Crispy BBQ Chicken Wings

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

These crispy BBQ chicken wings come together in a few quick steps! Crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, they are the ultimate appetizer. Baked to perfection and then coated in a sticky, sweet sauce, everyone will ask for you to make them again and again.

You’re going to want to make these crispy BBQ wings for your next party. They’re easy, delicious, and finger-licking good! They are so wonderfully crispy without having to break out the deep fryer. You’re going to want to make these baked bbq chicken wings constantly!

Overhead view of a platter lined with parchment paper full of crispy bbq chicken wings with a small bowl of dip.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

You do not have to deep fry the chicken wings to make them deliciously crispy! These bbq chicken wings are baked to golden perfection. Cleaning up is so much more simple when they’re baked in the oven!
They’re very easy to make with a few simple kitchen staples! I pretty much had everything ready to go in my pantry to make these BBQ chicken wings.
Serve them as an appetizer or enjoy them on their own as a meal. You do you!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make crispy bbq chicken wings.

potato starch — I like to use potato starch, but you can also use cornstarch to coat the chicken wings.
seasoning — you’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. You can use smoked or sweet paprika, based on what flavor profile you’d like for these wings.
baking powder — adding baking powder to the chicken wings help them become more brown and crisp when baked. Do not swap for baking soda.
chicken wings — you can use a mixture of wingettes and drumettes or just one. It’s up to you.
BBQ sauce — use your favorite barbeque sauce. Some days I crave a tangier sauce, but other days I prefer a sweeter sauce. A spicy BBQ sauce makes for a great alternative too.
oil spray

How to Make Crispy BBQ Chicken Wings

Set of two photos showing potato starch mixture in a bowl then tossed with chicken wings.

Heat the oven to 450F.
Pat dry the chicken wings with a paper towel if they are moist.
Mix together the potato starch, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Toss to coat the chicken wings.

Set of two photos showing wings on a lined sheet pan before and after baking.

Place the chicken wings in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan and spray the tops of the chicken with some cooking oil.
Decrease the oven temperature to 425F and bake the chicken wings for 35 minutes, flipping them at the halfway mark.

Set of two photos showing bbq sauce brushed onto wings then broiled.

Brush the BBQ sauce on both sides of the chicken wings.
Place them back into the oven and broil them for 5 minutes, making sure to keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Let cool and serve.

A hand holding up a crispy bbq chicken wing with some sesame seeds.

Recipe Tips and Notes

Similar to my air fryer bbq chicken thighs recipe, I put the BBQ sauce on the chicken at the end. This prevents the sauce from burning in the oven. Your chicken wings will also be crispier when you add the sauce at the end and broil them. Broiling at the end will help caramelize the sauce and make the sauce deliciously sticky.
I like to garnish my wings with some sesame seeds and green onions, but it’s not required.
Want to fry these wings in oil instead of baking them? Check out my Korean Fried Chicken recipe to learn how.
If you have time, you can place the chicken wings on their own beforehand, uncovered, in the fridge for a couple of hours. This will help dry out the wings, allowing them to bake up even crisper.
Always pat dry the wings to remove moisture. It’ll ensure they become crispy in the oven.

My Recommendation

This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!

Get it Now!

Chicken wings are done when they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165F/74C. I recommend using an instant read meat thermometer.
In the past, I’ve baked my chicken wings on a wire rack. However, I found that my wings are just as crispy without one, as long as I flip the wings. This will save you the effort of scrubbing clean a wire rack, especially with the BBQ sauce. That’s a pain to scrub off a wire rack!

Close up view of crispy bbq chicken wings with sesame seeds and green onions on top.

Storage Tips

Storage: These chicken wings keep up to 4 days in the fridge. Make sure to use an airtight container.
Reheat: I highly recommend reheating these wings in the oven or air fryer so they stay crispy.

What is the difference between drumettes and wingettes?

Whole chicken wings are made up of three parts: drumettes, wingettes/flats, and tips.

The drumette is the part that is attached to the main part of the chicken and resembles a chicken drumstick. One end is rounded and meaty as it tapers off to the bottom.

The wingette/flat is the part between the drumette and the tip. It’s my favorite part as it has the most skin-to-meat ratio. There are two bones running horizontally with the meat in the middle. This piece tends to come out more crispy since there’s less meat on it.

The tip is…the tip! It’s tiny and pointy with next to no meat on them.