Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings

Name: Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 1½ kg (3¼ lb) chicken wings, split into flats and drums, tips removed; 1 tbsp baking powder, aluminum-free and gluten-free (some baking powders contain wheat flour); not baking soda; 12 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt; 120 ml (½ cup) Louisiana-style hot sauce, e.g. a vinegar-based cayenne pepper sauce; 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter; 1 tsp honey; 100 g (3½ oz) blue cheese, crumbled; 100 g (½ cup) sour cream; 3 tbsp Mayonnaise, or good store-bought; 1 tsp lemon juice; black pepper; 4 celery sticks, in batons; 2 carrots, in batons

Shatter-crisp oven wings in a buttery hot sauce, with blue cheese dip

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 15 min
Total: 1 h 30 min
Level: Easy

These wings get as crisp in the oven as from a fryer, thanks to a little baking powder, an overnight rest in the fridge to dry the skin, and a hot oven. Toss them in the classic Buffalo sauce of hot sauce and butter, or keep them plain with salt.

Ingredients

Wings

1½ kgchicken wings (3¼ lb)split into flats and drums, tips removed
1 tbspbaking powderaluminum-free and gluten-free (some baking powders contain wheat flour); not baking soda
12 gfine sea salt (2 tsp)

Buffalo sauce

120 mlLouisiana-style hot sauce (½ cup)e.g. a vinegar-based cayenne pepper sauce
60 gunsalted butter (4 tbsp)
1 tsphoney

Blue cheese dip

100 gblue cheese (3½ oz)crumbled
100 gsour cream (½ cup)
3 tbspMayonnaiseor good store-bought
1 tsplemon juice
black pepper

To serve

4celery sticksin batons
2carrotsin batons

Diet: Gluten-free
Allergens: milk, egg, celery, mustard
Origin: United States (Buffalo, New York)

Method

Pat the wings very dry. Toss with the baking powder and salt until evenly coated.
Arrange on a wire rack set over a foil-lined sheet pan, skin side up, not touching. If you have time, refrigerate uncovered for 8 hours or overnight to dry the skin further.
Heat the oven to 120°C (250°F). Bake the wings on the lower-middle shelf for 30 minutes to render the fat. 30 min
Turn the oven up to 220°C (425°F) and move the wings to the upper-middle shelf. Bake until deep golden and crisp, 40–50 minutes, turning once halfway. They should reach at least 74°C (165°F); wings are most tender around 80–85°C (175–185°F). 45 min
Meanwhile, melt the butter with the hot sauce and honey in a small pan, whisking. Mash the dip ingredients together.
Toss the hot wings in a large bowl with the sauce until coated. Serve at once with the blue cheese dip and vegetable sticks.

Why it works

Baking powder raises the skin's pH, which helps proteins break down and brown faster, and releases tiny bubbles of gas that give the surface a blistered, crunchy texture. A low-temperature start melts out the fat under the skin before the high heat crisps it. Resting the wings uncovered in the fridge dries the skin for an even crisper finish.

Common mistakes

Using baking soda instead of baking powder: the wings taste soapy.
Skipping the rack: they sit in their fat and the bottoms stay soggy.
Saucing too early: toss only just before serving.

Variations

Salt and pepper wings: Skip the sauce; toss hot wings with 1 tsp flaky salt, 1 tsp cracked pepper, chopped chili and scallion.
Sticky soy-garlic: Toss in the glaze from Crispy Tofu with Sticky Soy-Ginger Glaze, reduced until syrupy.

Make ahead and storage

The dip keeps 4 days in the fridge. Wings are best fresh; re-crisp leftovers at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes.

Notes

Fan oven: 100°C (210°F), then 200°C (400°F). On the grill: cook over indirect medium heat for 30 minutes, then over direct heat for 5–8 minutes, turning. Many hot sauces contain no allergens, but check; blue cheese is a dairy product. Celery only from the celery sticks served alongside.