These crispy chicken wings with barbeque sauce are oven-baked for extra crunch with less oil. They are smothered in a tangy homemade barbeque sauce for a real flavour feast. Serve them as a party snack, or even eat them as a quick and easy supper with a side salad and crusty bread.
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Barbeque chicken wings
Crispy chicken wings have got to be an all-time favourite party snack. And while they are delicious when served on their own, smothering them in a tangy homemade barbeque sauce elevates them to something really special.
And even though I say it myself, these wings are AMAZING. They are crispy on the outside, yet the inside remains moist and juicy.
The wings are so crispy because of the special way of cooking them. They are coated in baking powder before being baked in the oven. The baking powder acts to draw the moisture from the chicken skin, making it super crispy, without drying out the chicken on the inside. And once the wings are cooked you won't taste the baking powder at all.
I based this recipe on a post for truly crispy oven-baked chicken wings from Nagi at RecipeTinEats. But while she serves the wings plain from the oven, with a variety of dips, I've chosen to smother my wings in a tangy barbeque sauce.
Believe me, this is the only way to make the crispiest chicken wings.
Ingredients for crispy chicken wings
You will need these ingredients. For detailed quantities and full instructions see the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Chicken wings - chicken wings normally come with the wing tip still attached. You need to cut this off and discard it, and then cut the wings in half through the joint.
Baking powder - this is not to be confused with baking soda. Baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda as it is known in the UK) won't make the wings crispy (it will just make them inedible) whereas baking powder is what you put into cakes to make them rise.
For the barbeque sauce, you will need these ingredients.
- Brown sugar
- Tomato ketchup / tomato sauce
- White or red wine vinegar
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dijon mustard
- Paprika
- Salt
- Chilli powder / cayenne pepper (optional)
- Water
How to make crispy chicken wings
I used 10 chicken wings for this recipe, which makes 20 pieces. You can increase the number of wings to cater for more people.
The recipe for the sauce will be sufficient to cover at least 40 pieces of chicken, and any leftover sauce can be safely stored in a clean screw-top jar in the refrigerator. It will last for at least 3 or 4 weeks and can be used to make more wings or to add flavour to soups and stews.
Bake the chicken wings
Start by cutting the wing tips from the chicken wings and discarding them. Then cut each wing in half (image 1 above).
Dry the wings thoroughly on a paper kitchen towel (image 2 above). The less moisture on these wings the better.
Put the wings in a mixing bowl and add 5 teaspoons of baking powder and a teaspoon of salt. It is important to use baking powder and not baking soda. In the UK baking soda is known as bicarbonate of soda and this will make the wings inedible. Baking powder is what you add to cakes to make them rise.
Mix the baking powder with the wings to coat them completely, then arrange them on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (image 3 above). Don't put the wings directly on the baking sheet or they will cook in the fat that gets released during baking. This will not make the chicken wings crispy. The baking parchment will catch the chicken fat and will make the tray easier to clean afterwards. You can use tinfoil (or aluminium foil) if you prefer.
Place the wings in the oven and bake at a low temperature (120C / 250F) for 30 minutes. This will allow the fat under the chicken skin to melt and it will pool on the bottom of the baking tray.
After 30 minutes increase the heat to 220C / 425F and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. If the skin hasn't crisped sufficiently after this time, you can leave the wings in the oven for another 5 minutes or so to ensure the wings are really crispy (image 4 above).
Prepare the barbeque sauce
While the chicken is baking you can prepare the sauce. Place all the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Place the baked wings into a mixing bowl and pour over enough sauce to coat each wing.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately alongside a dish of the sauce in case anyone wants extra sauce.
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Can I make the wings in advance?
These chicken wings are best eaten fresh.
However it you do want to make them in advance you could bake the wings, cool them and store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
When you are ready to eat them, spread them onto a baking tray, in a single layer, and warm them in a hot oven for about 5 minutes to heat through.
Cover with the sauce and serve.
The sauce can be made in advance, and stored in a screw-top jar in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks.
Variations
You can also cover these wings in my garlic, honey and soy marinade, which you can find in my recipe for sticky chicken wings. For convenience, I've added it below.
Serve the wings plain with any of these dipping sauces
- Blue cheese - mix together 1 ounce (20g) of blue cheese with a cup of mayonnaise. See my recipe for homemade mayonnaise.
- Ranch dressing - mix together half a cup each of mayonnaise and buttermilk and stir in one teaspoon each of dried dill, garlic powder, and onion powder and 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Thousand island sauce
- Marie Rose sauce - mix together half a cup each of mayonnaise and tomato ketchup (tomato sauce). Add a teaspoon of Tabasco or other hot sauce and mix well.
Garlic honey and soy marinade
Place the following ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring frequently.
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 Tablespoons runny honey
- 6 Tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1-inch piece of ginger - grated (or you can use ½ teaspoon ginger paste)
- 2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped (or you can use 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic or garlic paste)
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Use this marinade to coat the chicken wings once they have been removed from the oven, and sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.
Save for later
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Related recipes
You may also enjoy these other easy snack recipes:
And if you are looking for a recipe for chicken wings you may enjoy these sticky honey lemon chicken wings.
You can find similar recipes on my picnic and barbeque recipes page.
📋The recipe
Crispy chicken wings with homemade barbeque sauce
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Mixing bowl
- Baking tray
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 10 chicken wings wing tip discarded and cut in half
- 5 teaspoons baking powder NOT baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Barbeque sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup tomato ketchup or tomato sauce
- ¾ cup water
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder or cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
Chicken wings
- Remove the wing tip from the chicken pieces and discard.
- Cut the wings between the joint to cut each wing into two pieces.
- Pat the wings dry on paper kitchen towel. See note 1.
- Place the wings in a mixing bowl and add 5 teaspoons baking powder (NOT baking soda) and 1 teaspoon salt. See note 2.
- Mix well to coat each wing with the baking powder.
- Arrange the wings on a wire rack above a baking tray lined with baking parchment or tinfoil.
- Place the tray in the oven and bake at a low temperature (120°F/250°C) for 30 minutes.
- Turn up the heat to 220°F/425°F for another 30 minutes or until the skin is crispy. If the wings are not crispy after 30 minutes, leave for 5 minutes longer. See note 3.
Barbeque Sauce
- Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve
- Place the cooked wings in a mixing bowl and pour half of the sauce over. See note 4.
- Mix to combine, then transfer to a serving plate and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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