It IS possible to have crispy, and I mean CRISPY, wings without deep frying. Trust me, it's true. Plus these Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings are unbelievably easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Also, check out the Blue Cheese Dip recipe. A match made in heaven!
In 1964 the first plate of Buffalo wings was served at a family-owned joint in Buffalo, New York called The Anchor Bar. They were served with a special spicy sauce, blue cheese, and celery. Apparently, because that's all they had on hand. There's more to the story but I'm not here to talk about the history of Buffalo wings...I'm here to share this delicious recipe!!
This sauce recipe veers from the traditional which uses just hot sauce and melted butter. I've added some extra stuff to jazz it up. If you love Buffalo flavours check out my Creamy Buffalo Stuffed Peppers
What you will need
For the crispy wings
- Chicken wings of course! - They can be split or whole but the split ones are classic.
- Cornstarch - This is part of what makes them SO crispy.
- Salt, pepper and garlic powder - To pre-season the wings.
For the Buffalo Sauce
- Frank's Red Hot Original - Not the wing sauce but the original.
- Sambal Oelek - An Indonesian chili sauce/paste that has loads of flavour! If you can't find it substitute with Sriracha or click here to order.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Apple cider vinegar - You can substitute with rice wine or white wine vinegar.
- Unsalted butter - If you use salted butter reduce the salt in the dry seasoning to 1 tsp.
For the blue cheese dip
- Mayonnaise
- Yogurt
- Blue cheese - I used Danish blue but any kind will work
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
How to make the wings
- Dry the wings really well. Lay them flat on top of paper towel and pat dry with more paper towel. Toss them in a bowl with the dry ingredients until completely coated.
- Place them on a lined tray, on top of a greased wire rack - like this Stainless Steel Cooling and Roasting Rack (affiliate link) , ensuring they aren't touching each other.
- Bake at a low temperature, 275 degrees F., for 30 minutes. This starts to render (melt) the fat which is important for crispiness.
- Flip and then crank up the heat to 450 degrees F. and bake the wings for another 30 minutes or until nicely browned and crispy.
- Toss in the sauce as soon as they come out of the oven and serve with Blue Cheese Dip!
Buffalo Sauce
This Buffalo sauce couldn't be easier. Mix everything together except the melted butter. Then whisk in the melted butter. If you make it in advance you may need to warm it up if the butter has solidified.
Blue Cheese Dip
Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl. If you prefer a smoother consistency mix in a food processor, blender, or hand blender. This dip is fantastic with veggies too!
Other recipes for you to try!
- Vietnamese Chicken Wings
- Spicy Ranch Dressing and Dip
- Easy Thai Style Cucumber Salad
- Easy Dill Pickle Chopped Salad
📖 Recipe
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
Wings
- 3 lbs chicken wings, separated
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Buffalo Wing Sauce
- ⅓ cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Sambal Oelek
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup butter, unsalted, melted
Blue Cheese Dip
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup yogurt
- ½ - 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
Crispy Oven Wings
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
- Rinse and dry chicken wings really well.
- Place in a large bowl, add corn starch, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and toss to coat well.
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and place a wire cooling rack on the tray. Spray with non-stick spray or lightly grease. Place chicken wings on rack so they aren't touching.
- Bake on middle rack for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn.
- Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F. and place wings back in oven (you don't have to let it preheat)
- Bake for another 30 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Buffalo Wing Sauce
- While wings are baking make the sauce.
- In a bowl mix together Frank's, Sambal, Worchesterchire, and apple cider vinegar. Slowly whisk in melted butter. Set aside.
Blue Cheese Dip
- While wings are baking make the dip.
- Crumble blue cheese into a medium bowl. Add the mayonnaise, yogurt, onion and garlic powder and stir to combine. If you prefer a smooth texture rather then chunky, mix everything together in a food processor or blender.
- Store, covered, in the fridge for up to one week.
Finishing the wings
- As soon as the wings are done place them in a large bowl. Toss with the sauce until well coated. Serve immediately with blue cheese dip.
