How do you get crispy baked chicken wings without frying?

Toss wings with baking powder (which raises pH for browning) and season, then bake on a wire rack at high heat. The rack allows air circulation around the wings for even crisping.

Can you make these wings ahead for a party?

Yes, bake wings up to 2 hours ahead and reheat in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes before serving, or prepare the dry rubs the night before and bake fresh on game day.

How do you scale this recipe up or down?

Use 1 tablespoon baking powder per pound of wings. For each flavor variation, maintain the seasoning ratios—you can split the batch and make multiple flavors in smaller portions.

Can you use frozen chicken wings?

Thaw wings completely before coating and baking to ensure even cooking and crispy skin. Pat dry before applying the baking powder rub.

What if you don't have all the seasoning ingredients?

Focus on the Old Bay and Garlic Lemon Pepper variations first—they use fewer specialty ingredients. Skip variations you lack ingredients for rather than substituting, as seasoning blends are formulated for balance.

Game Day Chicken Wings with 7 Flavor Variations

Name: Game Day Chicken Wings with 7 Flavor Variations
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 7 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 7 lbs chicken wings, flats and drumettes; 7 tbsp baking powder; 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning (for Old Bay Dry Rub); 2 tsp garlic powder (1 tsp for Old Bay, 1 tsp for Spicy Dry Rub); 1 tsp black pepper (for Spicy Dry Rub); 1 tbsp smoked paprika (for Spicy Dry Rub); 1 tsp cayenne pepper (for Spicy Dry Rub); 1 tbsp chili powder (for Spicy Dry Rub); 12 cloves garlic, minced (for various sauces); 2 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning (for Garlic Lemon Pepper Rub); 1.25 cups butter (for sauces); 1/2 cup soy sauce (for Asian Sauce); 1/4 cup rice vinegar (for Asian Sauce); 2 tbsp sriracha (for Asian Sauce); 1/4 cup ketchup (for Asian Sauce); 1/4 cup brown sugar (for Asian Sauce); 1 tbsp gochugaru (for Asian Sauce); 1/2 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot (for Honey Hot Sauce); 1/2 cup honey (1/4 cup for Honey Hot, 1/4 cup for Honey Old Bay); 1/4 cup hot sauce, such as Texas Pete (for Honey Old Bay Sauce); 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning (for Honey Old Bay Sauce); 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for Garlic Parmesan Sauce); 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (for Garlic Parmesan Sauce); Sesame seeds, for garnish; Salt and pepper, to taste

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Game Day Chicken Wings with 7 Flavor Variations | CookOS

Ingredients

7 lbs chicken wings, flats and drumettes
7 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning (for Old Bay Dry Rub)
2 tsp garlic powder (1 tsp for Old Bay, 1 tsp for Spicy Dry Rub)
1 tsp black pepper (for Spicy Dry Rub)
1 tbsp smoked paprika (for Spicy Dry Rub)
1 tsp cayenne pepper (for Spicy Dry Rub)
1 tbsp chili powder (for Spicy Dry Rub)
12 cloves garlic, minced (for various sauces)
2 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning (for Garlic Lemon Pepper Rub)
1.25 cups butter (for sauces)
1/2 cup soy sauce (for Asian Sauce)
1/4 cup rice vinegar (for Asian Sauce)
2 tbsp sriracha (for Asian Sauce)
1/4 cup ketchup (for Asian Sauce)
1/4 cup brown sugar (for Asian Sauce)
1 tbsp gochugaru (for Asian Sauce)
1/2 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot (for Honey Hot Sauce)
1/2 cup honey (1/4 cup for Honey Hot, 1/4 cup for Honey Old Bay)
1/4 cup hot sauce, such as Texas Pete (for Honey Old Bay Sauce)
2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning (for Honey Old Bay Sauce)
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for Garlic Parmesan Sauce)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (for Garlic Parmesan Sauce)
Sesame seeds, for garnishoptional
Salt and pepper, to taste

25 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2
Thoroughly pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels. Divide the wings into seven 1-pound batches in separate large bowls.
3
To make the dry rubs, season three of the batches. For Old Bay wings, toss with 1 tbsp baking powder, 2 tbsp Old Bay, and 1 tsp garlic powder. For Spicy wings, toss with 1 tbsp baking powder and all the spicy dry rub seasonings. For Garlic Lemon Pepper, toss with 1 tbsp baking powder, 4 minced garlic cloves, and lemon pepper seasoning.
4
For the four batches that will be sauced, toss each with 1 tbsp of baking powder and a pinch of salt and pepper.
5
Arrange all wings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each wing. Bake for 45-50 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and crispy.
6
While the wings bake, prepare the sauces. For the Asian Sweet & Spicy sauce, melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan, sauté 2 minced garlic cloves, then whisk in soy sauce, rice vinegar, sriracha, ketchup, brown sugar, and gochugaru. Simmer until slightly thickened.
7
For the Honey Hot sauce, melt 1/4 cup butter with 2 minced garlic cloves, then whisk in Frank's RedHot and honey until combined.
8
For the Honey Old Bay sauce, melt 1/4 cup butter and whisk in hot sauce, honey, and Old Bay seasoning.
9
For the Garlic Parmesan sauce, melt 1/2 cup butter with 4 minced garlic cloves and chopped fresh parsley until fragrant.
10
Once the wings are cooked, place each batch of plain wings into a clean bowl. Pour the prepared sauces over their respective batches and toss to coat.
11
For the Garlic Parmesan wings, toss with the garlic butter sauce first, then add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and toss again to coat.
12
Garnish the Asian wings with sesame seeds and serve all varieties immediately.

Game Day Chicken Wings

Ingredients

25 Ingredients

Instructions

Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Substitutions

Storage & make-ahead

Equipment

Common Questions

How do you get crispy baked chicken wings without frying?

Can you make these wings ahead for a party?

How do you scale this recipe up or down?

Can you use frozen chicken wings?

What if you don't have all the seasoning ingredients?

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