crisp them by quickly deep frying – can I put them in the oven after smoking them or put it oven after a stint in the fridge for a day or two? -THANKS
Hi Dan, make sure to dry them really well before and after smoking them, that way you can put them straight in the oven afterwards. Otherwise I’d say a day in the fridge does miracles for extra crispy wings. Enjoy !
I finally purchased one of those cooling racks you insist baking the wings on. The result is incredible. I can’t believe I can have such tender yet crispy wings that are baked and not fried. The cooling rack really does the job. So happy I listened and finally got one. Best wings I’ve ever had, no kidding !
Woohoo ! I believe in the cooling rack, no other way to make healthy crispy wings !
Could i bake them and then briefly grill them at the end?
Hi Dina, you sure could If you wanted too. Are you looking to get the grill marks look or are you more after the smoky taste of the grill ? Because you could also just use smoke paprika on the wings to replicate that flavor ~ Florentina
I could have eaten the whole pan in one sitting! But I didn’t. Ha! These were PERFECTION. Thanks for the recipe!
Woohoo! I’m so happy to hear Lori, thanks for stopping by to comment. Those chicken wings are always the winner for us on game day.
Hi, What rack in the oven do you bake your wings on??
In the middle is fine Janet 🙂
I just made them and they are SO Good!! Didn’t even need the dipping sauce! I made 2 batches, one with smoked paprika and the other with onion & garlic powder. Both delicious. This recipe is a keeperThanks
Woohoo! I’m so happy to hear 🙂