Description
Experience truly crispy oven-baked Buffalo wings that rival deep-fried versions! This recipe uses a clever baking powder technique to achieve irresistible crispiness, then tosses the wings in a classic tangy Buffalo sauce. Served with creamy blue cheese dip and refreshing celery sticks, these wings make a perfect game day or party appetizer.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Wings
- 4 lb / 2kg chicken wings, wingettes & drumettes
- 5 teaspoons baking powder (not baking soda/bi-carb soda)
- 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt (not table salt)
Buffalo Sauce
- 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Blue Cheese Dip
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (such as gorgonzola), softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (preferably whole-egg)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1-3 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Black pepper, to taste
To Serve
- Celery sticks
- Lots of beer!
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare wings: Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). Pat the chicken wings dry thoroughly using paper towels to remove any moisture, which is key to achieving crispiness.
- Coat wings with baking powder and salt: In a large bowl, toss the wings with 5 teaspoons of baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt until evenly coated. The baking powder helps the skin crisp up beautifully in the oven.
- Bake wings low and slow: Arrange the wings skin-side up on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 250°F to render fat and start the crisping process.
- Increase temperature to crisp wings: After 30 minutes, increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until wings are golden brown and crispy. Flip halfway through if desired for even cooking.
- Make Buffalo sauce: While wings bake, combine melted butter, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl. Stir until smooth and set aside.
- Toss wings in sauce: When wings are done, transfer them to a large bowl and pour the Buffalo sauce over. Toss until all wings are evenly coated in the spicy, buttery sauce.
- Prepare blue cheese dip: In a separate bowl, combine softened blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon juice, kosher salt, and black pepper. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dip reaches your desired creamy consistency.
- Serve: Plate the crispy Buffalo wings with celery sticks and the blue cheese dip on the side. Enjoy with your favorite beer for the ultimate classic experience.
Notes
- This recipe employs a baking powder coating technique from Cook’s Illustrated that creates wonderfully crispy wings without deep frying.
- Use kosher salt rather than table salt to avoid overly salty flavors and achieve the best texture.
- Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce is the classic choice for authentic Buffalo wings but can be substituted if needed.
- Drying the wings before coating is essential to achieve maximum crispiness.
- For best results, serve wings immediately after tossing with the Buffalo sauce to retain crispiness.
- Full FAQ and tips are available in the original Crispy Baked Wings recipe for troubleshooting and variations.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 247 g
- Calories: 476 kcal
- Sugar: 1.3 g
- Sodium: 1195 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13.4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 63.3 g
- Cholesterol: 210 mg
