I’ve made plenty of wings in the past, and though they were semi-crisp, I wanted them really crisp. The same sensation you get when deep frying – the crunch that really leaves a lasting impression after every bite you take. That’s the crisp I wanted. And now I’ve got it – in the oven!
Now, a lot of extra steps go into making these chicken wings – but I must say that it’s well worth it. You have to plan ahead, and won’t be able to make them anytime, but for the times when you plan, it really pays off. Essentially the baking soda and baking powder act as an alkaline element and raises the pH level of the chicken wing. This change in pH level weakens the peptide bonds in the protein and allows it to brown (and crisp) better.
If you need help on how to butcher chicken wings, I did a great step-by-step tutorial in my Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Wing post.
The Preparation
- 48 ounces bone-in chicken wings
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
The Execution
1. Put all of your chicken wings into a plastic bag and mix together the baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. Pour all of the baking powder mixture into the bag with the chicken wings. Shake the bag very well to make sure all of the wings are coated in the mixture.
3. Place all chicken wings on a wire rack and set in the fridge overnight. This helps dry them out and breaks down the peptide bonds in the proteins of the chicken (allowing for more crisp).
4. When you’re ready the next day, position a rack in the top middle position and pre-heat your oven to 450F. Once the oven is heated, place the chicken wings in and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and flip the chicken wings. Bake again for 15 minutes or until very crisp.
6. Toss with your favorite wing sauce – butter and cilantro, butter and hot sauce (buffalo sauce), or make something fancier (like garlic parmesan sauce).
This makes a total of 20 servings of Perfectly Crisp Baked Chicken Wings. Each serving comes out to be 193 calories, 13.9g fats, 0.1g net carbs, and 16.4g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 48 ounce bone-in chicken wings | 3456 | 231.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 326.6 |
| 2 teaspoon baking powder | 5 | 0 | 2.6 | 0 | 2.5 | 0 |
| 1 teaspoon baking soda | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 tablespoon salt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/4 cup butter | 407 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 |
| Totals | 3868 | 277.4 | 2.6 | 0 | 2.6 | 327.1 |
| Per Serving (/20) | 193 | 13.9 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.1 | 16.4 |
Perfectly Crisp Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 48 ounce bone-in chicken wings
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¼ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Place the chicken wings in a plastic bag. In a small bowl, mix together the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour the baking powder mixture into the bag with the chicken wings. Shake the bag very well to ensure that the wings are completely coated in the mixture.
- Place the chicken wings on a wire rack and leave in the fridge overnight. This helps dry them out and breaks down the peptide bonds in the proteins of the chicken to give a crispier end result.
- The next day, place a baking tray with a rack in the upper-middle part of the oven and preheat it to 450F. Once heated, place the chicken wings on the rack and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and flip over. Bake for another 15 minutes or until very crisp.
- Toss with melted butter. Serve and enjoy!
Reporting back on the chicken skins: they WORK! Follow your recipe above, only bake them on a SPRAYED rack (they stick!) at 400 for 20 mins. each side. Crispy, and suitable for dipping.
Now I have to get a pig skin and try that out too.
You cracked the cheap quick chicken chip, Craig!!
Awesome to hear! I’m really happy you liked them. I think I’ll have to try 20 minutes on both sides next time – I wanted a bit more color on mine, even though they were super crisp.
Let me know how it goes with the pig skin – that has me very curious!
Craig,
Can this recipe be applied to bone-in
chicken thighs?
You could, but I don’t see why you would. You can cook bone-in chicken thighs in the oven at high temps and they’ll crisp up really nicely. Check out my Crispy Curry Chicken Thigh recipe!
Do you mix the butter with the baking soda and baking powder and salt?
I got the crispiness you raved about BUT they were SUPER SUPER SALTY. Are you sure the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of salt and not 1 teaspoon?
I made these and yes they came out crispy BUT toooooo salty to eat 🙁 well I ate them anyway because stomach was growling lol but way too salty 🙁
I made these this evening, but substituted regular salt for Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper…they were AMAZING!! (FYI: they also had more golden color by using the substitutes). These are seriously so good! Crispy on the outside, perfectly juicy on the inside. Thanks for the great recipe, I’ll be making these again and again!
These are a little too salty. Next time I will reduce the salt. However, I mixed 1/4 cup of hot sauce with 1/4 cup of Walden Farms maple syrup to make maple hot wings with no added carbs!
