Oven baked chicken wings are one of the simple pleasures of life. Aside from the fact that they’re fairly inexpensive, they also have a higher skin-to-meat ratio than the rest of the bird, which is a major plus for a chicken skin enthusiast like myself. Chicken wings make a hearty, satisfying appetizer or meal– so long as they’re cooked with a little TLC. You know the bad wings, with their stiff meat and soggy skin– you’ll find none of those here! With steady rotation, baking, and broiling, you’ll master the Oven Baked Chicken Wing in your oven and enjoy these simple pleasures any time you choose!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at no cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. Thank you!
A rack isn’t required for making these wings, but it will give you 360 degrees of crispiness.
Oven Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
Perfect Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs whole chicken wings (I always bake the whole wing, but you are welcome to divide into wings and drummettes if you like. If you do this, reduce the baking time to 8 minutes per side, the broil time to 5 minutes per side)
- 1/2 tsp salt, + any other spices you’d like to use
- wire rack (if you don’t have a wire rack, you can use parchment paper. The wings won’t be quite as crispy, but they will still be very good!)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425F with the rack in the center position.
- Remove the chicken wings from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for 15 minutes. (Taking the chill off of the bones will help the wings cook more evenly. This will also reduce condensation on the skin, allowing the skin to crisp more easily.) Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Add the salt, along with any other spices you’re using, to a large bowl and whisk to combine. (I like to add 1 tsp oregano, 1/8 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder for spicy wings.) Add the wings to the bowl, and use your hands to toss and evenly coat the wings with the spices.
- Fit the wire rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread the wings on the wire rack, facing down, and bake 10 minutes. Using tongs, turn the wings to face up and bake 10 minutes more. Remove the wings from the oven, turn face down again and heat the broiler. (I also recommend turning on a fan-- the wings will get very smoky under the broiler! I have a sensitive smoke alarm so I have to take precautions.) Broil 6 minutes. Turn the wings face up for the last time, and broil 6 minutes. You will know your wings are done when the skin is bubbly and mostly dry, the meat is fairly firm to the touch, and the wings tear apart easily. Enjoy! These wings are best eaten right away.
Tell me what you think in the comments below!
