These baked chicken wings are so easy to make and turn out perfectly crispy every time! Top them with the irresistible hot honey sauce, enjoy them plain, or use your favorite wing sauce!
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Superbowl is just around the corner and that means that chicken wings are on the minds of most Americans.
Even though chicken wings are typically thought of as appetizers or 'grazing' food, we often have them for supper and they are one of my favorite easy meals to cook. These wings can be topped with any sauce you like (read the section 'variations' for some ideas!) but I have included my absolute favorite hot honey wing sauce.
If you are looking for some other appetizers to round out your spread, look no further, I have a ton of delicious appetizers that go great with wings. And if you do want to make them a meal, I suggest pairing them with zucchini tots or a simple coleslaw.
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken Wings - For the crispiest wings, I suggest only using fresh chicken wings, not the bagged frozen wings. If you do use frozen wings, be sure that they are completely thawed before cooked.
- Baking Powder - This makes the wings SUPER crispy. You can omit it but your wings won't be quite as crisp. I have also heard people use cornstarch but haven't personally tried that so I can't vouch for the results.
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic Powder - this is optional and can be omitted or swapped with yout favorite seasoning.
For the Hot Honey Sauce:
- Honey
- Butter - butter is optional, you can omit if if you prefer. You may need to increase the honey in order to have enough sauce to thourogly coat the wings
- Ground Cayenne or sriracha to taste
Lately, I have seen Hot Honey on the shelves at my grocery store. It is absolutely delicious, but it's pricy and is just essentially honey mixed with cayenne and a splash of vinegar. I like to make my own so that I can control the heat (and save some money) but if you prefer you can swap storebought hot honey for the honey and cayenne in this recipe.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
When I say that these wings are easy, I mean it. Just a few minutes of prep and about 40 minutes in the oven are all that stands in your way to oven-baked, crispy chicken wing heaven!
First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil (optional for easy clean up) and if desired, place a baking rack on top of the foil. Spray the rack with non-stick spray.
Tip: Using a baking rack prevents the wings from cooking in their juices and ensures that the wings get crispy all around. If you decide not to use a baking rack, you will want to flip the wings over after about 25 minutes. Also, no need for anything fancy. I simply use a cooling rack and it works great!
Next pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel. For the crispiest wings, you will want them to be super dry before heading to the next step.
After the wings are dry, place them in a large bowl and toss them in the baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until they are even coated.
Next, transfer the wings to the prepared baking sheet. Arrange them in a single layer, skin side up. Then, pop them in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the skin is a nice golden brown and the minimum internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
While the wings are in the oven, prepare the sauce by simply combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside until just before serving.
Just before serving, toss the wings in the sauce until they are fully coated.
Tip: Coating the wings in the sauce too soon before serving will cause them to lose some of their crispiness. This is the case for any wing sauce, not just this one. If you intend to set them out at a party, you may want to offer the sauce on the side so your guests can add it whenever they are enjoying a wing 😉
How to cut the chicken wings
You can absolutely leave the wings whole for this recipe. In fact, when I am making wings for my family's supper I generally don't cut them. While cutting them into drummettes and flats is super easy, it does take a few minutes. Here is how I cut chicken wings:
- Start out using a sharp, heavy knife. I use my ever faithful 6" Henckels chef's knife (affiliate) which I can't recomend enough if you are in the market for a good knife that you will literally use every single day.
- Place the wing skin side down so that you can easily see the joints. Feel for the ridge between the drumette and the flat.
- Cut through the joint right beside the ridge. Then repeat the process with the joint between the flat and the wing tip.
- Discard the wing tips (or save them to make homemade chicken stock)
If you still aren't sure, or you need a visual, check out this helpful video
Variations
Chicken is seriously one of the most versatile meats and these wings are no exception. Here are some ways to change up the recipe.
- Air Fryer - This is a great method if you only want to make wings for one or two people. Cook the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket at 380 degrees F for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through if desired.
- Make them super spicy - Following the recipe as it is written will result in a mild to medium heat. To make them even hotter, add ½ teaspoon of cayenne (or to taste) to the baking powder before cooking the wings. You can also increase the cayenne in the honey, add additional hot sauce, or even red chili flakes to the sauce if you would like.
- Use a different sauce - The possibilities for flavoring your chicken wings is absolutely endless! You can use your favorite bottled wing sauce, barbecue sauce, or buffalo sauce in place of the hot honey sauce. You could also leave them plain or toss them in a mixture of melted butter, garlic, and parmesan cheese for just a few ideas.
Equipment
To make these easy baked chicken wings you will need to following items:
- a half Sheet Pan
- Large Bowl for coating the wings in the seasoning and the sauce
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Baking Rack (optional) I use a cooling rack which works great.
- Aluminum Foil (optional)
- Non-Stick Spray or oil
- Paper Towels
Storage
Any leftover wings should be stored in the fridge in a sealed container. They will keep for up to 5 days. To reheat them, I suggest popping them in the oven at 375 degrees F for 5-7 minutes or until they are heated through. You may wish to add additional sauce.
I do not suggest freezing leftover wings.
FAQs
If you use a baking rack, you may find it unnecessary to flip the chicken wings when they are baking in the oven. If you do not use a baking rack you will want to flip them halfway through the baking time to ensure that they get crispy on all sides.
Cooking times can vary greatly but I generally find that 40-45 minutes at 425 degrees results in a perfectly cooked, crispy chicken wing. If you find that your cooking times vary greatly from this, then I suggest using an oven thermometer to ensure that your oven is at the proper temperature.
Yes! Adding a light coating of baking powder to chicken wings before baking them will give them a super crispy exterior similar to a fried wing.
To prevent your wings from getting soggy, wait to add your sauce until just before serving.
If you find that sauce isn't sticking to your wings it may be that your wings are too greasy. This isn't usually a problem with baked wings, but if you fried your wings, be sure to thoroughly drain all the grease before adding sauce.
Top tip
Using a baking rack prevents the wings from cooking in their juices and ensures that the wings get crispy all around. If you decide not to use a baking rack, you will want to flip the wings over after about 25 minutes. Also, no need for anything fancy. I simply use a cooling rack and it works great!
📖 Recipe
Easy Baked Chicken Wings with Hot Honey Sauce
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Baking Rack optional
- Non-Stick Spray
- Paper Towels
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb Chicken Wings
- 3 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
For Hot Honey Sauce:
- ¼ cup Honey
- 2 tablespoon Butter Melted
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cayenne more or less to taste
- pinch Salt
Instructions
- Place your baking rack in the upper middle space in your oven and Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on the pan. Spray the rack with non-stick spray The wire rack is optional but will help get the wings super crispy!
- If desired, cut the whole chicken wings into drumettes and flats, discarding the tips. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel.4-5 lb Chicken Wings
- Place the chicken wings in a large bowl. Add the baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss the wings in the bowl until they are fully coated in the seasoning and baking powder mixture.3 tablespoon Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- Place the chicken wings in a single layer, skin side up on the baking rack.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165° F and the skin is golden and crispy.
- To prepare the sauce, combine all of the ingredients until well mixed.¼ cup Honey, 2 tablespoon Butter, ½ teaspoon Ground Cayenne, pinch Salt
- Just before serving, place the cooked chicken wings in a large bowl and toss them in the sauce to coat. Serve Immediately and enjoy!
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
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