Oven Baked Wings

My mom’s tried and true crispy oven baked wings recipe that I have been in love with for over half my life. It is my absolute favorite baked chicken wing recipe of all time! There is no flour or batter, just easy to find seasonings. Every time I make these oven baked chicken wings, everyone raves about them and asks for the recipe. Honestly, they are just finger lickin’ good!

Are oven baked chicken wings as good as fried wings?

My nana used to make us the best fried chicken. I mean, we LOVED this chicken. When she would travel to see us, she would carefully wrap her chicken in paper towel, and put it in ziploc bags, and then pack it in her luggage. I am serious. Whenever we visited her in Florida, she always had a batch of chicken cooking as we walked in. She knew what we wanted!

Frying chicken takes a lot of work, and I feel so honored that my Nana did all that work for us so many times. These days, we rarely fry anything, so we eat a lot of grilled or baked chicken. And I know not all baked chicken is good. It could easily get dried out if you cook it too long. But, you know what tastes great in the oven? Wings! I am going to teach you how to make the most amazing oven baked wings, because my mom taught me. It’s only fair.

My mom has her own chicken wing recipe. She does not fry the chicken, but she bakes it in such a way that the wings remain so flavorful, juicy, and even have a little crisp to them. My family goes nuts for these wings, the same way we used to go nuts over my Nana’s wings. I think my Nana would be really proud to know that we have carried on her chicken wing making skills, because these oven baked chicken wings are amazing!

How long does it take to make oven baked wings?

There are two ways to bake these chicken wings. The first way is to cook them at 400F for 40 minutes, then at 425F for 11-13 minutes. Cook them on the top rack.

The second way is to cook them at 400F for 45 minutes, then 175F for 40 minutes. This way creates a slightly crispier wing, but it takes a little longer to make it. So, choose what is best for you, and then gather your ingredients so you can start cooking.

To be honest, I normally cook them using the first method because I am usually starving and do not have a lot of time to wait. The flavor is so good, that I don’t care about extra crispiness.

How do you separate a whole wing?

You do not need to separate a whole wing before you cook it. I have cooked whole wings in the same way as below and they come out great. However, if you do want to separate your wings, this is the easiest way to separate your wings. A whole wing consists of the flat part and the drumette, plus a little wing tip.

In order to cut off the wing tip, hold a sharp knife at the center of the joint, and cut through at the top end of the tip. You can then save those wing tips to make homemade chicken stock. To separate the flat from the drumette, you can just slice through the middle of the joint. It takes a little finagling, but it will work. And if it is too much work, don’t worry, just bake your wings whole!

How long to cook wings at 400F?

Bake at 400F for 40 minutes on the top rack. Remove from the oven, increase the temperature to 425F, flip over the wings so that the skin is on the top. Put them back in the oven for another 13-15 minutes.

Alternative Cooking Method for Crispier Wings: Cook the wings at 400F for 40 minutes. Lower the temperature to 170F, flip the wings, and leave the wings in the oven for an additional 40-60 minutes.

How do you chicken cook wings in the oven?

INGREDIENTS  

• 4 lbs Chicken Wings – I normally buy my wings already split, but I have also bought full wings. If you need help figuring out how to cut your wings, I have a whole paragraph above about “how to split your wings”
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil or Avocado – Truthfully any oil will do, but you do want to choose one that will hold up to high heat and has a neutral taste.
• 1.5 packets Sazon made by Goya – I grew up eating this and for a few years I stopped eating it because I was scared of using MSG. However, in recent years the FDA came out and said MSG is safe and even the Whole 30 founders have said it was ok. So, I am back to eating MSG in moderation and adding Sazon to my food.
• 1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning – You can literally find this anywhere. I normally use it for seafood but you must try it on these wings. Please don’t substitute it.
• 1/4 cup Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce or a little less – the wing sauce, not the hot sauce. This is an important distinction to make.
• 1/8 cup White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar – Tenderizes the meat and adds a little tang

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Set your Oven – Preheat the oven to 400F
• Prep your Baking Sheet – Line an extra large baking sheet with aluminum foil and then add a wire rack on top of the aluminum foil
• Prep your Chicken – Add your chicken wings to a large bowl.
• Add your spices – Add in your oil, old bay, and sazon and give it a good stir
• Add a little bit of sauce – Add your hot sauce and vinegar and toss the wings around a few times.
• Put your wings on the rack – Add your wings to the wire rack skin side down, making sure they do not touch.
• Time to Bake! – Bake at 400F for 40 minutes on the top rack. Remove from the oven, increase the temperature to 425F, flip over the wings so that the skin is on the top. Put them back in the oven for another 13-15 minutes.
• Alternative Cooking Method for Crispier Wings: Cook the wings at 400F for 40 minutes. Lower the temperature to 170F, flip the wings, and leave the wings in the oven for an additional 40-60 minutes.

If you think this recipe, you may also like:

Air Fryer Parmesan Chicken Wings