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Buffalo Chicken Wings

This Buffalo Wings recipe is stunningly crispy and flavorful – they’re baked, not fried!  A couple of secret ingredients boost the crispiness of these finger-licking great chicken wings. This buffalo wings sauce is amazing!

buffalo wings recipe chicken wings recipe buffalo sauce recipe
Crispy buffalo wings can easily be baked, not fried – they’re extra crispy and much healthier.

Crispy Buffalo Wings

This buffalo wings recipe came into existence back when my biggest little turned 14. At that age, he loved soccer, knowing more than the parents, and crispy chicken wings. The know-it-all thing will (hopefully) come to a humble end upon mature adulthood, but the buffalo chicken wings obsession might be permanent. For his birthday, he requested a DQ style ice cream cake and Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Specifically these chicken wings, he said. And only this buffalo wings sauce, please. Ah, the daily gig of feeding teenagers growing full tilt.

Why You’ll Love THIS
Crispy Buffalo wINGS RECIPE

  • These buffalo chicken wings are baked to crispy perfection, not fried.
  • There’s no need to get messy with greasy deep frying. A foil-lined baking sheet means easy cleanup.
  • There are 2 surprise ingredients: cornstarch and baking powder allow these chicken wings to become extra crispy in the oven.
  • Because these chicken wings use cornstarch instead of flour, they’re naturally gluten-free.
  • We use Sriracha, as it has a thicker texture and deeper flavor than other commonly used hot sauces.
buffalo wings recipe chicken wings recipe buffalo sauce recipe
These chicken wings crisp up beautifully in the oven, thanks to 2 secret ingredients you already have in your pantry.

How to make crispy chicken wings
in the oven

You truly can have a crispy batch of chicken wings that are oven-baked and not fried. I’ve seen several tricks, but my personal favorite hacks are:

  1. Thoroughly dry every single chicken wing. Singular, because you literally take paper towels to each piece of chicken and remove as much moisture as you possibly can. This works nearly just as well as the chilling/air drying method and is just way faster.
  2. I use a combination of baking powder and corn starch in the dry rub. We add those two ingredients to just the right mixture of simple spices. The chicken sits in this dry rub before baking.

These simple techniques create a flavorful and crispy batch of oven-baked chicken wings. They’re so good at this point, we could just devour all the crispy wings now and call it done. But let’s say you wanted continue on with a finger-licking, delicious sauce.

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How to make buffalo wings sauce

Everyone knows the sauce is what makes buffalo wings so finger-licking great. We’ve done buffalo wings using all kinds of sauce variations, including classic Frank’s Red Hot.

While all variations are mouthwatering in their own right, our favorite secret is Sriracha hot chili sauce. It’s made with sun-ripened chilies, ground into a paste with garlic. We use up bottles of Sriracha like wild. Case in point: These BBQ Sriracha Ribs are spectacular and this Honey Lime Shrimp with Sriracha have stunning flavors.

For our Buffalo Chicken Wings sauce, the team players include:

  • Pure honey – this gives your sauce a deliciously syrupy texture and sweet flavor
  • Real butter – we use salted butter for extra flavor
  • Tamari soy sauce – you can use regular soy sauce if you’d like, but Tamari soy sauce is generally less salty and has more depth of flavor.
  • Sriracha – we found Sriracha to be superior to other common hot sauces, as Sriracha boasts a thicker texture and richer flavor.
buffalo wings recipe chicken wings recipe buffalo sauce recipe

What to serve with Buffalo Wings

buffalo wings recipe chicken wings recipe buffalo sauce recipe

Buffalo Wings
Commonly Asked Questions

What’s the difference between buffalo wings and chicken wings?

Both refer to crispy chicken wings that are typically deep fried; buffalo wings are dipped in a buttery hot sauce, while chicken wings can be dipped in a variety of sauces like barbecue sauce or ketchup.

Are buffalo wings healthy?

While the typical deep-fried buffalo wings aren’t known for being healthy, our oven-baked chicken wings are definitely much healthier. Most of the fat is rendered while baking at high heat in the oven, and there is no additional grease added.

What’s the secret to crispy chicken wings in the oven?

The secrets to crispy baked chicken wings include using cornstarch and baking powder (not baking soda) to coat the wings prior to baking. Also, it’s essential to thoroughly dry every single piece of chicken with paper towels to remove all moisture prior to starting the recipe. Excess moisture will work against the chicken becoming crispy.

Do you put sauce on wings before or after they’re baked?

Always bake the wings until they’re crispy first. Then, either toss crispy wings in the sauce and serve immediately, or serve the sauce on the side for people to dip their wings into.

Try This Air Fryer Chicken Wings, too

Did you make this?

Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!

sriracha buffalo wings in a bowl

Honey Sriracha Buffalo Chicken Wings (Crispy Baked!)

5 from 69 ratings
This Honey Sriracha Buffalo Chicken Wings recipe is stunningly crispy and flavorful. Plus, they’re oven baked, not fried! A couple of secret ingredients boost the crispiness of these finger-licking great chicken wings. This buffalo wings sauce is amazing!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 appetizer servings
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

For the Sauce:

  • 5 TB butter
  • ½ cup pure honey
  • ¼ cup Sriracha, use less if you want it mild
  • 1 TB Tamari sauce
  • 2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • Optional garnishes: freshly chopped parsley or chives

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F, with rack on upper middle position. Line a large baking sheet with foil and generously grease the foil. Very thoroughly chicken wings with paper towels; take the time to dry each piece well, so that all excess moisture is removed.
  • In a large Ziploc bag, combine garlic powder, pepper, salt, baking powder, and corn starch. Mix well. Add chicken wings, gently shaking to coat thoroughly.
  • Place wings in single layer on foil lined baking sheet. Bake 45-50 minutes or until browned and crisp.
  • While chicken is baking, make the sauce. In a small pot, melt butter. Add rest of sauce ingredients, constantly stirring, until mixture starts to bubble. Immediately remove from heat and set aside.
  • Transfer baked wings to a large serving platter.
  • When ready to serve, pour as much sauce as desired over wings, tossing to coat well. If desired, save some sauce for serving alongside of wings. Serve immediately while chicken is crispy.

