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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 Honey Sesame Chicken 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.
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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
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
BUFFALO SAUCE:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 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:
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese softened
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper to taste
TO SERVE:
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing for serving
- 1/2 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made these for Super Bowl Sunday. I’ve tried making wings before and they we’re never any good. These were amazing and I will definitely be making them again!
Best wings ever. Followed directions to the t! Left dried wings in refrigerator overnight on rack in rimmed cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil after dredging in regular baking powder and garlic powder. Baked for 1 hour at 450 turning at the 30 minute mark. Very little dripping so no smoke.
After baking tossed in Frank’s Buffalo wing sauce (hot) and melted butter, but omitted the sugar since we like our wings hot! Our Super Bowl wings were a success! Will surely make them again. Thank you!!
This is the best recipe!! I changed up the Buffalo sauce and did a lemon pepper (a spice found in any grocery store) and they were so so so good. I also find I don’t need to leave them as long as the recipe calls for. Lastly, the key step is definitely pat drying them really well. I didn’t do it so well once time and they came out soggy. 5 star recipe!
These come out so perfect! Thank you! I used this recipe but adapted the baking time for my air fryer that has 2 racks. I made sure to pat the wings super dry w/paper towel. Tossed about 2 lbs of wings in the mixture as described (my baking powder had aluminum, it was fine). I cooked in batches to leave about 1 inch of space between each wing and flipped halfway. I did 400 degrees for total of 30 mins in air fryer. Cooked perfectly!! Tossed in the Buffalo sauce as described (1 tbsp of honey)…amazing!!
Perfection! You literally can’t get better than this – they are SO crispy and delicious! Especially with the red hot/butter/honey sauce – O M G. 💃Thank you!
I wish I could give this recipe more stars.
I never would have thought to make wings, but my son requested them for his birthday dinner, and with COVID, going out to eat wasn’t an option. These are the best wings I have ever had; better than any restaurant wings, including the Anchor Bar in Buffalo. We couldn’t stop raving as we ate them. An absolute do-over.
Thank you! Now, off to explore the rest of your site.
SUCH a great and easy recipe. Last time I made wings they weren’t crispy at all and I was so disappointed beca I followed the recipe to a “T”. But I didn’t know the secret! I am so glad I stumbled upon this recipe because the trick totally worked! I also added the sweetness to the sauce in the form of Agave. Altho 2 Tbsp was a bit too much, 1 or 1 1/2 is what I’ll do next. But still good to have it included. Thank you so much!
I am as picky as they come when it comes to making delicious food and these were certifiably the bomb! The blue cheese dip was delicious, the buffalo sauce was delicious, and the wings were perfectly crisp. I would NOT put any sauce on them to bake it on after you’re done baking them. I’m sure it will mess up the crispness. Dipping the wings into the sauces works awesome and brings the flavor.
Made these last Sunday, my husband loved them, really crisp and so good!!! I made my own aluminum free baking powder! Worked great!! Press wings in a towel and got out as much moisture as possible. Refrigerated them till I baked them.
Your recipes are the best!! Thank you so much!
I didn’t know you could make your own baking powder! Clever! In a pinch, try cornstarch. I use it instead of flour for crispy chicken cordon bleu. But can’t wait to make this recipe, as is!
Aren’t these wings amazing? I have to double or triple the quantity of the dry ingredients to have enough for the wings (I roll each wing in the dry ingredients rather than put the dry stuff on the wings). I have never liked Buffalo flavored wings until these. I made them first for my husband who prefers buffalo flavored; but now they’re for both of us because they are so gooood. We rarely use any blue cheese or ranch with them; they don’t need it.
So I just tried this recipe tonight and my god were these wings delicious. Possibly the best I’ve ever had! I don’t try many recipes outside of Blue Apron which I’ve been doing for a while, but this recipe is now saved on my phone. They weren’t even that crispy, possibly because I didn’t refrigerate overnight. And I didn’t even make the dip- just the hot sauce. I used a little more baking powder than in the recipe. And I used monk fruit sugar and a little honey as the sweetener. Not that this is better, but maybe fewer calories? Who am I kidding. Haha
One tip: mix the baking powder and salt together, grind it to get an extra fine powder to coat the chicken to avoid clumping.