
These crispy oven baked chicken wings are super easy to make and are healthier than other fried versions. Below are my tips for getting the perfect oven baked wings along with two sauce recipes to choose from for some extra flavor and kick! Choose from a classic, spicy buffalo sauce, a smokey, honey chipotle BBQ sauce or simply eat them on their own with the delicious dry rub for this perfect game day recipe! Use my homemade buttermilk ranch dressing recipe below for dipping sauce.
Super Bowl Sunday is right around the corner which is kind of hard to believe, considering I only took down my Christmas decorations a few days ago! I can’t be the only one, right? Anyway, I have the perfect easy oven baked wing recipe for all of your game day festivities! This recipe can easily serve a small or large crowd – just adjust for however many hungry people you will have! You can either eat these wings on their own (the dry rub is AMAZING) or toss them with one of the two sauce options below. Read on for how to make the best and easiest oven baked chicken wings!

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How to Make Oven Baked Chicken Wings
The thing that I like about baking wings in the oven instead of frying them is that you have all of the flavor but without all of the greasiness! In my opinion, the best wings are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside with loads of flavor. If they’re too greasy, you can lose that nice, crispy exterior that makes chicken wings so delicious.

The secret to getting these chicken wings just right is in the prep and cooking process. Here are a few tips for making sure you get the right amount of crispiness and texture in your wings:
- Be sure to pat the wings dry with paper towels before you bake them. This will get any extra moisture out and allow the dry rub to stick to the skin more easily while creating the most perfectly crisp texture on the outside!
- Bake your wings on a pan with a wire rack. Cooking the wings on a wire rack eliminates the risk of them sticking to the bottom of the pan, plus it cooks them more evenly in the oven. I like to use this pan and wire rack for baking wings, crispy bacon and more in the oven!
- Flip your wings over halfway through baking. Again, this will ensure the perfect amount of crispiness!
- As a final touch, broil your wings at the end of baking for 8-10 minutes for extra crispiness on the tops!

If you’ve never prepped and made wings before, I’d recommend checking out this video on how to slice and dice these for cooking. This was my first time cooking with chicken wings, so I had no clue what I was doing! But this quick video helped me with cleaning and cutting the wings correctly.
Wing Sauce Options – TWO of Them!
When Nathan and I were in college at Colorado State University, he introduced me to this place called “Jim’s Wings“. It sure ain’t nothing fancy, but they have THE BEST buffalo wing sauce I have tasted in my life. I didn’t even really like wings before but was hooked after I tried Jim’s. If you are ever in Fort Collins, CO, you will have to give Jim’s a try!

Ever since we moved away from Fort Collins, I have been on a mission to find the perfect Jim’s Wings copycat sauce and I think I got pretty darn close with my recipe below! One out of one taste testers agree – thank you Nathan 🙂 If you are looking for a classic buffalo sauce option and you and your crowd are okay with some spicy wings, give the classic buffalo sauce below a try!

If you are feeling more adventurous, try out my smokey honey chipotle bbq sauce! This one also has a bit of spice, but you can always reduce or omit the chipotle peppers or adobo sauce.

I hope you enjoy this oven baked wing recipe and the two sauces that I have cooked up for you! Also, do you have a favorite way to spice up your chicken wings? Let me know in the comments below!
If you’re looking for another easy game day recipe, check out my Pheasant Alfredo Pizza with instructions on how to cook a pheasant in the Instant Pot – it’s super simple and very delicious!
Basic Oven Baked Chicken Wings with Dry Rub
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 lb chicken wings
- 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tbsp kosher sea salt
- 1/2 tbsp ancho chili powder
- 3/4 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried mustard
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with two layers of aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet. Set aside.
- Cut the wing tips off of your chicken wings and divide into wings and drumsticks (I've linked a video above if you're not sure how to do this!)
- Add chicken to bowl. Pat dry with a paper towel and then drizzle the canola oil over the chicken. Toss to coat.
- Combine the dry seasoning ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour over chicken and, using your hands, rub the spices into the meat until well coated.
- Place chicken on baking sheet with a wire rack and bake for 40 minutes, flipping over the wings at 20 minutes.
- Once the 40 minutes is up, turn the broiler on high and bake chicken wings for an additional 8-10 minutes, or until crispy on top.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Toss with either my Classic Buffalo Sauce or my Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce. Serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks and homemade buttermilk ranch!
Notes
- These wings with the dry rub also taste great on their own without sauce, so feel free to eat them how you like!
- Recipes for my Classic Buffalo Sauce, Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce and Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing are below.
Classic Buffalo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's Original Buffalo)
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until butter is melted and all ingredients are well combined. Cook until desired consistency and thickness is reached.
Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1-2 tbsp adobo sauce (more depending on how spicy you like it)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor, add all ingredients and blend until fully combined and smooth.
Creamy Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp fresh, minced parsley
- 2 tsp minced chives
- 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
- 1/4 tsp tarragon
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 drops Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to let the flavors soak in.
- Serve with my Basic Baked Chicken Wings, carrot sticks and celery sticks!