Baked Chicken Wings Recipe [From Scratch]

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You can never go wrong with chicken wings. These tasty appetizers are easy to prepare, and serve, and delicious to bite into. These Baked Chicken Wings are coated in a homemade spice rub and then roasted to crispy perfection. They’re perfect for game day, parties, or an easy weeknight dinner.

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Summer cookouts bring people together, whether it’s family, neighbors, or friends. The smell of something cooking on the grill combined with fresh salads and tasty sides always accompanies gatherings!

In the winter, it’s a different story. But this Easy Chicken Wing Recipe will make you feel like it’s summer all over again, just in the comforts of your home. It’s one of my favorite recipes for Super Bowl Sunday.

These Baked Crispy Chicken Wings turn out delicious, perfectly spiced, and finger-licking good. With paprika, rosemary, pepper, cayenne, garlic, onion, and cumin, you’ll be making this recipe for almost every event, gathering, and throughout the football season.

The dry rub is the secret that makes these baked wings so irresistible and it tastes amazing. This easy chicken wings recipe is a flavorful melt-in-your-mouth appetizer baked at high heat until crispy and golden brown.

Why is this the best wing recipe you’ll find?

They are healthy: No deep frying is involved making this a super healthy alternative to enjoying your wings.
It uses simple ingredients: Almost everyone keeps some sort of spice rack in their kitchen, meaning you already have the necessary spices to make chicken wings at home.
Easy to prepare: The crispy oven-baked chicken wings are an easy way of cooking chicken wings on a busy weeknight.
Crispy and tender: The combination of tender meat on the inside and crispy skin is a match made in heaven.
More flavor: Cooking chicken wings in the oven gives you incredible flavor and the crispiest skin. A simple coating of homemade seasoning rub brings out the best flavor in these oven-baked wings.
Great for any occasion: The simple yet satisfying tasty appetizer makes an excellent party snack or simple meal.

Key Ingredients to Make the Baked Chicken Wings From Scratch at Home

chicken wings ingredients olive oil, water, mustard, brown sugar, spices, salt, tomato paste, and raw chicken wings.

Chicken wings: A party pack of bone-in whole wings is the star of this recipe. They need to be dry so they can coat the spice seasoning and turn out crispy.

Olive oil: Locks in the moisture and gives the seasonings something to stick to.

Tomato paste: Adds that rich tomato flavor to the juicy meat.

Dijon mustard: It makes the chicken wings tender and acts as a glue for the spices.

Light brown sugar: For a slightly sweet taste.

Salt: Helps to flavor the meat and draws out extra moisture from the wings, which helps them get that crispy skin.

You’ll also need water and a variety of spices: Paprika, Rosemary, Black pepper, Cayenne, Garlic powder, Onion powder, and Cumin.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to make crispy baked wings

Step1: Prepare the marinade

In a large bowl combine all the spices with water, brown sugar, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, and olive oil.

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Step2: Marinate the chicken

Dry rub the chicken wings with the marinade. Let stand for at least 30 minutes (the longer you marinate, the more flavor you will have).

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Step3: Lay wings on a rack

Preheat oven to 350F degrees then spread out chicken wings in a single layer on a wire rack placed on top of a rimmed baking sheet with the skin side up.

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Step4: Bake wings

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes until wings are golden brown and have a crispy skin. After 30 minutes, remove the top foil and bake for another 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

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Step5: Broil, remove and serve wings

For the ultimate crispy wings, set the oven to broil for another 2 minutes for each side. Remove from oven once done and place wings on a cooling rack then serve and enjoy.

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How to store leftover

Store leftover crispy oven-baked wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to ensure they stay crispy.
Freeze chicken wings in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a Ziplock bag or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Allow wings to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.

Expert Tips

For that desired crispy texture dry the wings well with a paper towel to blot away any moisture, pressing firmly on the wings. If you are using frozen wings make sure they are completely thawed and dry as well.
Baking on high heat creates a perfect balance of juicy, tender meat paired with crispy, golden-brown skin.
An instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat (but not touching the bone) should read at least 165 degrees F. Chicken wings are fully cooked at 165 degrees F. The internal temperature should be checked at the thickest part of the wing, avoiding the bone.
Bake on a wire rack to render out the fat and so that there’s air underneath the wings as well as above to get that thin and skin crispy.
Feel free to change up the seasoning rub for your wings with some different herbs and spices. For party wings or hot wings, you can add chili powder or cayenne pepper for more heat.

Recipe FAQs

At what temperature are chicken wings fully cooked?

Chicken wings are fully cooked at 165 degrees F. The internal temperature should be checked at the thickest part of the wing, avoiding the bone.

Do you put sauce on the wings after baking them?

This recipe does not call for saucing your wings, but if you want to add your favorite wing sauce, you can do so after the wings come out of the oven. Toss the crispy baked wings in your favorite sauces like buffalo sauce, hot sauce, or BBQ sauce.

What can l serve with the chicken wings?

There are many different ways to enjoy these oven-baked wings. You can have them alongside french fries, butternut squash fries, zucchini fries, fresh veggies, a side of rice, chicken gravy, and roasted vegetables, or a Classic Olivier salad.

Other great options are enjoying these with homemade ranch dressing or blue cheese dip and veggies for dipping like celery sticks or carrot sticks for a big game day. You can also serve baked wings as an appetizer for pizza or alongside mac and cheese.

Is it better to bake or fry chicken wings?

Deep-fried chicken wings require a lot of oil and it’s a hands-on process that can take time. It does give a crispy skin but it also adds fat and calories to the chicken.

Crispy baked chicken wings require less oil which means less calories. You just dry rub, pop it in the oven, turn the chicken and you’re done in no time. It’s a healthier and easy way of cooking chicken wings and you still get that crispy texture and flavor.

What are the health benefits of chicken?

Chicken is rich in protein and amino acids, which your body needs to build tissues and maintain bone density. Protein helps you to feel full, which in turn means you eat less. Also, chicken is linked to the increase of serotonin levels in the brain (the “feel good” hormone).

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Looking for more protein-filled meals? Here are some more easy recipes:

These Easy and Quick Turkey Lettuce Wraps are light and easy!
Making Chebureki with Meat Filling (Savory Turnovers) gives you a snack or a light lunch that’s crispy, moist, flavorful, and filling!
The Easy Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Bake with Tomatoes is a delicious crispy baguette made with moist chicken, juicy red tomatoes, and shredded cheese that pulls everything together.

More Tasty Chicken Recipes

If you tried this Baked Chicken Wings From Scratch at Home or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!