Chicken wings are one of those ingredients I constantly underestimate—until I make them. Then I remember: oh yeah, these are insanely good. They’re packed with flavor, texture, and all the things that make chicken… chicken-y. Skin, fat, bones, collagen—all the finest things in life, and when baked the right way, you get those glorious crispy edges without having to deep-fry a thing.
This is a recipe for crispy chicken wings in the oven, tossed in a sweet and spicy Calabrian chili sauce that is so, so good. On the side? A creamy, funky Gorgonzola dressing that you will be making again and again. Think of it as the fancy dinner-party version of Buffalo wings—just with an Italian twist. Ok, now onto the recipe…
They have a ton of texture, are full of flavor, and make a great base for just about any combination of flavors you like. This is all because they contain lots of collagen, fat, bone, and skin—all the finest things in life. It makes them the ultimate chickeny piece of chicken. Plus, the fact that they’re bite-sized makes them even more appealing.
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings with Calabrian Chili and Gorgonzola
Why These Are the Best Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
These chicken wings are baked, mainly cause I hate frying at home. While I love fried food, the cleanup, the light misting of oil on every surface, and the lingering smell for days just aren’t worth it. I’ll order out for fried food. But these oven-baked wings are just as good as fried ones. They’re nice and easy since they’re baked in the oven, no need to stand over a pot of boiling oil. And the secret is in the flour and baking powder coating. It gives them a bubbly, crunchy exterior that’s very, very satisfying.
You can toss these wings in whatever sauce you like—classic buffalo, leave them plain, BBQ, or even a Nuoc Cham-style sauce. The possibilities are endless, so use this cooking method as a base. But, for this version, I went with a sweet, spicy, and slightly funky Calabrian chili and honey wing sauce with a Gorgonzola blue cheese dressing on the side for all your dipping needs. It’s very good because those Calabrian chilies have a touch of heat to them—not enough to completely blow out your palate, but enough to add a ton of chili flavor.
Calabrian chilies are a type of chili pepper native to the Calabria region in southern Italy. The tip of “The Boot” if you will. They’re bright red and don’t have an overwhelming amount of heat. They’re hot, but not mouth numbingly hot. The flavor is slightly fruity, funky and almost a little smokey. They make a great base for these wings.
Here’s what you’ll need to make these crispy baked chicken wings
For the Oven Baked Chicken Wings:
- 4 lbs Chicken Wings: This recipe calls for 4 pounds of wings, both drumettes and wingettes (or flats).
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder: Yes, baking powder. It’s the “secret” ingredient here. It penetrates the skin and puffs up when you bake the wings for that delicious, crispy, bubbled skin. Get an aluminum free baking soda.
- 1/4 cup Flour: All-purpose flour is fine for this recipe or you can substitute with any other flour you like. You’re aiming to get a thin coating on the wings that will crisp in the oven.
- Generous pinch Salt: Diamond crystal Kosher salt is what this recipe was developed with.
- 1/4 cup Neutral flavored oil: Any neutral flavored oil you like. You need a little to coat each wing just before baking to ensure they get nice and crispy.
For The Sweet and Spicy Calabrian Chili Wing Sauce:
- 2 tbsp Calabrian Chili Paste: Calabrian chili paste is the base for this wing sauce. It’s made of crushed Calabrian chilies, oil, vinegar and salt. I like these Chopped Calabrian Peppers from Divina
- 2 tbsp Honey: Any honey you like. It sweetens the wing sauce and balances out the spice from the Calabrian chili paste.
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
For the Gorgonzola Dressing:
- 1/2 cup Gorgonzola (~2 oz): The classic Italian blue cheese. If you can’t find any Gorgonzola, or don’t like it, use any blue cheese you want.
