Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

By
Kathy Kingsley
Kathy Kingsley
Kathy Kingsley
A former bakery owner, Kathy Kingsley is a food writer, recipe developer, editor, and author of seven cookbooks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/29/22
Buffalo chicken wings

The Spruce 

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
664 Calories
53g Fat
19g Carbs
28g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 664
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 53g 68%
Saturated Fat 19g 93%
Cholesterol 147mg 49%
Sodium 818mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 7mg 35%
Calcium 79mg 6%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 389mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The spicy, crispy chicken wing that is now a ubiquitous menu item at bars and restaurants alike was invented in Buffalo, NY, at the Anchor Bar. The original recipe takes the flat and drummette pieces, deep-fries them, and then tosses them in a spicy hot sauce. This is a baked version of the famous Buffalo chicken wings, which makes them a little healthier, but every bit delicious. And, as is served with the original Buffalo wings, make sure to accompany these spicy wings with blue cheese dip—either homemade or store-bought—and celery sticks.

Most of us think of Buffalo wings as bar food or Super Bowl fare, but with their accompaniment of celery sticks and creamy blue cheese dressing, they also make a pretty good casual meal. You can also diversify how you serve this meal as well. You can make it into a casserole or even mac and cheese. These wings are hot, but if you like them incendiary, pass extra hot sauce around.

Ingredients

​For the Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 to 6 stalks celery

For the Wings:

  • 4 pounds chicken wings, drumettes and wingettes

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder

  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot or Goya

  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Steps to Make It

Make the Dressing

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for dressing
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  2. In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, blue cheese, green onion, salt, and pepper.

    Combine ingredients in bowl
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  3. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

    Cover and refrigerate one hour
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  4. Cut celery into thin sticks.

    Cut celery into sticks
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  5. Soak celery in a bowl of ice water at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Make the Wings

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for buffalo chicken
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  2. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

  3. Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels.

    Rinse chicken
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  4. In a large bowl, toss the chicken wings with the vegetable oil and season liberally with salt and black pepper.

    Chicken and seasoning
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  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, chili powder, and cayenne. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chicken wings and toss to coat.

    Add spices
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  6. Transfer the wings, skin-side up, to 2 large-rimmed baking sheets and bake them for about 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are crisp.

    Wings on baking tray
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  7. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat and stir in hot sauce, vinegar, and salt, to taste.

    Melt butter
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  8. Add the baked wings and toss to coat.

    Add wings
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  9. Transfer the baked wings to a serving platter and serve them warm with the blue cheese dip and celery sticks.

    Transfer baked wings to plate
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  10. Enjoy!

Tips

  • It is easiest to purchase the wings already separated into flats and drummettes, but if you can’t find any packaged that way, it is not too difficult to cut them apart. To cut whole chicken wings into sections, place them on a cutting board and cut off the wing tips, either discarding or reserving them for another use like making stock. Section the remaining part of the wing by cutting between the joint using the tip of a sharp knife.
  • Don't apply the sauce before cooking because the sugar it will burn during baking.

Recipe Variations

  • If you find the wings too spicy for your liking, you can decrease the hot sauce and increase the amount of butter. 
  • To add a little bit of zing and fresh flavor to the blue cheese dip, squeeze a little lime juice into the mixture at the end.
  • Sauce-free variation: Instead of serving the wings tossed in buffalo sauce, coat them in your favorite dry rub before baking.