Super Easy Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings Recipe

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One thing to keep in mind when you start preparing wings is to make extra. And once you have that number in mind, add in some more, if you’re like me, you can never make enough meals. I remember my first unlimited wing night was when I started university. At the time, I had never really had real buffalo wings, maybe some boneless ones. Those wings were simply amazing, but I’m not sure if it’s because it was my first time or if I had a great night.

I think though, that these wings are a tad bit better while being better for you since they are baked. I would love to hear how you like these wings. I recently had it and I thought I made enough, but I had so many regrets. No matter how many wings you make, you will have no regrets when it comes to the flavor and crispiness of these wings, and you can enjoy it guilt free!

How to Prepare Baked Chicken Wings

These wings take 60 minutes to make and once done, they are crispy and are so tender which we all love in chicken wings. The method is very straight forward.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In the meanwhile, line a baking sheet with a wire rack.

Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel and transfer to a large bowl. Then, toss and coat the chicken wings with salt and pepper. To prepare a slightly spicy variation, you can also sprinkle in some smoked paprika.

Lightly spray the wire rack with spray oil and arrange the wings, making sure they do not touch each other. Transfer wings to the oven and sit back and relax.

Every 15 minutes, turn the wings. Repeat this 2 more times and cook for about 50-60 minutes (depending on your oven).

In the last 10 minutes, the wings should be crispy. Then, toss the wings in buffalo sauce and serve right away with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing or my homemade yogurt Caesar-sour cream dressing.

Tips & Tricks

• You do not need to use tricks like baking powder or cornstarch to develop that beautiful crispy skin. The skin has enough fat to render and develop a crispy exterior. Also, I have tried these tricks in the past, and I think it takes away from the natural flavor of the chicken.
• To help serve hot wings, take the buffalo sauce out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before wings are ready. This will help the buffalo sauce come up to room temperature so that when you toss it with the wings, they do not turn out cold.
• If you find out that your wings are still not crispy and golden brown by the 50 minute mark, turn on the broiler and broil for a few minutes until they are done to your liking.

What to Serve with Baked Buffalo Wings

Wings are basically made for a crowd, so let’s talk sides:

• Crisp celery sticks with a cooling dip — blue cheese or my homemade yogurt Caesar-sour cream dressing both stand up to the heat.
• Ranch dressing — always a crowd favorite if blue cheese isn’t your thing.
• For game day: carrot sticks, loaded fries, or a simple slaw to round things out.

Tips for Extra-Crispy Wings

The biggest enemy of crispy wings is moisture:

• Pat the wings really well with paper towels before seasoning — the drier the skin, the crispier the result.
• Season with kosher salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder.
• Arrange them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet so air circulates all the way around, and don’t crowd the pan.
• If they’re not golden brown by the 50-minute mark, a couple of minutes under the broiler will get you there.

Make-Ahead & Storage

You can pat and season the wings a few hours ahead — keep them uncovered in the fridge so the skin dries out even more (that’s the real secret to crispy wings, no cornstarch needed). Store leftover baked wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To bring back the crunch, skip the microwave — reheat in a hot oven or air fryer until hot and crisp again. Toss in fresh buffalo sauce just before serving so they don’t dry out.

What to Serve With Buffalo Wings

Buffalo wings are made for a crowd, so round them out with the classics:

• Crisp celery and carrot sticks with blue cheese or ranch dressing to cool the heat.
• A side of fries or loaded fries for game day.
• A simple slaw or salad to balance the richness.

Easy Swaps and Storage

A few easy tweaks, plus how to keep leftovers:

• No Frank's? Any homemade or store-brand buffalo sauce works.
• Swap the smoked paprika for chipotle powder for smokier heat, or add a pinch of cayenne to turn them up.
• Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat in a 375 degree F oven or air fryer, not the microwave, to bring back the crunch.
• Toss the wings in fresh sauce just before serving so they do not dry out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips for the Best Baked Buffalo Wings

These wings are baked, not fried, so they turn out crispy without the mess. Pat the chicken wings completely dry, season with salt, pepper and a little smoked paprika, then bake them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet at 400°F — turning every 15 minutes for a total of 50-60 minutes until crisp and golden. The sauce is simple: a full cup of Frank’s buffalo sauce, which is a classic Louisiana-style hot sauce, brought to room temperature so it clings to the hot wings when you toss them. Serve right away with celery sticks, blue cheese dressing and fries while the wings are still hot and crispy.

Make Your Own Buffalo Sauce, or Use the Bottle

My recipe reaches for a bottle of Frank's, and I stand by that. It is what most wing joints use, and a full cup of it does the job with no fuss at all. But if you would rather build the sauce yourself, it is a five-minute job, and it is where a lot of the glossy, buttery quality of restaurant wings actually comes from.

Melt unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, then whisk in roughly the same volume of hot sauce and pull it off the heat as soon as it comes together. Do not let it boil, or the butter will split back out. Everything after that is seasoning to taste: a splash of Worcestershire sauce for depth, a little garlic powder and onion powder, plenty of black pepper, and cayenne pepper if you want it hotter than the bottle goes. A buttery buffalo sauce like this clings to the skin better than sauce poured straight from the jar, so you will probably need less of it than you think.

Whichever route you take, let the sauce come to room temperature before the wings come out of the oven, exactly as the recipe does. Fridge-cold sauce pulls the heat straight out of a wing you just spent an hour getting crisp.

Drumettes, Flats, and Laying Them Out

A whole chicken wing is three parts: the meaty drumette, the flat (or wingette) with its two thin bones, and the wing tip. Most packs sold as party wings are already separated into drumettes and flats with the tips removed. If yours are whole, cut through the joints with a sharp knife and freeze the wing tips for stock, since there is not much eating on them. Then lay everything out in a single layer on the wire rack with a little space between each piece. Wings that touch or overlap steam each other, and steamed skin never crisps up no matter how long you leave it in.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Tools Needed

• Baking sheet
• Wire rack
• Large bowl