Love crispy buffalo wings but hate frying? Say hello to Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings! With a secret ingredient you likely have in your pantry, these wings are baked to crispy perfection. No grease, no fuss—just deliciously crispy wings that will fool any buffalo wing enthusiast.
These buffalo wings are CRRRISPY without deep frying—what is this sorcery?! With a simple method and an ingredient swap, you’ll get perfectly crispy wings every time. Want more tasty recipes? Check out our Sticky Oven Barbecue Ribs for another quick and satisfying meal made with the help of your oven. Follow along and see the magic unfold!
What Sets These Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings Apart?
What sets our Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings recipe apart from other food blogs? Crunch and Flavor! While we love chicken wings as much as the next guy—especially our Sticky Honey Sesame Chicken Wings and Sticky Thai Chicken Wings—we craved the ultimate crunch. Our secret? Aluminium-free baking powder. It gives the wings their irresistible crispiness without the hassle of deep frying.
But we didn’t stop there! This recipe pays homage to the classic Buffalo wings origin story from Teressa Bellissimo’s New York restaurant in the ’60s, complete with a creamy blue cheese dressing. If blue cheese isn’t your thing, our ranch dressing is just as delightful. With our method, you’ll achieve perfectly crispy, flavorful buffalo wings every time, no deep fryer needed. Dive in and discover the magic!
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings: Key Ingredients
The secret to these buffalo wings is in its key ingredients. Each one brings something special to create irresistibly crispy, flavorful wings. From the crunch-inducing aluminum-free baking powder to the tangy kick of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, let’s dive into what makes these Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings truly exceptional:
- Baking Powder: Make sure to use aluminium-free baking powder for the best results. This is crucial for achieving that perfect crispy skin without any unpleasant aftertaste. Trust me, you won’t taste it in the final dish as long as it’s aluminium-free.
- Frank’s Red Hot Sauce: For that authentic buffalo flavor, stick with Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce. Its tangy, spicy kick is unmatched and pairs perfectly with the crispy wings. If you like your wings extra spicy, you can mix in a bit more of this sauce. It’s the same ingredient that makes our Buffalo Chicken dip so special.
- Chicken Wings: Opt for high-quality chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats. Fresh, not frozen, is ideal for the best texture. Pat them dry thoroughly to ensure they get super crispy in the oven.
- Blue Cheese: Choose a good quality blue cheese for the dip. It should be crumbly and tangy, not overly soft or creamy. This will give you that bold flavor that perfectly complements the spicy wings.
*Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
When it comes to Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings, simplicity is key. Even if you’re missing a couple of ingredients, don’t fret—there are plenty of flavorful alternatives that will keep the wings crispy and delicious:
- Make It Spicier: If you love extra heat, try adding a bit of cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the seasoning mix. This will give your crispy baked buffalo wings an extra kick without altering the flavor balance.
- Swap the Sauce: Not a fan of buffalo sauce? You can easily switch it up with barbecue sauce or honey mustard for a different flavor profile while still enjoying that crispy texture.
- Use Different Dips: While blue cheese dip is a classic, feel free to serve your buffalo wings with ranch dressing, garlic aioli, or even a spicy sriracha mayo. These options complement the crispy wings perfectly.
Perfect Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings: Step-By-Step
Ready to create irresistibly Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings? Follow these simple steps with images to guide you through the process. You’ll achieve perfectly crispy wings with a flavorful buffalo sauce that will delight your taste buds and impress your guests.
- Preheat and Prep: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat to 450°F (230°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack inside.
- Pat Dry: Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels, squeezing out as much moisture as possible. Transfer them to a large bowl.
- Season the Wings: In a small bowl, combine baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over the wings and toss until evenly coated.
- Arrange and Bake: Arrange wings on the rack, leaving about 1-inch of space between each wing. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Flip and Cook: Flip the wings and continue to cook until golden brown and crispy, about 20-30 minutes longer.
- Make Buffalo Sauce: While wings are cooking, whisk together hot sauce, butter, and sugar. Toss wings through the sauce to evenly coat.
- Create Ranch Sauce: Alternatively, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, and salt for a ranch sauce.
- Serve: Serve wings immediately with blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing, and celery sticks.
