Crispy baked Buffalo wings get their browned skin from a hot oven, dry surfaces and space on a rack. A measured butter-hot sauce coating keeps the familiar tangy flavor.
Tips for crispy baked buffalo wings
Use baking powder, not baking soda. Dry wings carefully and use two pans if needed; crowding traps moisture. Toss with sauce at serving time because a wet coating softens the crisp skin.
Substitutions and serving ideas
Choose a cayenne-based hot sauce you already like. These are skin-on wings, not a lean-chicken recipe. Ranch or blue-cheese dip is an extra. The edible-yield assumption makes kitchen weighing a priority before final approval.
Helpful equipment: rimmed sheet pans catch drips beneath oven-safe racks; check that any rack you use is rated for oven heat.
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Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
- 3 lb chicken wing sections raw bone-in flats and drumettes; tips removed
- 1 tbsp aluminum-free baking powder not baking soda
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1/3 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 stalks celery cut into sticks
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F. Set oven-safe wire racks over two foil-lined rimmed sheet pans. Pat wing sections very dry with paper towels; discard towels and wash hands and surfaces after raw poultry handling.
- Toss wings with baking powder, garlic powder and salt until lightly coated. Arrange on racks with space between pieces. Bake 45–55 minutes, turning after about 25 minutes and rotating pans, until browned and crisp with at least 165°F in several thick pieces away from bone.
- Near the end, melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat and stir in hot sauce. Take off heat. Toss hot cooked wings with all the sauce just before serving.
- Divide the full batch and celery equally into four servings. Wing sizes vary, so split the batch by weight or equal shares rather than relying on a fixed piece count. Nutrition assumes 60% of the purchased raw wing weight is edible meat and skin; bones are not eaten. No dip is included.
Notes
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate in shallow covered containers within 2 hours at 40°F or below. Use within 3–4 days. Reheat the portion needed to 165°F. Freeze for up to 2 months if desired, then thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat unsauced wings on a rack at 375°F until 165°F, then add reserved sauce. Freezing and microwaving soften the skin.
More meal ideas
For another option, try High Protein Buffalo Chicken Wraps. Our meal-prep guide covers portioning and keeping components fresh.
About the nutrition
One quarter of the wing batch and celery; bones excluded from edible nutrition. All listed sauces, sides and toppings are included; extra serving suggestions are separate. Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed quantities and serving count. Total carbohydrates include fiber. Brands, portions and substitutions change the result.