Forget Bar Food: Make Crispy, Baked Chicken Wings at Home

Photo by Romulo Yanes
Photo by Romulo Yanes

By Bon Appétit

Baking wings yields crisp skin without the mess and constant tending of frying. Divide the wings between our two sauces, or double one sauce recipe and use it on all 60 wings.

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Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Recipe by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen
Makes about 60

Ingredients
Buffalo Sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's)

Ginger-Soy Glaze
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 2x1" piece of ginger, peeled, sliced

Wings
5 pounds chicken wings, tips removed, drumettes and flats separated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Preparation
Buffalo Sauce
Mix first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in hot sauce; keep warm. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool completely; cover and chill. Rewarm before using. Ginger-Soy Glaze

Bring all ingredients and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve honey. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/4 cup, 7-8 minutes. Strain into a medium bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes to thicken slightly. DO AHEAD: Can be made 5 days ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before using.

Wings
Preheat oven to 400°. Set a wire rack inside each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Place all ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Divide wings between prepared racks and spread out in a single layer. Bake wings until cooked through and skin is crispy, 45-50 minutes.

Line another rimmed baking sheet with foil; top with a wire rack. Add half of wings to ginger-soy glaze and toss to evenly coat. Place wings in a single layer on prepared rack and bake until glaze is glossy and lightly caramelized, 8-10 minutes. If you don't have a wire rack, coat your foil-lined baking sheets with non-stick spray to be sure that the wings don't stick to the foil. Space out the wings more so that the heat can circulate and get them as crispy as possible.

Toss remaining half of wings in Buffalo sauce. Serve immediately (no need to bake).

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