Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Recipe

Chicken wings are one of the most popular and universal appetizers or dinner staples. Often, chicken wings are deep-fried before being coated in a delicious sauce, whether it's buffalo sauce, teriyaki, or a simple barbecue sauce. And for many, there's nothing better than that first crunchy bite of a hot, fried chicken wing.

But what if you want that experience at home? Deep-frying chicken wings can be a pain, so you may want to leave it up to your favorite restaurant for the next time you visit. Luckily, recipe developer and food photographer Petar Marshall has the perfect fix in the meantime. "These crispy baked chicken wings are jam-packed with flavor, while offering incredible texture," says Marshall. "Each bite combines a crispy exterior and juicy, meaty interior for the perfect appetizer, or even as a great dish for dinner." There's no breading or deep-frying required. With just a few simple steps and very little prep time, you'll have wings in the oven in no time. The hardest part is simply being patient until they're done and you can bite into the great, crispy skin. 

Ready to get started? To make these crispy chicken wings, you'll need 2 pounds of chicken wings, barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Grab scallions as well as a nice chopped garnish. "My preference is to use Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce for this recipe because of its great flavor," says Marshall. "But any barbecue sauce will work." 

To cook your chicken wings, first preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the wings in an even layer in a baking dish. Season both sides of the wings with salt and pepper to taste. "You'll get great flavor from the sauce, but the salt and pepper will kick it up a notch," says Marshall. Once seasoned, put the wings in the oven to begin cooking for 15 minutes. 

While the wings are in the oven, mix the sauce. Whisk together the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and ground ginger. 

After the wings have baked for 15 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven. Flip the wings over, and then brush the tops of the wings with the prepared sauce. Put the wings back in the oven for another 15 minutes of cook time. 

After the second round of 15 minutes of cook time, remove the baking dish from the oven, flip the wings again, and then brush the wings with sauce one more time. "Flipping the wings while cooking helps to give that nice crispy exterior," says Marshall. Put the baking dish back in the oven and allow the wings to finish baking for another 10 minutes. 

Once cooked, remove the wings from the oven and garnish with chopped scallions, if desired, before serving. Serve your wings with potatoes or maybe a nice side salad — they go well with just about anything!