- 1/2 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Mayo
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make Crispy Baked Chicken Wings:
- Dry wings and toss in flour and baking powder
Thoroughly blot wings dry with a paper towel. In a large bowl, toss with salt, baking powder, and flour. Make sure wings are all evenly coated. - Arrange on a baking sheet and let rest in the fridge
Arrange coated wings on a baking sheet in one even layer. Let wings rest, uncovered, in the fridge for at least an hour. The wings will dry out, the flour will form a crust, and the baking powder will penetrate the chicken skin so they get nice and crispy when you bake them. - Toss wings in oil
Remove wings from the fridge. Toss wings one more time with a generous drizzle of oil in a large bowl. Make sure wings are totally coated in oil. Wipe off any excess liquid that may have accumulated on the trays. - Arrange wings in a single layer
Arrange wings in an even layer on a baking tray with a rack or a foil-lined tray. - Bake wings
Bake wings for 1 hour at 400F, turning them every 20 minutes. The last 20 minutes are where the magic happens. The wings will take on color in this last bit of cooking time. They’ll turn a deep golden brown, and the skin will crisp up. If you think you need to cook them for a few additional minutes, do so. - Make the Gorgonzola dipping sauce
For the Gorgonzola sauce: Combine your cheese, milk, mayo, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well. Check for seasoning and adjust. Let your sauce sit in the fridge. The sauce will thicken the longer it sits; thin it out with a little milk if it gets too thick. - Make the sweet and spicy Calabrian chili wing sauce
Combine your Calabrian chili paste, honey, olive oil, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir frequently so it doesn’t burn. Set aside while the wings finish cooking. - Toss crispy baked chicken wings in Calabrian chili sauce
Once the wings are done, remove them from the oven and add a dozen or so to a large bowl and toss with a few spoonfuls of your Calabrian chili sauce. Reheat the sauce if you need to. You want to toss these with warm sauce. Toss and toss to make sure the wings are fully coated. Then plate up and repeat with the remaining wings.
Serving Suggestion
I like to serve these with some sliced jicama, daikon, or celery, depending on what’s available, lots of that Gorgonzola dipping sauce, and some extra chili sauce on the side.
A Few Tips for the Crispiest Baked Chicken Wings
- Dry wings = crispy wings. Don’t skip the paper towel step or the fridge rest.
- Use a rack if you have one. It helps air circulate so they bake evenly.
- Flip every 20 minutes. This ensures an even crisp on all sides.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Give each wing breathing room so they roast, not steam.
More recipes to try:
Chicken Cutlet Sandwich – The ultimate Philly chicken cutlet sandwich with sautéed broccoli rabe, sharp provolone and peppadews.
Radio Bakery’s Sausage and Chive Focaccia – Make the viral sausage and chive focaccia from Radio Bakery at home! This focaccia has a soft, airy crust topped with Italian sausage, bacon, crème fraîche, and fresh chives.
Potato Pizza With Rosemary and Guanciale – Roman style pizza con patate, a sheet pan pizza topped with thin sliced potatoes, fresh rosemary and guanciale.
Philly Tomato Pie – Learn how to make the ultimate Philly tomato pie – a Sicilian-style pizza topped with a rich tomato sauce, dried oregano and grated cheese. An Italian-American classic perfect for gatherings and holiday parties!
Orzo Pasta Salad – A mediterranean style orzo pasta salad with feta, olives, dried oregano, dill and parsley.
Pizza Bianca (Roman White Pizza) – This Roman-style pizza bianca is golden, crispy, and perfect for sandwiches with pistachio pesto, burrata, and mortadella. It is so good!
Chili Crisp – A recipe for homemade chili crisp made with sesame, clove and Sichuan peppercorns.
Shrimp Pil Pil – Delicious grilled shrimp with a chili garlic sauce. Quick and flavorful.
Easy Oven Baked Pork Ribs – The BEST rib recipe. Slow cooked in the oven for the most tender and succulent ribs you’ve ever had.
Celery Apple Fennel Salad – A quick and easy celery salad with fresh fennel, radishes, parsley, toasted sesame and a five spice dressing.
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Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Crispy Oven Baked Wings
- 4 lbs chicken wings
- ¼ C flour
- ¼ C oil neutral flavored oil
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp salt diamond crystal kosher salt
Gorgonzola Dressing
- ½ C Gorgonzola ~2 oz, more or less depending on your taste
- ½ C mayo
- ½ C milk
- pepper
- salt
Calabrian Chili Wing Sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp Calabrian chili paste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Thoroughly blot wings dry with a paper towel. In a large bowl, toss with salt, baking powder, and flour. Make sure wings are all evenly coated.
- Arrange coated wings on a baking sheet in one even layer. Let wings rest, uncovered, in the fridge for at least an hour. The wings will dry out, the flour will form a crust, and the baking powder will penetrate the chicken skin so they get nice and crispy when you bake them.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Remove wings from the fridge. Toss wings one more time with a generous drizzle of oil in a large bowl. Make sure wings are totally coated in oil. Wipe off any excess liquid that may have accumulated on the trays.
