These crispy oven-baked chicken wings are the perfect way to enjoy your favorite flavors in an easy-to-make but an oh-so-delicious treat.
You are probably most familiar with deep-fat fried chicken wings. But here’s a secret. You can still enjoy that crunch when you bake chicken wings in the oven.
Not only do you still get the flavors you love, but you cut down on calories and fat. Plus, you will find clean up after baking far easier than cleaning out the fryer. I’ll be honest. That is my favorite argument for oven-crisping anything!
Americans Love to Eat Chicken Wings!
Whether you air fry, deep-fry, grill, oven bake, or smoke your chicken wings, one thing appears crystal clear.
Americans love wings!
The National Chicken Council reported in 2020 that on the big “game day” at the end of football season, Americans eat 1.4 billion wings. In. One. Day.
They put that into perspective by noting that if you placed that enormous number of wings end to end, the would circle the globe three times!
Their report also that Americans prefer to eat chicken wings at a particular time — gametime! It turns out that 65 percent of people prefer to consume this treat while watching a sporting event.
Interesting!
Benefits of Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings Instead of Deep Frying
- MAINTAIN A HEALTHIER WEIGHT: Chicken wings contain a fairly significant fat content, primarily due to the skin. When you oven-bake wings instead of frying them, you reduce your fat intake and calories. Thus, you increase your odds of maintaining a healthy weight.
- KEEP YOUR LIVER HEALTHIER: When you deep-fat fry, the vegetable oil undergoes a chemical change called oxidation. Overconsumption of this oil can cause liver damage, especially when cooks “recycle” the oil for multiple uses.
- HEART HEALTH: Cooking oils may contain trans fats which contribute to heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. If you make oven baked chicken wings, you take out the guesswork!
- ENJOY GOOD FLAVOR: Once you learn our spice suggestions and the correct method to ensure you turn out crispy chicken wings, you will not miss the fryer.
If you decide to bake chicken wings in the oven, you use a dry heat that can make an equally crispy, delicious bite. Plus, you bring the bold flavors that you expect in the dry rubs and sauces that season the meat.
Seasoning Blends for Making Baked Chicken Wings in the Oven
Some of these seasonings are hot, others are mild. Flavor is subjective, so feel free to adjust to suit your tastes!
For each blend, you should put the herbs and spices into a food processor or spice mill to grind them into similar textures and sizes. Uniformity is the key to even coating of the wings.
You can simplify matters in a pinch by grabbing the pre-blended seasonings from the grocery store with any of these. But what’s the fun in that?
Herbs de Provence:
This classic French seasoning gives the wings a warm, welcoming aroma.
- Rosemary
- Fennel seed
- Thyme
- Sweet basil
- Lavender
- Italian parsley
- Tarragon
- Oregano
For pre-blended Herbs de Provence.
Cajun Seasoning:
Do you love the mild, savory flavors of New Orleans? Try jazzing up your chicken wings with these traditional Cajun flavors.
- Paprika
- Salt
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Cayenne pepper (just a pinch)
- Dried basil
- Ground cumin
If you want to purchase a pre-blended product at the store, I love Tony Cachere’s Original Creole Seasoning.
Latin Seasoning Blend:
Those who like the moderate heat of Latin American foods will enjoy patting this rub into their chicken wings:
- Chili powder
- Ground cumin
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cilantro
- Adobo powder
- Red pepper
When time runs short, Goya’s Sazon Seasoning Blend is the most authentic pre-packed seasoning I’ve found.
Asian-Inspired Flavors:
If you don’t like “hot,” but you enjoy savory, the Pacific Rim’s flavors might appeal to you. Try these traditional spices.
- Star anise
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Fennel seeds
- Onion powder
- Poppy seeds
- Sesame seeds
My favorite pre-packed blend is Simply Asia Sweet Ginger Garlic Seasoning.
How to Make Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Now that you have some yummy seasoning ideas, let’s get those baked chicken wings into the oven!
Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 pound of chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (for easier cleaning later). If you don’t have parchment, use a non-stick cookie sheet.
- Clean the wings, ensuring that no feathers remain (happens often!)
- Place the wings, olive oil, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat them evenly. The baking powder is the agent that will crisp the skin.
- Use tongs in a "clean hand" to place the wings in one single layer on the baking sheet.
- Using the "one wet hand, one dry hand" method, making sure you don’t touch anything with the "wet hand" (in this case, chicken hand), sprinkle seasoning rub liberally across the wings. Press in the seasoning. Flip the wings over and season the opposite side.
- Stop now and wash your hands with hot water and soap! Use the "clean hand" to turn on the tap.
- Transfer the tray of wings to your oven for 15 minutes. Use your tongs to flip them over, then bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure they reach 165° internal temperature.
- Serve them "dry," toss them in your favorite sauce, or dip them.
Nutrition
Saucing Your Oven Baked Chicken Wings
After you get that perfect spice blend and bake perfectly crisped wings, you might want to sauce them—or, as I prefer—dip them.
How to Make Chicken Wing Sauces
- HOMEMADE WING SAUCE: 1/8 cup of Frank’s Red Hot, heated in a saucepan, and with a nice pat of butter added. The creaminess of the butter smoothes the edge off of the heat. Toss the wings in the sauce to coat them evenly.
- BARBECUE SAUCE: Use your favorite bbq sauce as a delicious finish.
- BUTTER AND PARMESAN: In a saucepan:
- Melt 1/2 stick of butter, remove from the heat
- Stir in two heaping tablespoons of grated parmesan or Romano cheese.
- Pour mixture over the wings.
- (Optionally), add a finely minced clove of garlic to the butter and cook until soft before adding the cheese. Be sure to give the garlic enough time to soften up without scorching, so you don’t crunch down on hard, raw garlic!
- HONEY-GINGER GLAZE: In a saucepan, warm:
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon chopped or minced ginger
Cook on low until the soy sauce reduces and it thickens slightly.
- CREAMY RANCH DIPPING SAUCE: Mix up a batch or our ranch dressing recipe for a creamy, cool dip that’s a nice counterpoint to hotter spice rubs.
- HONEY MUSTARD DIP: In a mixing bowl, stir, blend or whisk together:
- 4 tablespoons of yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
Refrigerate this dip until you are ready to serve.
- CAESAR OR CREAMY ITALIAN DRESSING: Use your favorite brand of pre-made dressing as a delicious wing sauce.
As you can see, the flavor combinations between the various seasoning options and the finishing sauces and glazes are almost limitless! The only question is this: Which flavor of crispy oven baked chicken wings will you make first?
We’d love to hear how it goes for you. Feel free to share your comments, photos, feedback and/or questions in the comments below of via email.