Julie Clark
Updated:
Best Buffalo Wing Recipe
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The ultimate game day party food! Learn tips for making the best buffalo wing recipe at home. Fork-tender chicken wings with a melt-in-your-mouth buffalo sauce.
Game Day. Super Bowl. Holiday. Summer Day. Chicken wings are always a hit at our house. My husband has been loving me even more lately since I’ve taken on the task of figuring out the best buffalo chicken wing recipe. It’s a tough job, but he’s willing to take one for the team and be #1 taste tester.
I’m sharing my hints for what my husband thinks are the best buffalo wings! They are baked buffalo chicken wings with a secret buffalo sauce.
What is the best cooking method for wings?
Baked chicken wings are healthier than fried chicken wings. We prefer to bake our wings, but bake them slowly on low temperature so that they end up fork tender and fall off the bone.
This means that they may not be as crispy as fried versions, but throwing them under the broiler for a few minutes can crisp up those edges.
Love using your slow cooker? Make our crock pot chicken wings! These also finish in the oven for crispy wings.
What chicken wings to buy?
5 pounds of chicken wings. We can buy a 5 pound bag of frozen jumbo wings at our local GFS store. This may sound like a lot, but if you’re serving them at a party, they will go quickly!
I like that the frozen wings include both wingettes and drumettes. They are individually frozen. If you need to only pull out a few for one or two servings, you can do that easily.
Buffalo Wing Sauce
The right start buffalo wings makes all the difference and that start needs to be buffalo sauce. Make our homemade buffalo sauce with garlic powder, butter, paprika, cayenne pepper and hot sauce. This homemade sauce only takes 15 minutes to make so is really easy.
If you’re looking for a short cut, you can always use our baked chicken wing method and buy store-bought sauce such as Frank’s buffalo hot sauce. Everyone needs a shortcut now and then.
How to Make the Best Buffalo Chicken Wings
Start with thawed chicken wings. Can you cook chicken wings from frozen? Yes, but it is faster if they are thawed. For even cooking, make sure they are all the same temperature. I recommend allowing the wings to defrost completely in advance and drain off any juice. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture.
- Place the thawed wings in a single layer in a large baking sheet. About 11×15 would be a good size for 5 pounds of jumbo wings. You can use 2 9×13 pans if you’d like. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. For extra crispy wings, line the baking sheet with a wire rack and place the wings on that to bake.
- Pour 3/4-1 cup buffalo sauce over the wings. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Turn the wings over and brush them with an additional ½ cup buffalo sauce. Bake them for another 30 minutes.
- Pour off any extra chicken juices if desired (this will allow the skin to get a little crispier than if it would continue to cook in the juices. This step is optional and not necessary if you used the wire rack.)
- Turn the chicken wings over again, brush them with sauce and bake them for 25 minutes.
- Broil the chicken wings on low for 5 minutes so that the tops get a little browned.
- Drizzle the hot wings with additional buffalo sauce once they are done. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper if desired for extra flavor.
What to Serve with Buffalo Wings?
Traditionally buffalo wings are served with blue cheese dip. We prefer this best buffalo wing recipe with ranch dressing. They go great with a carrots & celery sticks, side salad and oven roasted potatoes, french fries or baked potatoes. A classic, comforting dinner!
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers of this best buffalo wing recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat any leftover wings in the air fryer. Set to 375ºF and cook for 5-7 minutes.
Best Buffalo Wing Recipe
The ultimate game day party food! Learn tips for making the best buffalo wing recipe at home. Fork-tender chicken wings with a melt-in-your-mouth buffalo sauce.
Servings 10
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 5 pounds jumbo chicken wings
- 2 1/2 cups buffalo sauce (plus additional for dipping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the thawed wings in a single layer in an 11×15 baking pan. You can use 2 9×13 pans if you'd like. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel.
- Pour 3/4-1 cup buffalo sauce over the wings. Bake the wings for 30 minutes.
- Turn the wings over and brush them with an additional ½ cup buffalo sauce. Bake them for another 30 minutes.
- Pour off any extra chicken juices if desired (this will allow the skin to get a little crispier than if it would continue to cook in the juices. This step is optional!).
- Turn the chicken wings over again, brush them with sauce and bake them for 25 minutes.
- Broil the chicken wings on low for 5 minutes so that the tops get a little browned.
- Toss the wings with additional buffalo sauce once they are done.
Video
Notes
Serve immediately or place the wings in a slow cooker on warm until you are ready to serve them. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.
The calories shown are based on the 5 pounds of chicken wings, with 1 serving being 1/10th of the recipe including sauce. Since different brands of ingredients and chicken wing sizes have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 271kcal | Protein: 22g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1929mg | Potassium: 191mg | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1.2mg
My boyfriend would love it if I spent time testing batches of chicken wings! Who doesn’t love a buffalo wing? These sound delicious. I also like that they’re not fried. I’m not against fried food, it just stinks up my house 🙂