When you're in the mood for (wo)man's favorite bar food, but don't want to deep fry, look no further than my easy recipe for baked buffalo wings. The technique couldn't be simpler, and doesn't require a single drop of oil. The key to baked buffalo wings that are crazy crispy (without any cornstarch or baking soda) is a baking sheet and a cooling rack!
Okay, let's back up for one second. Bar food. Not something we talk about often on this blog, but arguably some of the world's most delicious creations. Mozz sticks are my achilles heel. Spinach-artichoke dip? Yes please. Nachos, mhm mhm. But we can all agree that wings are king, right? Let's talk about FAQ. Grab your beer, or coffee or juice or wine, etc.
How do you bake chicken wings so they are juicy inside and crispy?
These baked buffalo wings cook in the oven at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes, but not on a baking sheet. NOPE. They actually cook while sitting on a cooling rack ATOP the baking sheet. This allows hot air to circulate all around the wings and encourage browning errrrrywhere. Genius!
After 20 minutes, we flip the chicken wings. After another 30, we broil on high for 5-7 minutes. And then, after all that cooking, we sauce these bad boys up.
I read that you should parboil your wings before baking. Is this true?
I find this step cumbersome and totally unnecessary! With the right tools (a cooling rack, proper baking temperature, the broil feature) the chicken wings (which are so small) will fully cook properly in the oven without the need for parboiling!
Do I need to flour or coat my buffalo wings in anything?
No! The magic of chicken wings is the meat-to-fat ratio. The entire wing is essentially covered in fat so the meat inside stays moist when the wings are cooked, and the fat outside renders to a crisp thanks to the cooling rack! No flour, baking soda or breadcrumbs necessary. This recipe is naturally gluten-free!
How do you make buffalo sauce for chicken wings at home?
It's gotta be Frank's. You know the next line.
I put that sh%t on everything.
The sauce is usually a combo of Frank's and butta, but I put my own little spin on it by using ghee. If you're not familiar with ghee, it's "clarified" butter, which means all of the milk solids have been removed. Ghee makes for a silky smooth sauce. If you don't have it, no worries. Butter will do.
We warm the ghee and butter together while the wings bake and then we dump the baked wings in the hot sauce bath. Steamy, I know.
Ok, ok, we're almost ready to nosh. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE. Do I sound like an Oxyclean infomercial? We haven't even talked about the homemade ranch!
How do you make homemade ranch dressing?
Did you know the easiest way to make ranch is with everything but the bagel seasoning? When I started researching recipes, I realized they all called for dried garlic, onions, salt... I went into my spice cabinet and saw the EBTB seasoning... The world came crashing down and I could hardly believe this revelation.
Spoon some EBTS into sour cream and mayo. A bit of dried dill and a squeeze of lemon (if you've got it) and you're in Ranch Land. Population: celery.
So here's to more nights where we enjoy the pub classics right on our own couch. Netflix & Cheers!
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Baked Buffalo Wings
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
These DELICIOUS oven-baked chicken wings are crispy and addictive, especially when dressed in buffalo sauce and dipped in homemade ranch!
Ingredients
For the baked buffalo wings:
2.5 lbs chicken wings
kosher salt
fresh cracked black pepper
3/4 cup Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce
3 tablespoons ghee or butter
For the homemade ranch:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream or full-fat plain yogurt
2 tbsp everything but the bagel seasoning
1 tsp dried dill
optional: 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Meanwhile, pat the chicken wings very dry by placing them on a cutting board lined with paper towels. Make sure they are completely dry, then season with salt and pepper. Be generous.
- Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack, then lay wings on the cooling rack.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then flip. Bake for 25-30 more minutes, until golden and crispy.
- While the wings bake, make your buffalo sauce and homemade ranch.
- For the buffalo sauce, combine Frank's and ghee in a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, whisking to fully combine. Once 10 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and pour sauce into a large bowl that the wings will later go into.
- For the ranch, mix together all of the ingredients. Lemon juice is optional but adds a nice bright flavor, if you've got a lemon laying around. Otherwise, just skip it. Taste.Add 1/2 tsp of salt if you want it to be saltier, but I usually prefer the milder flavor. Set ranch aside.
- When the wings have fully baked (45-50min) turn the broiler on high and broil for 5-7 minutes, until the wings are a deeper golden brown.
- Using tongs, toss hot wings in buffalo sauce, coating them completely.
- Serve immediately with celery and homemade ranch for dipping!
- Enjoy
- Category: Appetizers, Meat
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: crispy wings, baked wings, chicken wings, buffalo wings, crispy baked wings, crispy buffalo wings, baked chicken wings, bar food
Want more? Why not try my crispy chicken cutlets or my restaurant-quality roasted chicken?
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