That sounds absolutely fantastic. I tend to slightly over-salt my food because I prefer it that way. Just keep that in mind for future recipes 😉
Incredible. Just made some harissa-spiced wings using this technique.
Just had these for lunch, and they are as advertised! A great crisp without frying. I wondered if there would be a change in the flavor, since the pH had changed – and when served without any sauce, it was barely discernible. With sauce (Cholula and butter in this case), they were exquisite.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, thank you for your lovely review!
really curious to try these but not sure when I’ll have a chance to make them.
How long can they “marinate” in the fridge for (aka, after applying baking soda/powder) before they need to be cooked?
I wouldn’t go past 36 hours.
Agree with Bobbie below. 1 tbsp salt is WAY too much for these wings, which already have some natural saltiness + the Buffalo sauce salty as well.
I reduced to as little as 1 tsp in the dry rub, while doubling the Baking soda/powder for a full dozen wings. Comes out AMAZING, thanks Craig!
I’ll definitely keep this in mind about the salt (I usually prefer saltier foods). Glad they came out great, though!
I made this dish twice this week. First time I followed the recipe and directions, they were wonderful and crispy. Actually better than the pre keto recipe I used. I did brush with butter before cooking. I didnt serve them with any other sauces that is how good they are!
Tonight I needed to make them right away, not able to chill them for hours. They didnt crisp no matter how long I cooked them! Still tasty but I missed the crispness. What does the chilling do? Anyway I recommend this recipe 100%, follow it as written for great wings.
Tried these tonight. Just as Missy did, we didn’t chill them. They actually did turn out very crisp despite it, but it left a horrible taste in your mouth (I’m thinking it was the bicarb soda) and just didn’t taste good at all. Very confused as Missy says they were still tasty even when they weren’t left sitting overnight! What (other than leaving them overnight) could have been done wrong?
Hi Sharnie. I’m not sure what would have happened, unless there’s some possibility that too much powder was used. I’m sorry you had that experience. 🙁
I have the same problem. Really bitter tastes like baking soda. Every other recipe i have looked at use only baking powder..
The baking soda ruined the whole batch .. are you sure you need the baking soda?
This is how Craig tested the recipe. I’m sorry you didn’t like them. You can of course replace the soda with an additional teaspoon of baking powder if you prefer it that way.
So questioning a recipe or negetive feedback doesnt get approved?
Baking soda is a no no on wings, after much research this is what I found out. I recommend sticking to baking powder as is does a great job without a bitter taste.
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Baking powder should have some carbs? No?
I mean, 100g of it has 28g of carbs and none of that is fibre. I know we’re using a small amount but it seems like it should still have some.
Yes Khal, I’ve updated the table – thank you!
Wow your fried Brussel Sprouts receipe was great but this one two thumbs down. So salty could not even eat it had to suck down two bottles of water. Terrible.
I’m so sorry that it didn’t turn out right 🙁
Can I combine this crispy recipe with the “Blackberry Chipotle Chicken Wings“ recipe? Has that been done?
Sure you can – I used these wings in the photos to make that recipe 🙂
You can get the same effect if you boil them in salt water for 5-10 mins first, then squeeze them dry with paper towels before coating and baking. I would recommend no baking soda though. Baking powder provides a flavorless crisp.
Wow! As a former vegan, I am usually skeeved out by bone-in meat, but accidentally took home chicken wings instead of breasts this time. I’d never tried chicken wings in my life and was so surprised how crispy and delicious this recipe came out. They taste so decadent and sinful I can’t believe it’s a healthy recipe. I discovered I love chicken wings.
I didn’t serve them with butter, just a hot sauce such as Frank’s. They would be a hit for game night. Not sure why everyone is complaining about a bitter taste. If you follow the recipe as stated and don’t shortcut the process, there’s no bitter taste.
That’s so awesome to hear – glad you enjoyed them!
NO, don’t use baking salt and salt. Just use baking powder!! Otherwise these are going to be very salty! I don’t understand why your using those two ingredients when they are not needed?!
I have made these wings over and over and over just as the recipe calls for! They are so super crispy and I have absolutely no bitter taste and not overly salty at all..and I don’t like super salty food so…. I’m thinking some of these negative reviews are more just personal taste as ome people love cilantro and others dont…… do what works for you…this recipe works fabulous for me!.
I’m the same way – I don’t taste any bitterness or over saltiness. I’m really happy that these turned out well enough for you to repeat the recipe many times. Hopefully you give some extra confidence to others on the fence 😁 Thank you for the feedback!