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My easy Buffalo Wings recipe is a sweet-savory take on a classic appetizer! Crisp fried wings are soaked in a homemade buffalo sauce that’s loaded with hot sauce and honey for intense flavor.
You can order buffalo wings the next time you’re out, but once you make my very best buffalo wings recipe, I think you’ll start making them at home for the foreseeable future! Not only are they super easy to make, they’re so hot and fresh when you make them yourself. We love these as an appetizer or even as a centerpiece to a main meal, along with salad and a few sides.
Why This Is The Best Buffalo Wings Recipe
- Adjustable. One of the main arguments for making homemade buffalo wings is that you can adjust the amount of heat if needed. My kids don’t always love overly spicy dishes, so when I make them to share I often lower the amount of hot sauce or use a milder hot sauce so that they can also enjoy them.
- Crisp and tangy. Cooking the wings at a higher temperature in the oven makes them unbelievably crispy! And, the blend of vinegary hot sauce and sweet honey makes a beautifully tangy buffalo sauce.
- Easy. It’s not hard to make this buffalo wings recipe! A handful of simple ingredients and a few minutes of prep work are all you’ll need to put this one together.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a look at the handful of ingredients in this buffalo wings recipe. Make sure to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
For the Wings
- Chicken Wings – I remove the tips of the wings before cooking the wings, but you can leave them on if you prefer.
- Baking Powder – A little bit of baking powder helps the chicken cook up amazingly crisp.
- Garlic Powder – I like using garlic powder rather than fresh garlic because it adheres to the chicken better and gives it more flavor.
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil – You can swap in avocado oil for olive oil if you wish.
For the Buffalo Sauce
- Butter – I use unsalted butter – you can use salted butter but reduce the amount of added salt so it’s not overly salty.
- Hot Sauce – My first choice to make this sauce is Franks Original Red Hot Sauce, but you can use any hot sauce you prefer.
- Honey – Use honey or brown sugar to give the sauce a little sweetness.
- Salt
How To Make Buffalo Wings
Follow along with my photos below to get an idea of how to prepare these easy buffalo chicken wings at home. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Then toss the wings with baking powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and olive oil.
- Assemble: Place the seasoned wings in a single layer on a wire rack on top of the baking pan.
- Bake: Now bake the chicken for 45-50 minutes until crispy.
- Make the sauce: Melt the butter over low heat.
- Whisk: Now whisk in the hot sauce, honey, and salt until well combined, then simmer for a few minutes.
- Add sauce: Transfer the wings to a bowl, pour the sauce over them, and toss to coat.
- Serve! Arrange the wings on a serving platter and serve them with fresh celery sticks and dipping sauce.
Recipe Tips for Success
A few easy tips will help you make the crispiest and best buffalo wings recipe!
- Don’t skip the baking powder. It may sound funny, but this little hack helps the chicken to crisp up well in the oven, so make sure to include it.
- Brush with melted butter. Another secret to creating very crisp wings is to brush them with melted butter before placing them in the oven. You can try this instead of the baking powder if you want a slightly different flavor.
- Make them with drummettes. You can use this method for chicken drumsticks, drummettes, or even chicken thighs!
- Serve extra sauce on the side. Reserve a little of the buffalo sauce to serve with the cooked chicken, or make a double batch of sauce so you’ll have plenty to dip into for extra flavor.
- Spicy or not. Up the spice with more hot sauce or drizzle the wings with even more hot sauce when they come out of the oven. If you want low spice, use a milder hot sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Make a meal of chicken wings along with my macaroni salad, which is full of juicy flavors, or make a creamy and crunchy cucumber salad. Add a side of pull apart bread to round out your plate. Serve icy cold frozen pineapple margaritas or frozen berry margaritas with buffalo wings, or make a batch of strawberry lemonade sangria.
A plate of wings can be added to an appetizer spread. Try other classic appetizers with it, like my recipes for pizza bites, mozzarella sticks, and zucchini chips. A side of cooling Ranch is always welcome with buffalo wings! Or, try a honey mustard dressing or BBQ sauce on the side for extra flavor.
Proper Storage
- Fridge – Place leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- To Reheat – Reheat them in the oven at 350°F until hot and crisped, or in an air fryer at 350°F for a few minutes until warm and crispy again.
More Chicken Recipes To Try
Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
Crispy Baked Wings:
- 4 pounds chicken wings, wingtips removed
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Buffalo Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup Franks Original Red Hot Sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey, or brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. This will help the wings cook evenly and become crispy.
- Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. In a large bowl, toss the wings with baking powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and olive oil until evenly coated.
- Place the seasoned wings in a single layer on the wire rack, leaving a little space between each wing. This allows air to circulate them, enhancing even cooking and crispiness.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown and crispy. Flip the wings halfway through cooking to ensure they crisp up evenly on both sides.
- While the wings are baking, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Once melted, whisk in the Frank’s Original Red Hot Sauce, honey (or brown sugar), and kosher salt until well combined. Simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes, then remove it from the heat.
- Once the wings are cooked through and crispy, transfer them to a large bowl. Pour the prepared buffalo sauce over the wings and toss until evenly coated.
- Arrange the coated wings on a serving platter and garnish with fresh celery sticks and your choice of dipping sauce, such as ranch or blue cheese dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy the crispy buffalo wings!
- NOTE If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat them in the oven or an air fryer to maintain their crispy texture before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This is an excellent recipe but we never use wings, we use thighs, there is so much more meat and thighs are much less expensive at the grocer.