These homemade buffalo wings are so easy to make, and they come out of the oven hot, crispy, and delicious.
They are absolutely perfect when served with a creamy blue cheese dip and some fresh, crisp celery sticks!
My entire family loves these delicious hot wings! So I make them often, because I really enjoy them too, and also because they are very easy to make (what can I say, I'm a lazy cook).
The idea is simple: first, you bake the wings in the oven, then you dip them in a hot buttery sauce. Simple and so delicious!
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make homemade buffalo wings. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Fresh chicken wings: I buy the trays labeled as "party wings" where the whole wings are already separated into flats and drumettes.
- Avocado oil spray: Avocado oil is a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point, making it very suitable for high-heat cooking and baking.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.
- Spices: I use a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
- For the sauce: Melted butter and your favorite hot pepper sauce.
Instructions
Making buffalo wings at home is easy! The best part of this recipe is that it's baked rather than fried. It’s so much easier to bake chicken wings than to deep-fry them, and they come out perfect - crispy, well-seasoned, and so delicious.
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are included in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
- Your first step is to season the wings, spray them with oil, and bake them until fully cooked, about 30 minutes at 400°F.
- Now lower the oven to the "keep warm" setting (170°F) and keep the wings in the oven for 30 more minutes. This step will help crisp up the skin.
- Ten minutes before pulling the wings out of the oven, mix the melted butter and the hot sauce.
- Dip the wings in the sauce. I use tongs and dip them one by one, as you can see in the video below.
Expert tips
- While the wings should be fully cooked after about 30 minutes in a 400°F oven, keeping them in the oven (on the "keep warm" setting) for 30 more minutes makes them wonderfully crispy.
- Make sure to mix the buffalo sauce ten minutes before using it, allowing it to rest and thicken.
Frequently asked questions
Apparently, this dish was invented in 1964 in a family-owned restaurant in Buffalo, N.Y. called the Anchor Bar.
The wings were the creation of Teressa Bellissimo, who covered them in her own special sauce and served them with a side of blue cheese dressing and celery because that’s what she had available.
So just like so many other great culinary masterpieces, hot wings were born out of necessity!
I prefer baking, simply because it's so much easier than deep-frying. And while deep-frying does make for extra crispy skin, my method of baking the wings and then leaving them in a warm oven for 30 minutes achieves a similar result in the oven.
There's no need to use flour in this recipe. The skin comes out wonderfully crispy thanks to the hot oven temperature and those extra 30 minutes in a warm oven.
Simply use your favorite sauce! I prefer a hot sauce where the first ingredient is hot peppers rather than vinegar. Frank's RedHot and Louisiana Hot Sauce are two brands that I use often.
But I also like to use small brands such as Arizona Pepper, which is the sauce I use in the video below.
Variation
While I almost always opt for "party wings," sometimes I use whole wings that weren't split into flats and drumettes. They're a bit messier to eat, but they are very good.
Sometimes I even leave the tips on - they become deliciously crunchy in the oven.
Serving suggestions
You can serve these tasty wings just like Teressa Bellissimo did, with fresh celery and blue cheese dressing (or ranch dressing).
I sometimes make them for dinner as a main course, and then I serve them with any side dish I would normally make, such as steamed broccoli or jicama fries.
Storing leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.
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Recipe card
Buffalo Wings Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 3 lb. split chicken wings tips removed
- Avocado oil spray
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Buffalo Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 4 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper.
- Arrange the chicken wings on the prepared baking sheet. Spray them with oil, then sprinkle them with kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Then give them another quick spray of oil.
- Bake the wings until the skin is browned and crispy, about 30 minutes. Lower the oven to "keep warm" (170 degrees F) and keep the wings in the oven for 30 more minutes, to crisp up the skin.
- Ten minutes before the wings are ready, prepare the Buffalo sauce: gently melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the hot sauce and whisk to combine.
- Using tongs, toss the wings in the Buffalo sauce. Serve immediately, with (if desired) blue cheese dip and celery sticks.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
- While the wings should be fully cooked after about 30 minutes in a 400°F oven, keeping them in the oven (on the "keep warm" setting) for 30 more minutes makes them wonderfully crispy.
- Make sure to mix the buffalo sauce ten minutes before using it, allowing it to rest and thicken.
ADD YOUR OWN NOTES
NUTRITION PER SERVING
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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. 