These Old Bay Chicken Wings are a crispy baked chicken wing recipe that you are bound to love. Old Bay Seasoning, chicken wings, and two special ingredients pair together to make the perfect crispy wings.
With the biggest sports day of the year just around the corner, I thought you might like a new way to make Chicken Wings. The idea for these Old Bay Chicken Wings comes from reader, Sheila E. And my goodness, was she right. These were so perfect, and my husband liked them even more than our traditional Baked Wings.
I made the Old Bay chicken wings last night. So easy and delicious! I think I’ll have to make more than 3 pounds next time. Wings were devoured very quickly!! Thank you!
How to Bake Chicken Wings
Here is a brief overview of how simple it is to make crispy baked chicken wings. For the full recipe including all of the measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Dry the chicken. This is a very important step, as nothing will ruin the recipe faster than thawing the chicken but not drying it. We are using science to pull out all the moisture and make these crisp, but we’ve got to give it a head start.
- Season the chicken. This is easy in a gallon ziplock bag. Make sure all of the chicken is coated with the seasoning, baking powder, and salt mixture. (Read below on why the two ingredients are important.)
- Bake the chicken. Place the chicken on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake the chicken for 40 minutes, and flip them over at the 20-minute mark.
- Broil the chicken if needed. To crisp up the skin of the chicken further, turn on the broiler for six minutes, watching the chicken closely so it doesn’t burn. Ours turned out perfectly crispy without broiling, but it is up to you.
What is Old Bay Seasoning
Old Bay Seasoning is a seasoning mix made by McCormick. It is often used in seafood recipes and crab boils. It also happens to make a fantastic dry rub for chicken. You can find it in the spice aisle of most grocery stores in the United States. But if you are overseas and can’t find it, you can use my recipe: Homemade Old Bay Seasoning.
Homemade Old Bay Seasoning Recipe
Why Baking Powder and Salt
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that cooking is a science! I love that aspect of it, so let’s chat about it. Baking powder and salt act similarly in this recipe because they both pull moisture out of the chicken. Once water is pulled out of the chicken, it can evaporate in the oven, leaving a nice crispy skin.
In this Old Bay Wings recipe, we are using both baking powder and salt so that we can double down on pulling out moisture. The salt that is already in Old Bay helps out too, making it possible for us to skip broiling at the end. It is crucial that you use baking powder and not baking soda in this recipe.
Dipping Sauce for Old Bay Wings
These great wings don’t necessarily need a sauce at all. My husband loves these as is! He has tried them in both BBQ Sauce and Ranch and prefers them all on their own. I on the other hand, really love them on their own and dipped in our Homemade Ranch Dressing.
The Best Ranch Dressing Recipe
How Long to Bake Chicken Wings
These chicken wings are baked in a very hot oven followed by a few minutes of broiling. Baking them on a wire rack so that air can circulate helps achieve the crispy skin that makes them so delicious. Bake your Old Bay Chicken Wings at 475 degrees Fahrenheit for a solid 40 minutes, turning halfway through.
As mentioned above, these don’t really need the broiler to get crisp. But if you would like them a little crispier pop them under the broiler for just a few minutes. Watch them closely so they do not burn.
Baked Chicken Wings
This recipe is based of my Crispy Baked Chicken Wings. In this version, we are just using the seasoning mix and skipping adding Buffalo Sauce at the end. The extra salt in Old Bay Seasoning helps crisp these up. You could alter this original recipe in lots of ways though by using different seasoning mixes or tossing them in different sauces.
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
These Old Bay Chicken Wings can also be made in the air fryer! Skip the baking powder and salt and follow my recipe using a yummy Chicken Rub instead, or swap it for Old Bay Seasoning. (I do not suggest using both mixes.) Air fryer chicken wings should cook for 15 to 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
FAQ
For this recipe, we recommend that you crank your oven up all the way to 475 degrees and bake them for 40 minutes and then broil them for six minutes. This will give you nice crispy wings! For this recipe you can even skip the broiler.
Chicken wings are much healthier baked than deep fried in oil. Since this recipe uses the science of baking powder and salt to make the wings crispy and doesn’t require vegetable, they are lighter than other chicken wings recipes.
475 degrees and broil for crispy wings.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store your leftover Old Bay Chicken Wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat leftovers, place them in the oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.
What to Serve with Old Bay Chicken Wings
These Old Bay Wings can be enjoyed as a dinner or an appetizer! Here are a few ideas for what to serve with your wings.
If you make these Old Bay Oven Baked Chicken Wings or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Old Bay Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken wings thawed
- 3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (not baking soda) read about the science behind using baking soda and salt
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 475. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on it and spray generously with cooking spray.
- Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel. The wings need to be very dry in order for this recipe to work. Place the chicken in a gallon ziplock bag. Add the Old Bay Seasoning, baking powder, and salt. Toss to combine.3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- Place the chicken on the wire rack. Bake for 40 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway during baking. If you need to crisp the chicken wings further, put them under the broiler for 6 minutes, watching closely so they do not burn. Ours turn out crispy without broiling, but it is up to you.
- Remove from the oven and enjoy.
Teresa says
These sound really good, but I was wondering if you use chicken drumsticks or what kind of chicken wings exactly do you use? Do you use fresh or frozen, thawed or what ?
I use the bag of frozen chicken that is called wings and drummies. I thaw them in the fridge overnight and then make sure they are completely thawed with no ice pieces. Then I fully pat them dry before preparing them.
Todd says
I’ve made this recipe numerous times, exactly as shown, and it turns out great. So far it’s the best Old Bay wing recipe I’ve found. It always gets great feedback from whomever I feed it to. A real keeper.
I’m so glad you love it!
Angie says
Made them a week ago. My husband said I must make them again. And not to tell anyone the recipe. Ha ha .
I’m so glad that he liked them! Don’t tell him that you got them off a very public website for the world to see, lolol!