- Arrange wings in an even layer on a baking tray with a rack or a foil-lined tray.
- Bake wings for 1 hour, turning them every 20 minutes. The last 20 minutes are where the magic happens. The wings will take on color in this last bit of cooking time. They’ll turn a deep golden brown, and the skin will crisp up. If you think you need to cook them for a few additional minutes, do so.
- While the wings are baking, you can start your Gorgonzola dipping sauce and Calabrian chili wing sauce.
- For the Gorgonzola sauce: Combine your cheese, milk, mayo, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well. Check for seasoning and adjust. Let your sauce sit in the fridge. The sauce will thicken the longer it sits; thin it out with a little milk if it gets too thick.
- For the Calabrian chili sauce: Combine your Calabrian chili paste, honey, olive oil, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir frequently so it doesn’t burn. Set aside while the wings finish cooking.
- Once the wings are done, remove them from the oven and add a dozen or so to a large bowl and toss with a few spoonfuls of your Calabrian chili sauce. Reheat the sauce if you need to. You want to toss these with warm sauce. Toss and toss to make sure the wings are fully coated. Then plate up and repeat with the remaining wings.
- I like to serve these with some sliced jicama, daikon, or celery, depending on what's available, lots of that Gorgonzola dipping sauce, and some extra chili sauce on the side.
Video
Notes
Did You Make This Recipe?
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SubscribeFAQs
What Are Calabrian Chilies?
Calabrian chilies hail from southern Italy—the “toe” of the boot—and are known for their bold flavor. They’re not burn-your-mouth hot but offer a smoky, slightly fruity kick that’s super versatile. You can find them as a paste, in oil, or even whole in jars. They’re a pantry MVP for heat that tastes like something rather than just heat.
What is gorgonzola cheese?
Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese from Italy. It’s made from cow’s milk and has a distict blue-green marbling, which is the result from the introduction of Penicillium glaucum mold during the cheese-making process. Gorgonzola has a creamy texture and a distinct, pungent flavor that can range from mild to sharp, all depends on its age.
What if I can’t find gorgonzola?
If you can’t find any Gorgonzola, or don’t like it, use any blue cheese you want. Since these have a Calabrian chili wing sauce, I went with the whole Italian vibe and used an Italian blue cheese, but use whatever blue cheese you have available and like.
And, if you just don’t like blue cheese, you could make some yogurt ranch dressing to go on the side.
How do I ensure my chicken wings are crispy?
To achieve crispy chicken wings, pat them dry with paper towels before seasoning. Baking powder (not baking soda) can be added to the seasoning mix to help the skin crisp up. Bake them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet to allow air circulation around the wings.
What temperature should I bake chicken wings at?
Bake chicken wings at 400°F (200°C) for optimal crispiness. The high heat helps render the fat and crisps the skin. The wings will get an almost bubbly texture on their skin from the baking powder, the meat will easily fall off the bone and they will be dark golden brown.
How long should I bake chicken wings?
Bake these chicken wings for 60 minutes, turning them every 20 minutes to ensure even browning.
Do I need to marinate chicken wings before baking?
This recipe doesn’t call for a marinade, but you certainly could. Add in any extra seasonings you want when you toss the wings with the flour and baking powder. Garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, or any other dried herbs would work well.
Should I use fresh or frozen chicken wings?
Both can be used, but if using frozen wings, make sure they are completely thawed and patted dry before baking to ensure even cooking and crispiness.
Can I bake chicken wings without oil?
Yes, but a light coating of oil helps in crisping the skin. You can also use a cooking spray if you prefer a minimal amount of oil.
How do I know when the chicken wings are done?
These wings cook for a long time, so if your oven in properly heated and your wings are full thawed, they will absolutely be cooked through after 60 minutes in a 400°F oven. The wings will be golden brown and crispy.
If you are in doubt you can test a wing out by pulling at apart and making sure the meat is full cooked and it should easily pull away from the bone. And lastly you can always use an instant-read thermometer, you want it to be at least 165°F (75°C) when inserted into the thickest part of the wing.
Can I reheat leftover chicken wings?
Yes, if you have any leftover reheat them in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-15 minutes to regain their crispiness. Avoid microwaving as it can make them soggy.
One thought on Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Looks delish.