And there you have it—your mouthwatering Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings are ready to enjoy! Looking for more game day specials? Check out our Oven Fried Chicken for another crispy delight, or dive into our Spinach Bacon Artichoke Dip for a crowd-pleasing appetizer. Craving something different? Try our Chicken Tenders (Lemon Garlic Parmesan) or our Beef Chili for a hearty and satisfying dish. Happy cooking, and enjoy exploring more scrumptious dishes on Café Delites!
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can use frozen chicken wings. Just be sure to thaw them completely and pat them dry to remove excess moisture for the crispiest results.
To keep the wings crispy, toss them in the sauce just before serving. You can also serve the sauce on the side for dipping.
Can I Make These Buffalo Wings In An Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook these wings in an air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C) and cook for 20-25 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
Crispy Buffalo Chicken Wings
Ingredients
CHICKEN WINGS
- 4 lbs chicken wings cut into drumettes and flats
- 1 tablespoon aluminium free baking powder not baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
BUFFALO SAUCE:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons honey or white sugar or brown sugar, adjust to suit your tastes
BLUE CHEESE DIP:
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese softened
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper to taste
TO SERVE:
- ¼ cup ranch dressing for serving
- ½ cup blue cheese dressing for serving
- 2-3 celery stalks for serving
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminium foil and set a heat-proof wire rack inside.
- Pat dry chicken wings liberally with paper towels, squeezing out as much moisture as you can. Transfer them to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine the baking powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper together, whisking well to combine, and sprinkle the mixture over the wings. Toss wings through the baking powder mixture until evenly coated.
- Arrange on rack, leaving about 1-inch of space between each wing.
- Bake for 30 minutes; flip and continue to cook until crisp and golden brown, (about 20-30 minutes longer), until golden browned and crispy.
- While wings are cooking, whisk together hot sauce, butter and sugar. Toss wings through the sauce to evenly coat.
- Serve wings immediately with blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing, and celery sticks.
Pat says
Made this recipe first over a year, it creates fantastic crispy chicken wings. Yummy! Thank you for sharing.
Karina says
Hi Pat! I’m so glad you enjoyed it
Milan says
Fantastic recipe! Followed recipe exactly.
My Son actually buys party wings with his own money just so I will make this recipe for him. It’s a home run, slam dunk and touchdown all in one. Perfect for Superbowl weekend. Easy.
Karina says
Thank you Milan! You just made my day. I’m so glad that both of you enjoyed it!
Nichole says
These are amazing and actually crispy! We serve the hot sauce on the side so they stay crispy. My husband and I would rather make these than get wings out. I also only use Bell and Evan’s wings. Yummy, thank you ☺️ Been making them for over 5 years
Swaita says
Hi, I was looking for a good recipe to make chicken wings at home with buffalo sauce when I came across your one a few months ago. Tried it out and now I make these chicken wings every couple of weeks. The kids and the hubby love them. Thank you very much for sharing.
Chris says
I had great results! I opted for Old Bay Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Salt and Baking Powder. I doubled up the size of the seasoning mix as well. They turned out fantastic!
Susan Hendrix says
Wonderful recipe! Husband, son and myself loved!! Followed recipe exactly. Use honey for sweetness. 2 tablespoons. The blue cheese was fabulous! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
Karina says
Hi Susan, I’m thrilled to hear that you, your husband, and son loved the recipe! Thank you for trying it out and sharing your positive experience!
Ana W. says
I worked from frozen wings which were still only partially thawed by the time I tossed them in the powder mix and baked. They crisped up fantastically, especially after a minute or two out of the oven. And they stayed crisp even after sitting in sauce for 30+ minutes. However, there was a slightly fishy flavor in my wings: maybe this was the baking powder? None of the other comments mentioned this flavor, so maybe my baking powder had gone bad. Either way, I do want to try this recipe a second time because the crisp was fantastic and the recipe so easy: just dry, shake, and bake!
Kim Hatton says
My wings and sauce came out great. They were crispy and tasty. In the future I want to make them in the stove instead of the toaster oven. The half portion of the recipe was pretty good.
Rochelle says
Well. Let me tell ya. Baking soda and powder are NOT interchageable. Oh man. Bummer. Hopefully I will get the courage to try again in the future. Oh man. 🤣