How to Bake Chicken Wings

Co-authored by JoAnna Minneci and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: November 18, 2022 References Approved

You don’t have to heat a pot of oil to get crispy, flavorful chicken wings. Just turn on your oven or broiler and trim the wings. For simple, crispy wings, toss them with a little oil and salt. Then, bake them until they're browned and the meat is tender. To add even more flavor, marinate the wings and broil them so they caramelize. Serve the chicken wings with a variety of your favorite sauces and enjoy!

Ingredients

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

5 pounds (2.3 kg) of chicken wings
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon (16.5 g) of kosher salt
½ teaspoon (1 g) of freshly ground black pepper
Sauce to serve

Makes 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of chicken wings

Oven-Broiled Chicken Wings

2 to 3 pounds (0.91 to 1.36 kg) of chicken wings
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of sesame oil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sake
1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt
1 clove of garlic, grated

Makes 2 to 3 pounds (0.91 to 1.36 kg) of chicken wings

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

1
Remove the tips from 5 pounds (2.3 kg) of wings and separate the drumettes. Place the wings on a cutting board and cut off the tips of the wings if they're still attached. Then, cut between the remaining joint in order to make a drumette and flat piece. Repeat this for all of the wings.^{[1]
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- Save the tips for chicken stock or discard them.
- If your wings are already cut, skip this step.
2
Preheat the oven to 400 °F (204 °C) and place wire racks on 2 baking sheets. Get out 2 rimmed baking sheets and put wire racks on them. The racks keep the wings from getting stuck to the baking sheets and they help the wings brown on all sides.^{[2]
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3
Toss the wings with vegetable oil, salt, and pepper. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil over the wings and sprinkle 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) (16.5 g) of kosher salt with ½ teaspoon (1 g) of freshly ground black pepper over them. Use your hands or tongs to mix the wings until they're coated with the seasoning.^{[3]
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- Feel free to add your choice of spices or seasonings to the wings. For example, add 1 teaspoon (2 g) of curry powder or blackening seasoning.
4
Spread the wings in a single layer on the wire racks. Arrange all of the wings on the 2 wire racks so they're in a single layer. It's fine if the sides of the wings are touching each other as long as they aren't stacked on each other.^{[4]
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5
Bake the wings for 45 to 50 minutes. Put both of the baking sheets into the preheated oven and cook the wings until they're cooked throughout. Since the wings are on racks, the skin on both sides should become crispy and browned.^{[5]
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- There's no need to turn the wings as they bake since they're raised up off of the baking sheets.
- Make sure that the chicken wings have an internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C) before you eat them.
6
Serve the baked chicken wings your choice of sauces. If you'd like to toss the wings with sauce, such as buffalo sauce, place the wings in a bowl and pour the sauce over. Stir until they're coated and serve the wings with celery sticks. You could also serve the baked chicken wings plain with any of these sauces on the side:^{[6]
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- Ginger soy sauce
- Honey mustard sauce
- Ranch dipping sauce
Tip: Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Oven-Broiled Chicken Wings

1
Move the top oven rack and turn the broiler to "high." Adjust the oven rack so it's 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) below the broiler. Then, turn the broiler to "high."^{[7]
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- If your broiler doesn't have a "high" or "low" option, just turn the broiler on.
2
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Get out a rimmed baking sheet and tear off a piece of aluminum foil. Lay the foil in the sheet and set it aside while you prepare the chicken.^{[8]
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- The foil prevents the wings from sticking to the sheet and makes clean up easier.
3
Cut the tips off of 2 to 3 pounds (0.91 to 1.36 kg) of chicken wings. If you bought wings that weren't trimmed, take a sharp knife and carefully cut off the tip from each wing. Place the wings into a large mixing bowl.^{[9]
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- You can discard the tips or save them to make chicken stock.
4
Toss the wings in the marinade and let them sit for 30 minutes. To make a flavorful marinade, pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sake over the chicken. Add 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt and 1 grated clove of garlic. Then, toss the mixture until the wings are coated and let them sit for 30 minutes.^{[10]
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- Skip this step if you don't want to marinate the wings or use a marinade of your choice.
5
Arrange the wings on the foil-lined sheet. Ensure that the wings are in a single layer so they broil evenly. Try to leave at least ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) of space between each piece.^{[11]
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- Discard the marinade that's left in the bowl.
Tip: If you can't fit all of the wings on 1 baking sheet, divide them between 2 foil-lined sheets.
6
Broil the wings for 10 minutes. Place the sheet of wings on the top rack so they're 4 to 5 inches (10 to 13 cm) below the broiler element. Broil the wings until they're browned on the top.^{[12]
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7
Flip the wings and cook them for 10 more minutes. Use tongs to flip the wings over after they've broiled for 10 minutes. Then, broil them for 10 more minutes so the wings are browned on both sides and the meat doesn't appear pink.^{[13]
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8
Serve the broiled wings with dipping sauce. Wear oven mitts to remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the wings to a serving platter. Set out a variety of sauces, such as barbecue sauce or soy-ginger sauce, for dipping or toss the wings with sauce to coat them.
- Refrigerate leftover wings in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Use an instant thermometer to check and make sure that the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).

Community Q&A
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Question

Do you need to flip chicken wings when baking them?

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Yes, it’s a good idea to flip the wings half-way through. It will help them cook more evenly.
Question

Is it better to fry or bake chicken wings?

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In general, baking is healthier than frying. However, frying might give you a juicier result. It’s really a matter of personal preference!
Question

How do you know when chicken wings are done in the oven?

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Cut into the thickest part of the wing and make sure the juices run clear. Or, if you have a meat thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the wing and see if it reads at least 165° (73.88°).