Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

These crispy baked chicken wings use a secret ingredient - baking powder to get the crispiness that makes you think they come from the fryer.

If I were to have a list of top five favorite food items, chicken wings would be on the list no question. It is one of my go-tos for football games, along with pepperoni bread and skillet chicken nachos.

Growing up, our family had a favorite wing shack called Murray's Wings & Ribs. I always went with the garlic, extra crispy. That last part was key - extra crispy. I love my wings with a nice crunch to them and Murray's did a great job at it. Sadly, right when I left for college, they closed down.

So for the past 12 years, I was always on the hunt for great wings. Maybe I was being too critical, but none really came close to passing the test for me. So about a year ago I was on a mission to make my own chicken wings. While I wasn't looking for a "healthier" option to make wings, I had come across a baked wing recipe that sounded interesting.

It used baking powder to get the crispiness. After doing a little research I found baking powder raises the pH level in the chicken, allowing the peptide bonds in the skin to break down, thus letting the skin get more crisp and brown. Sorry I'm getting a little granular but just want to explain in case you're questioning it!

And make no mistake, these wings lived up to the bill! By cooking them low and slow for a little and then raising the heat, the fat renders down and skin gets extra crispy! The bonus to me is they are slightly healthier as you aren't frying them either. Obviously the wing sauce is important, but the point of this post is sharing how to make some crazy crispy wings with ease! So I hope you give these baked chicken wings a try.

Jump to:

• Recipe Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• How Does Baking Powder Make Chicken Crispy?
• Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
• Other Chicken Wing Recipes
• Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken wings - use wings and drumettes.
• Baking powder - what causes the chicken to get crispy.
• Salt - enhances the flavor.
• Oil spray - prevents the chicken from sticking to the rack.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Take chicken wings out and pat dry. Place wings in large bowl and add baking powder and salt, then toss to coat evenly.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil, then place a cooling rack on the foil. Spray the rack with oil spray. Place wings on rack in a single layer with skin side up.
3. Bake for 30 minutes at 250°F. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F and bake for an additional 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating the tray halfway through.
4. Remove from tray and let stand for 5 minutes. Toss the wings in your favorite sauce

How Does Baking Powder Make Chicken Crispy?

Baking powder is alkaline. It raises the skin’s pH, which helps break down the proteins more efficiently and making for a browner, crispier skin.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Use baking powder that is less than a year old since it has been opened. If you use older baking powder, it won’t be powerful enough to help leaven the donuts. You can test it by stirring half a teaspoon of baking powder into a cup of hot water. It will immediately start to fizz and release carbon dioxide gas if it’s still fresh enough to use.
• Cut the chicken wings at the joint using either kitchen shears or a sharp knife. See step-by-step instructions.
• Place wings on a wired cooling rack when baking when allows all areas of the skin to get even cooking.

Other Chicken Wing Recipes

• Baked Teriyaki Chicken Wings
• Vietnamese Chicken Wings

If you’ve tried these crispy baked chicken wings or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.