Easy Classic Buffalo Wings Recipe

Gather the ingredients for easy classic Buffalo wings

If you're just starting to make Buffalo chicken wings at home, you might be surprised by how few ingredients you need. First, you'll want to gather wingettes and drumettes. If you only find whole wings at the grocery store, don’t fret. It’s quite simple to separate them yourself. Just cut at the joints connecting the drumette, wingette (or flat), and wing tip, gently wiggling your knife if you encounter any resistance to locate the right spots to cut. Discard the wing tips (or save them for making chicken stock), and you'll have perfectly prepared wingettes and drumettes ready for cooking.

The wings are coated with a mixture of baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper for a delicious flavor, with the baking powder aiding in achieving a crispy, golden skin in the oven. After baking, they are tossed in a well-balanced blend of melted butter, hot sauce, and brown sugar.

Buffalo wings are best served hot, and a homemade blue cheese dip complements them perfectly. This creamy dip is made by mixing blue cheese crumbles, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, which helps to mellow the spiciness of the wings. You can garnish the dip with sliced scallions, and if you like, serve celery or carrot sticks on the side.

Step 1: Preheat the oven

Set the oven temperature to 425°F.

Step 2: Dry the wings

Use paper towels to pat the chicken wingettes and drumettes dry.

Step 3: Line a baking sheet

Cover a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Step 4: Prepare the coating

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Step 5: Dredge the chicken

Add a few pieces of chicken to the dry mixture at once and stir to coat.

Step 6: Transfer to baking sheet

Remove any extra coating and place the chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they are spaced at least ½ inch apart.

Step 7: Bake until golden

Cook the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes until it is golden brown on one side.

Step 8: Flip and bake

Turn the chicken over and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes until it is crispy and golden brown.

Step 9: Prepare blue cheese dip

In the interim, get ready the blue cheese dip: In a medium-sized bowl, gently mash the blue cheese crumbles with a fork to eliminate any large chunks.

Step 10: Add creamy elements

Incorporate the sour cream, mayonnaise, and lemon juice, then mix well to blend.

Step 11: Season and adjust

Flavor with salt and pepper to your liking. If necessary, mix in milk to achieve the desired consistency.

Step 12: Transfer dip to a bowl

Pour the dipping sauce into a serving bowl and garnish with scallions, if desired.

Step 13: Prepare hot sauce mixture

In a spacious bowl, mix together the butter, hot sauce, and brown sugar until well combined.

Step 14: Toss hot wings in sauce

Once the chicken is cooked, add a few pieces at a time to the hot sauce mixture, stirring to ensure they are well coated.

Step 15: Transfer to serving platter

Move the chicken to a serving dish and add sauce and celery, if you like; serve while hot.

How do you know when baked chicken wings are done?

A perfectly cooked chicken wing should be juicy and tender inside, while the outside is crisp and beautifully browned. When baking chicken wings, it's important to monitor their color as they cook. Placing them on the middle rack of the oven, they should achieve a golden brown hue on both sides by the time they are done (remember to flip them halfway through). Using a rack over the baking sheet can enhance air circulation around the wings, resulting in an even crispier skin, though it may require a bit more cleanup. The finished wings should feel firm to the touch, with a crispy skin. When you cut into a wing, the juices should run clear.

Having a meat thermometer handy is a reliable way to ensure your chicken is thoroughly cooked. A probe inserted into the thickest part of a wing should read 165°F. If the temperature is lower, allow them to bake for a bit longer.

Why add butter to Buffalo wing sauce?

Rosenhouse has plenty to share about butter. "If there's one ingredient I hold in the highest regard, it's butter. Everything improves with a hint of butter, and this Buffalo wing sauce is no different. It enhances the sauce, contributing richness and flavor."

Butter works wonders when combined with hot sauce, softening the heat on your palate while adding a smooth richness that helps the sauce coat and adhere to the wings. The creamy texture of the sauce, paired with the crunchiness of the wings and the richness of the blue cheese dip, makes this dish utterly irresistible.

Thinking about reducing the butter in the recipe? Cutting back will increase the hot sauce ratio for a spicier kick, but we advise against it. Buffalo wings are meant to be enjoyed, so we say indulge fully or not at all.

How do you keep Buffalo wings crispy?

When you think of crispy chicken wings, you might believe that frying is the only option. While frying does create a crunchy texture, this oven-baking technique can also produce wings that are wonderfully crispy. By applying baking powder to the chicken before baking, you can achieve a perfectly crispy skin in the oven. For an even greater crunch, consider coating the chicken and leaving it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight, which enhances the blistering effect during baking.

These oven-baked wings can be prepared ahead of time and reheated until they're piping hot when you're ready to serve. When it's time to enjoy them, simply toss the wings in the hot sauce mixture just before plating. Although the wings will stay crispy until they're eaten, keep in mind that the longer the sauce sits on the chicken, the more likely it is to soften the crispy skin, resulting in a soggy texture.