Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

February 12. 2024

These baked chicken wings are easy to make; they are crispy and delicious. Simply bake them in a 400°F oven for 40 minutes.

Summary

  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 40 min
  • Other: 30-60 min @ 170 °F to further crisp skin (optional)
  • Total Time: 55 min
  • Servings: 4
  • Yield: ~ 24 wing pieces

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds chicken wings split, tips removed
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 teaspoon of any other salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
  • Cayenne pepper sprinkled to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil and fit them with wire racks.
  2. In a large bowl, toss the wings with melted butter. Arrange the coated wings in a single layer on the wire racks, not touching each other.
  3. Sprinkle the wings with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
  4. Bake the wings until cooked through and their skin is browned and crispy, about 40 minutes.
  5. For extra-crispy skin, lower the oven temperature to 170℉ and keep the wings in the oven for 30-60 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Adjustments

  • Changed the way I butter the wings. See 2025-12-31.

History

  • 2025-02-08 – Super Bowl! Got a big back at Sam’s (6 lb before tips removed) so we could have leftovers. Buttered them in two batches as done on NYE. I was able to get them onto the trays but should have cooked them in two batches. There was so much moisture in the oven that they didn’t crisp properly. So I left them in for another 45 minutes at 170 F with the over door opened slightly to allow the moisture to escape. Still not as crispy as I’d have expected but very good nonetheless.
  • 2025-12-31 – New Year’s Eve dinner. I melted the butter in a large metal bowl (oven at 225F) and then put the wings into that and tossed them. This method covered them much better and the spices held on well. I sprinkled cayenne pepper on some of them and that was a good add for those liking it a bit spicier. I didn’t add any extra time at 170F and they were still pretty crispy. Overall, a very good batch.
  • 2024-02-11 – Part of Super Bowl spread. I should have let them come to room temperature because the butter solidified on them before I could really toss them to properly coat them all so I tried to distribute the butter a bit by hand. Even though, these came out well. We only made a dozen pieces so I reduces the spice by half and still had leftover. I may try a spicy dry rub with this cooking method next time.

References