Notes

  • We use Sriracha, as it has a richer and deeper flavor and thicker texture than that of other common hot sauces such as Frank’s. 
  • Honey is preferred here instead of sugar, as the thick and syrupy texture makes the sauce simply amazing. We love the sweet and spicy flavors of this sauce, but if you want your sauce less sweet, feel free to use less honey.
  • Tamari sauce is gluten-free soy sauce with nice depth of flavor.
  • If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating ❤️

Nutrition (per serving)

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 598mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 366IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: appetizers, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Method: baking, Oven

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Recipe Rating




54 comments

    • Rebecka
    • 5 stars

    AMAZING!!!! These will be made again, I added a little calabrian chili flakes for added heat and flavor

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, so happy you loved this, Rebecka! 🙂

    • Chase
    • 5 stars

    Made these last night, my husband who isn’t big on eating chicken wings, wouldn’t share his with mine, lol. They put half the Sriracha in because he’s not big on stuff that’s really hot, but I loved how crispy they came out, I was actually surprised at that. I would have liked the sauce to be a little thicker, not sure if I could add a little cornstarch while it’s on the stove for that. It was absolutely delicious though! This will be our go-to recipe

      • Amy Dong

      So glad you all liked this! 🙂

    • Jenny
    • 5 stars

    My husband loves this recipe, he keeps asking for these buffalo chicken wings every chance he gets! The sauce is divine, so I don’t blame him. Thank you, your recipe is my go-to appetizer for guests (and for us, really!).

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, that’s awesome to hear! 🙂

    • LaKita
    • 5 stars

    Made these chicken wings over the weekend and everyone loved them! So crispy, flavorful, and delicious!!

    • Enriqueta E Lemoine
    • 5 stars

    Amy, the following is a message from my son Andy. He wants to let you know that these are the best chicken wings he has had in his entire life. Thank you for your delicious recipe, my dear.

      • Amy Dong

      Aww, that is so sweet; so glad he loved these!

    • Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
    • 5 stars

    That sauce is MONEY! Seriously, these wings were incredible! I love that they are baked and not fried to cut back on the fat and calories

    • Dennis
    • 5 stars

    Your honey siracha wings were almost too good, I made a huge batch and there wasn’t one left! I’ll definitely be making these again soon.

    • Veronika
    • 5 stars

    The cornstarch really helped these to crisp up in the oven! I was amazed by how crispy and delicious these wings were! So good.

      • Amy Dong

      Yes, it makes all the difference! 🙂

    • Claire
    • 5 stars

    My partner and I LOVE chicken wings. I’m not usually a fan of buffalo wings but we can both get behind sriracha. Can’t wait to give these a try!

    • Tammy
    • 5 stars

    THAT SAUCE! Oh it’s divine! Perfect not just for these wings but so many other dishes too. I love dipping in it…10/10 meal!

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, so happy you loved it!

    • Kathryn
    • 5 stars

    These chicken wings were such a hit and gone way too quickly! I especially loved the savory flavors and how easy they were to whip up. Thank you!

      • Amy Dong

      You’re so welcome, Kathryn!

    • Bernice
    • 5 stars

    I’ve tried doing oven wings using this method and it works! Thank you so much for the Sriracha sauce suggestion, as I’m not a fan of Franks!

    • Sangeetha S
    • 5 stars

    These Honey Sriracha Buffalo Chicken Wings are a must-try for any wing lover! They’re baked to crispy perfection. Thank you for sharing this mouthwatering recipe!

      • Amy Dong

      So glad you liked these!

    • Kit

    Good recipe, but I didn’t really like the butter sriracha and honey sauce. It felt like it was missing something, I remade the sauce without the butter and it turned out much better! It could just not be my taste but we really enjoyed this recipe regardless for dinner! Keep it up!

    • Marsha
    • 5 stars

    Absolutely delicious. Followed recipe and turned out perfectly.
    Outstanding! Thank you.

      • chewoutloud

      Awesome, Marsha!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

    • Mike
    • 5 stars

    This is the first time I’ve given feedback on a recipe. This recipe is absolutely the best wing recipe I’ve ever tried!! Everything about it is amazing! The only tweak I made was adding just a pinch of corn starch to the sauce mix to thicken it up slightly. More as a personal preference though. Thank you for this recipe!

      • chewoutloud

      That’s awesome, Mike!! Super happy to hear you all like these wings 🙂

    • Julie

    OMG, these sound so incredible! Do you think I could toss them in the dry rub and let them sit in the fridge for a few hours to get some work done in advance or will that put too much moisture back on them? I’m making several appetizers next Sunday and just want to get as much done ahead of time as possible. Thank you!

      • chewoutloud

      Julie, I think that could work, if you don’t leave them longer than a few hours. Also, I would leave them in a single layer, uncovered, if possible, to prevent accumulating moisture. Hope that helps; Enjoy!!

    • Cristina – Memories of the Pacific

    I’d love to try this, looks so good!

    • ladysworldoffashion
    • 5 stars

    I love your recipes. It looks always tasty and you make wonderful pictures. I love chicken!

    • pepsgoh

    I have a soft spot for honey buffalo wings! And great that it’s baked not fried because I don’t like fried food. Gonna check out if I can get sriracha sauce over in Singapore~

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