Unbelievably easy to make, try this Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings recipe once and it’s all you will make from now on. One bite of these crispy wings topped with spicy buffalo wing sauce, and you will be in wing heaven! They are the single most sought after party food anywhere!
I think there may be a law that mandates serving baked buffalo wings at game day parties. If not, there should be! It’s inconceivable to me that you would even consider having a game day party without buffalo wings. But who wants to stand in a kitchen over a hot frying pan while grease splatters everywhere? I know I don’t!
You might be rolling your eyes about now because you have tried other baked buffalo wing recipes which never quite lived up to their promise of tasting like the real thing. But this easy chicken wing recipe is different. I won’t go so far as to try to tell you this baked buffalo wing recipe is healthy, but it is healthier than the fried version! And, the best part is I guarantee you that your wing aficionado friends will never be able to tell the difference.
To put this baked buffalo wing recipe to the test, I had my son, who has never met a fried chicken wing he didn’t like, come over and be my taste tester. He was skeptical at first because I have tried out other baked wing recipes on him and he didn’t think this one would be any different.
Well, guess what? He dove in and never looked back. He gave a hearty “two-thumbs-up” and had to agree that these Crispy Buffalo Wings were indeed as good, if not better than the deep-fried kind.
How many calories are in six baked chicken wings?
A single baked drumette with skin only has 55 calories and zero carbohydrates, according to My Fitness Pal. Therefore, six wings without sauce have only 330 calories.
What to serve with Buffalo Wings and More Game Day Food Ideas:
Interested in other great classic game day ideas, recipes, and menu suggestions? Check these easy recipes out Skillet Macho Nachos, Easy Game Day Snack Mix, Southern Boiled Peanuts, Easy Crispy Buffalo Shrimp, Classic Pigs in a Blanket, Fried Oysters, Fried Crab Claws, and Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Still need more recipes or ideas? Check out my roundup, 40+ Quick and Easy Game Day Snacks and Appetizers, and all of my Game Day and Tailgating recipes, or all of my Appetizers recipes here.
How many wings will you need?
In general, you can plan on three to four wings per person. That said, it depends on who will be eating the wings and what else you will be serving. If you are feeding an all-male crowd of big eaters, the sky is the limit, and they could easily eat a dozen wings each. For a mixed group with several other hearty appetizers, the three to four wings per person should work pretty well. That said, you might want to consider making a double batch just in case…
Baked Buffalo Wing Ingredients:
Believe it or not, for the baked buffalo wings, the only thing you need is raw chicken wings.
Buffalo Wing Sauce Ingredients:
For the Buffalo Wing Sauce, you will need butter, garlic, and hot sauce.
Alton Brown originally developed this Crispy Buffalo Wings recipe or cooking method, and while easy, it does require some pre-planning and lead time. The wings need to be steamed and then put in the refrigerator to dry out for at least 1 hour before baking. So plan accordingly.
How to make Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings:
To begin, fill a large saucepan with approximately 1 inch of water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Add a steamer basket and place your wings in the basket. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. This steaming process renders some of the fat out of the skin and is what helps make them crispy.
Once the chicken has steamed, remove the wings from the basket and place them on a wire rack to cool. Pat dry and refrigerate uncovered on the rack for a minimum of one hour or up to 24 hours. This allows all of the moisture in the skin to evaporate.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the wings on a rack on a baking sheet — Bake for 20 minutes. Using tongs, turn the wings over and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown.
How to make Buffalo Wing Sauce:
Combine the melted butter, minced garlic, and hot sauce in a small dish and mix well. Serve either on the side or pour over your wings.
Serve the wings immediately!
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
I prefer to use only drumettes for wings. However, you can certainly use either part, the drumette or flapper, or both. I save the wingtips and store in my freezer for chicken stock or soup.
These wings are best served fresh when they are still warm or at room temperature. You can reheat them, although I don’t think they are quite as good. To reheat the wings, allow them to come to room temperature, and place them on a wire rack in a preheated 375-degree oven for approximately 10-15 minutes.
Buffalo sauce is the classic accompaniment to buffalo wings, but ranch dressing, teriyaki sauce, and even barbecue sauce are also delicious.
I included my favorite recipe for Buffalo Sauce, but feel free to purchase a bottle of premade sauce. I like Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce!
Be warned; this Buffalo Sauce recipe is spicy! If you are not sure if you or your guests like spicy food, be sure to serve it on the side. I prefer my wings naked (without sauce) and then drizzle the tiniest bit of sauce over them.
If you don’t have a steamer basket, a wire mesh strainer works just as well.
To save on clean-up, line the bottom of your baking sheet with aluminum foil before baking the wings.
**If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment to let me know how you liked it!**
Best Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings Recipe with Buffalo Wing Sauce
Ingredients
Buffalo Wings
- 12 raw chicken wings drumettes, or flappers, or both
Buffalo Sauce
- 3 oz unsalted butter melted
- 1 clove garlic small clove, finely minced or grated
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
Instructions
- To begin, fill a large saucepan with approximately 1 inch of water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Add a steamer basket and place your wings in the basket. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. This steaming process renders some of the fat out of the skin and is what helps make them crispy.
- Once the chicken has steamed, remove the wings from the basket and place on a wire rack to cool. Pat dry and refrigerate uncovered on the rack, for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. This allows all of the moisture in the skin to evaporate.
- When ready to bake your wings, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the wings on a rack on a baking sheet covered with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Using tongs, turn the wings over and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown.
- While the wings are roasting, combine the melted butter, minced garlic, and hot sauce in a small dish and mix well.
- Serve immediately with the Buffalo Wing sauce on the side or cover the wings with the sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally published January 29, 2016, and republished on August 19, 2019, with expanded instructions and the addition of expert tips.
Well you are right….once again! These were the best wings we’ve ever made. Hubs had no faith but then changed his mind when they turned out fabulous. Thank you as always Sharon.
Hey my sweet, talented friend! The first thing I noticed on this recipe was the plate the wings were on! I love yellow and I love dishes! Ashley did a great job. If I had room, I’d have many different sets. I’ll be making your buffalo wings for Super Bowl Sunday!! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!!❤️❤️