Notes
- If you plan to have leftovers save any excess sauce that collects at the bottom of the bowl. You can toss the reheated wings with the extra sauce.
- Chicken wings can be reheated in a 350 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Wings can be stored in the fridge for 3 days.
- Buffalo sauce can be made in advance and keep in the fridge for 3 months. You will have to warm up the sauce to melt the butter again.
- Blue cheese dip can be made in advance and keep in the fridge for one week.
Barb Kavanagh says
Absolutely loved this recipe. Made it the other night for friends and they raved about them in between all the finger licks. The Buffalo sauce had a great flavour that took them over the top. The only thing I did differently is turned the oven to broil for a few minutes before taking them out for extra crispy wings.
Thanks Andrea!
Andrea says
Love the idea of extra broiling! So happy you all enjoyed them!
Cyndy says
Amazing! Great flavour, easy recipe. Baked them ahead of time per instructions and then finished them up in the air fryer with the sauce when we were ready to eat. So convenient on a hockey night. Crispy and delicious! Thanks Andrea!
Andrea says
I'm so happy you enjoyed them Cyndy! Thanks for commenting!
Chris says
Great recipe!
I lollipop chicken wings , and freeze until I make this recipe .
There are never any leftovers!
Ruth Fitzgerald says
Hello Andrea, Your recipes are amazing. I have enjoyed them all. My family eats so much better thanks to you. I recommend your site to anyone who will listen. Do you happen to have a honey garlic recipe I can use to replace the VH sauce I currently use. I would love something that would go on your baked chicken wings and used in the crockpot. Thanks so much.
Andrea says
Hi Ruth!
I don't have a honey garlic recipe yet but will put that in the list to work on next year! Thanks so much for all your support!
Rose Marie says
These wings are AWESOME…. Hubby really loved them … says he is a super fan !
Thank you for helping me enjoy cooking and actually be really good at it ! I never would of thought chicken wings would have been considered healthy eating before I did Gina’s program nor eating healthy could be so delicious before cooking with your recipes …. THANK YOU !
Andrea says
I'm so happy you and your husband enjoyed the wings! I especially love that you are enjoying cooking and feeling like a pro! Thanks for commenting Rose!
Clare says
Chicken wings are one of my favourite foods, but I have never been able to replicate deep fried restaurant-style wings, until now!! These are so crispy and delicious and have just the right amount of spice, I will definitely be making these again 🙂
Andrea says
Hi Clare! I'm so happy you decided to try the wings and enjoyed them! Thanks for commenting!
Corinne says
My husband prides himself on being a “wing connoisseur”. Says these are “The BEST wings he’s EVER had” and I have to agree with him. Thanks again for another DELICIOUS recipe!!
Andrea says
What a lovely compliment Corinne! I'm so happy you both enjoyed the wings! Thanks for your comment!
Lisa Williams says
So good! This has saved me from an unhealthy take out order more than a few times. Love this recipe, Andrea!
Janice Beam says
These were great!
Katie says
This is a super easy and extremely yummy version of wings. The sauce is also really yummy!
Suzanne Livingstone says
Another hit. The sauce is exceptional and I am going to make another batch but use it on chicken breast or chicken strips. Really Andrea, this is superb!
Enza says
Hi Andrea, so far I've made your pork medallions and tex mex chicken (twice each) and both are family approved! For the wings, do you think Frank's chili lime flavoured sauce clash with the blue cheese dressing? Thanks!
Andrea says
Hi Enza!
I couldn't say for sure but I recommend giving it a try!
Carm Tucci says
Amazing recipe Andrea. I made it all the wings, the sauce and the blue cheese dip. Everything was so tasty and a hit. Plus it's Gina friendly. I am sure this will become a family favourtie. Thanks so much.
Elizabeth says
Can I make the wings in my air fryer
Andrea says
Hi Elizabeth!
Yes absolutely! I can't advise on adjustments for an air fryer as I don't have one. Let me know how they turn out!