Classic Buffalo Wings

Extra-crispy baked chicken wings tossed in a classic hot sauce and butter Buffalo sauce, served with blue cheese dressing, celery and carrots. Serves 4 to 6.

Platter of crispy Buffalo wings with blue cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks
  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 50 min
  • Dry 1 hr
  • Total 2 hr
  • Yield 4 to 6 servings

Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Questions | Print recipe

Buffalo wings were created in Buffalo, New York, in 1964, and the sauce has stayed the same ever since: hot sauce and melted butter. These are baked instead of fried, and a light coating of baking powder makes the skin blister and crisp up just like deep-fried wings.

Serve them the traditional way, with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.

Ingredients

Wings

  • 3 pounds chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes, tips removed
  • 1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Buffalo sauce

  • 1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

For serving

  • Blue cheese dressing
  • Celery and carrot sticks

Instructions

  1. Dry the wings. Pat the wings very dry. Toss with the baking powder and salt, set on a rack over a foil-lined sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 1 hour or overnight.
  2. Bake. Heat the oven to 250°F. Bake the wings on the rack for 30 minutes, then raise the oven to 425°F and bake 40 to 50 minutes more, until deep golden and crisp and at least 165°F.
  3. Make the sauce. Melt the butter with the hot sauce, vinegar and garlic powder, whisking until smooth.
  4. Toss and serve. Toss the hot wings in the sauce and serve with blue cheese dressing, celery and carrots.

Tips

  • Use baking powder, not baking soda, which tastes metallic.
  • For milder wings, add more butter to the sauce; for hotter, add a pinch of cayenne.

Questions about this recipe

Why put baking powder on wings?
It raises the skin pH so it browns and blisters, giving fried-wing crunch from the oven.
Can I make Buffalo wings in an air fryer?
Yes. Air-fry at 380°F for 22 to 25 minutes, shaking twice, then toss in the sauce.

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