These baked chicken wings are so easy to make, and they come out of the oven crispy and delicious.
Simply bake them in a 400°F oven for 40 minutes. If you want them extra-crispy, leave them in a warm oven for 30-60 more minutes.
Wings are my favorite part of the chicken. The ratio of juicy meat to crispy skin is perfect, more so than any other chicken part, including chicken drumsticks and crispy baked chicken thighs.
I prefer to bake wings in the oven instead of frying them because baking is a hands-off approach, much easier than frying, and the wings are just as good as fried ones. They have wonderfully crispy skin and delightfully juicy meat.
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Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
Fresh chicken wings: I usually buy them in trays labeled as "party wings." As discussed below, using whole wings in this recipe is fine.
Butter: I use salted butter in this recipe. Unsalted butter works, too.
To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
Variations
- Use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. I experimented with both versions and liked them equally.
- Add a teaspoon of onion powder.
- Try them with a tablespoon or two of Everything But The Bagel Seasoning! This is my daughter's favorite version.
- Instead of tossing the wings in melted butter, you can arrange them in the pan and spray them with olive oil.
- After baking, dip them in homemade buffalo sauce to make buffalo wings.
Instructions
Here's an overview of the steps for making this recipe. The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below.
Toss the wings in melted butter (or liberally spray them with oil) and sprinkle them with spices. Arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet fitted with a wire rack, or skip the rack and use parchment paper.
Bake the wings until they are cooked through and their skin is browned and crispy, for about 40 minutes.
If you want them extra-crispy, lower the oven temperature to 170°F and keep the wings in the oven for 30-60 more minutes. Here's what they look like after 30 extra minutes in a warm oven:
Serve them immediately, on their own, or with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.
Whole Wings vs. Party Wings
I usually buy chicken wings labeled as "party wings." This means the whole wings were split into flats and drumettes, with the tips removed. But you can use this recipe exactly as written to bake whole wings.
If using whole wings, the steps for baking them are identical. Coat them in melted butter (or olive oil) and spices and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake the wings in a 400°F oven as usual. After 40 minutes, they will be ready:
But if you lower the oven to 170°F and keep them in the oven for 30 more minutes, they will become browned and crispy:
Expert Tip
In the photo above, you can see a pin feather sticking out of one of the wings. That's completely normal. Simply pull it out with your fingers. It will be easier to pull out with a paper towel or kitchen tweezers.
Recipe FAQs
There's no need for flour. The skin crisps beautifully in the hot oven, especially if you keep the wings in a warm oven for 30-60 extra minutes after they're done.
Absolutely. Oven-baking makes them just as crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside as frying them, and it's a much easier cooking method.
No. As you can see in this buffalo wings recipe, you bake them first, then dip the cooked wings in the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
These wings are the perfect game-day appetizer, but I often serve them as our main course for dinner. Since I bake them in a 400°F oven, I like to serve them with a side dish that I can cook in the same oven, such as:
- Roasted asparagus
- Roasted carrots
- Broccoli tots
- Cauliflower tots
- Roasted mini peppers
- Roasted cabbage
- Jicama fries
They also pair well with salads, including cucumber salad, tomato salad, and coleslaw - as shown in the photo below:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them uncovered in a 350°F oven to re-crisp the skin.
You can also freeze the leftovers. Place the cooked wings in freezer bags and freeze them for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then reheat them.
More Chicken Wing Recipes
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Recipe Card
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings - split, tips removed
- 2 tablespoons butter - melted
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or 1 teaspoon of any other salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika - or smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and fit them with wire racks. You can also use parchment-lined baking sheets and skip the rack.
- In a large bowl, toss the wings with melted butter. Arrange the coated wings in a single layer on the wire racks, not touching each other. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Bake the wings until they are cooked through and their skin is browned and crispy, about 40 minutes.
- For extra-crispy skin, lower the oven temperature to 170℉ and keep the wings in the oven for 30-60 more minutes.
- Serve immediately. They pair well with blue cheese or ranch dressing.
Video
Notes
- Instead of tossing the wings in melted butter, you can arrange them in the pan and spray them with olive oil.
- I typically use split wings, but you can use this recipe to bake whole wings.
- If your oven runs hot, the wings could be ready after 30 minutes.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them uncovered in a 350°F oven to re-crisp the skin.
- You can also freeze the leftovers. Place the cooked wings in freezer bags and freeze them for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then reheat them.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Felicia Molett
I was out of EVOO but used avocado oil instead of butter. Other than that, I followed the recipe in its entirety. My family of picky eaters approved! Thank you for sharing this easy and delicious recipe.
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Felicia! Thanks for taking the time to write a review.
Jen
these are absolutely delicious and my boys go nuts whenever I make them..thank you for an amazing recipe!!!
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Jen! Thank you for making this recipe and for taking the time to leave your feedback. I appreciate it!
Mandi
Seriously so good!
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm glad you like these wings, Mandi! Thanks for the comment.
Kay
The BEST wings ever! I’m not a fan of fried, so I was looking for something baked. Everyone at the Super Bowl party raved about them. This will be my go to recipe from now on. I used oil instead of butter. Tossed with Franks sauce and served with blue cheese dressing. YUM!!
Vered DeLeeuw
Thanks so much for this comment, Kay! I'm so glad these wings were a success yesterday. ❤️
Kendall
These were so easy and delicious! Made them exactly as written and served them with a choice of sauces. Crispy and juicy!
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kendall! Thank you for the comment.
Jenna
These are amazing and my pickup kids love them! I add a tiny bit of onion powder and do half paprika and half smoked. Thanks for sharing. I love your recipes!! xx
Vered DeLeeuw
Thank you, Jenna! Glad you and the kids like these wings. 🙂
Darcy
Absolutely the best oven cooked wing recipe I have discovered. Thank you for sharing.
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Darcy!
Erika A
This is the BEST baked chicken wings recipe EVER! The tip of using oil instead of butter and baking them for 30 minutes at 400 degrees and then reducing the temperature to 170 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes was absolutely BRILLIANT! YUM-ME! Thank you.
Vered DeLeeuw
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Erika! I make it almost every week; everyone here insists I do. 🙂
Odessa Baker
This is a terrific wings recipe. The only suggestion I would say is to definitely use oil instead of butter. When I tossed the wings in the butter, it turned the butter back to semi-solid, so using oil from now on. Other than that, these are great! The flavor is really good with just those few ingredients; I would even dare say they're good by themselves even though we chose to toss them in buffalo sauce. Of course, the healthy side of me loves that they're baked and not fried. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Odessa!
roger
I like this recipe, after cooking the wings for 40 mins at 415, i just shut the oven off and waited 30 mins, thank you..
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you liked it, Roger!