Description
These Truly Crispy Oven Baked Buffalo Wings are oven-cooked to perfection using a clever baking powder technique that yields irresistibly crispy wings without deep frying. Coated in a classic tangy and spicy Buffalo sauce, and served with a creamy blue cheese dip and refreshing celery sticks, this recipe offers a healthier yet equally delicious twist on the beloved Buffalo wing classic.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Wings
- 4 lb / 2 kg chicken wings, wingettes & drumettes (Note 1)
- 5 teaspoons baking powder (NOT baking soda / bi-carb soda) (Note 2)
- 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt / cooking salt (not table salt, too fine)
Buffalo Sauce
- 4 tbsp (60g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt / cooking salt
Blue Cheese Dip
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, softened (I use gorgonzola)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise, preferably whole-egg
- 1 clove small garlic, minced
- 1 – 3 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt / cooking salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Sides
- Celery sticks
- Lots of beer!
Instructions
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Wings: Start by preheating your oven to 250°F (120°C). Pat the chicken wings dry thoroughly with paper towels to remove excess moisture, which is crucial for crispiness.
- Coat Wings: In a large bowl, mix the baking powder and kosher salt evenly. Toss the wings in this mixture until they are coated well. The baking powder helps draw out moisture and creates a crispy skin when baked.
- First Bake: Place the coated wings on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, ensuring they are spaced apart. Bake in the preheated oven at 250°F for 30 minutes. This slow start begins the crisping process.
- Increase Oven Temperature & Bake Again: After 30 minutes, increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) and continue baking for an additional 40 minutes. This step finishes crisping the skin to golden perfection.
- Prepare Buffalo Sauce: While wings are baking, melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce, brown sugar, and kosher salt until well combined. This classic Buffalo sauce balances heat with a touch of sweetness.
- Toss Wings in Sauce: Once the wings are baked and crispy, transfer them to a large bowl and pour the warm Buffalo sauce over. Toss to evenly coat each wing with the sauce.
- Make Blue Cheese Dip: In a separate bowl, combine crumbled blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, minced garlic, lemon juice, and kosher salt. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, stirring to reach desired dip consistency. Season with black pepper to taste.
- Serve: Arrange the Buffalo wings on a serving platter accompanied by celery sticks and the blue cheese dip. Enjoy with plenty of cold beer for the ultimate experience!
Notes
- This recipe uses a genius baking powder technique discovered by Cook’s Illustrated to create oven-baked wings that rival deep-fried wings in crispiness.
- Make sure to use baking powder, not baking soda; they are different and will affect the crispiness and taste.
- Use kosher salt or cooking salt rather than fine table salt for the best texture and flavor.
- Frank’s RedHot Original sauce is the classic choice for authentic Buffalo flavor, but you can adjust sauce heat according to preference.
- The blue cheese dip can be customized with different cheeses like gorgonzola as preferred.
- A wire rack is essential for promoting airflow under the wings to ensure they crisp evenly.
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: 13.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.1 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 63.3 g
- Cholesterol: 210 mg
