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Crispy baked chicken wings get their crunch from one pantry trick: toss raw wings in baking powder, salt, and pepper, then bake low at 250F to dry out the skin and finish hot at 425F to blister it crisp. No frying and no flour, just crunchy oven wings ready to toss in any sauce you love.
I cooked wings the same boring way for years before I tried this, and it felt like cheating. Thirty seconds of tossing and they come out crispy on the outside and juicy inside, no deep fryer and no oil splatter all over the stove. I like mine tossed in Assi Sweet Chili K-Chicken sauce, but the method works with whatever you reach for.
If you love getting maximum crispiness from the oven, these Loaded Hash Browns use the same oven-only approach to turn frozen hash browns into a crispy, cheesy taco-loaded game day dish.
Does Baking Powder Help Wings Get Crispy?
Yes, baking powder is the single best trick for crispy oven wings. It raises the pH of the skin and helps draw moisture to the surface where it evaporates, leaving the skin dry, blistered, and crisp instead of rubbery. Use baking powder, not baking soda, and make sure it is aluminum-free so there is no metallic aftertaste. Serious Eats covers the science behind this in their ultra-crispy oven wings guide.
How Do You Make Chicken Crispy in the Oven With Baking Powder?
Toss 10 wings with about 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper until evenly coated in a thin layer. Set them on a rack over a foil-lined pan so air circulates underneath, then do the two-temperature bake: 250F for 30 minutes, then crank it to 425F for another 40 minutes without taking them out. The low stage dries the skin and the high stage crisps it.
What’s the Secret to Crispy Oven Wings?
The secret is dry skin and airflow. Pat the wings dry, coat them in baking powder, and bake them on a wire rack so the heat hits all sides at once instead of steaming the bottoms on a flat pan. A two-stage low-then-high bake takes it the rest of the way. The Kitchn tested several methods and the baking powder approach won their crispy wings showdown, which lines up with how these come out.
Is It Better to Use Cornstarch or Baking Powder for Crispy Chicken Wings?
Both crisp the skin, but they work differently. Baking powder changes the skin chemistry for a thin, blistered, almost-fried crackle, while cornstarch forms a light coating that crunches more like a breading. For naturally crispy, sauce-ready wings I reach for baking powder. If you want a thicker crunch that really clings to sauce, you can use a half-and-half mix of the two.
Tips for Making Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
1. Use baking powder, not baking soda
This matters. Baking soda is much stronger and too much leaves a soapy, metallic taste. Baking powder is the right call, and aluminum-free is best.
2. Pat the wings dry
Blot the raw wings with paper towels before tossing. The drier they start, the crispier they finish, since you aren’t fighting extra surface moisture in the oven.
3. Bake on a rack
Set the wings on an oven-safe rack over a foil-lined pan. Lifting them off the surface lets hot air crisp the bottoms instead of leaving them soft and pale.
4. Sauce at the very end
Let the wings rest 5 minutes out of the oven, then toss with sauce right before serving so they stay crispy. Saucing too early softens that hard-earned crunch. These hold up well on a party table next to my parmesan dumpling skirt.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Baking pan
- Aluminum foil
- Wire cooling rack
Storage and Leftovers
Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To bring back the crunch, reheat them in a 400F oven or an air fryer for about 8 minutes rather than the microwave, which makes the skin soft. Sauce leftovers fresh rather than storing them already coated. For a bigger crispy spread, my crispy rice sushi bake is an easy crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
This makes 10 wings, enough for 2 to 3 people as a snack or appetizer.
- 10 party wings. Patted dry. A mix of drums and flats is great.
- 1 tbsp baking powder. Not baking soda. Aluminum-free is best for flavor.
- 1/2 tsp salt. Seasons the skin.
- 1/2 tsp pepper. Freshly ground if you have it.
- 1/4 cup sauce of choice. I like Assi Sweet Chili K-Chicken dipping sauce, but buffalo, BBQ, or honey garlic all work.
Instructions
- Season. Dump the wings into a large mixing bowl, add the salt, pepper, and baking powder, and toss with your hands until evenly coated in a thin layer.
- Rack them up. Line an oven pan with foil and set the wings on an oven-safe rack over the pan.
- Low and slow. Bake at 250F for 30 minutes to dry out the skin.
- Crank the heat. Without removing the wings, turn the oven up to 425F and bake another 40 minutes until deep golden and crispy.
- Rest. Take the wings out and let them rest 5 minutes.
- Sauce. Toss the wings with your favorite sauce in a clean bowl and serve right away.
If you try these crispy baked chicken wings, leave a star rating on the recipe card below and let me know in the comments which sauce you went with. I’m always looking for new ones.
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Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
- Total Time: 75
- Yield: 10 wings 1x
Description
Extra-crispy baked chicken wings made with a baking powder hack and a low-then-high oven bake. No frying, no flour, just crackly oven wings for any sauce.
Ingredients
- 10 party wings, patted dry
- 1 tbsp baking powder (not baking soda)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup sauce of choice (such as Assi Sweet Chili K-Chicken)
Equipment
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Season. Toss the wings in a large bowl with the salt, pepper, and baking powder until evenly coated in a thin layer.
- Rack them up. Line an oven pan with foil and set the wings on an oven-safe rack over the pan.
- Low and slow. Bake at 250F for 30 minutes to dry the skin.
- Crank the heat. Without removing them, raise the oven to 425F and bake 40 more minutes until deep golden and crispy.
- Rest. Let the wings rest 5 minutes.
- Sauce. Toss with your favorite sauce in a clean bowl and serve right away.
Notes
- Use baking powder, not baking soda; too much soda tastes metallic.
- Aluminum-free baking powder avoids any off aftertaste.
- Pat the wings dry first; drier skin crisps better.
- Bake on a rack so air crisps the bottoms instead of steaming them.
- Sauce only at the end, and reheat leftovers in the oven or air fryer to re-crisp.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 70
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 4 wings
- Calories: 360 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg