Buffalo Wings
Published May 30, 2023 • Updated March 8, 2026
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These crispy buffalo wings get coated with baking powder and spices, then baked at 450F until the skin shatters. I toss them in a four-ingredient homemade keto buffalo sauce that I make from scratch every time.
I make these on repeat because the oven method gets the skin just as crispy as deep frying, without the oil mess. Most recipes call for 400-425F, but I landed on 450F after testing multiple batches because it renders the fat faster and crisps the skin without drying out the meat. That temperature difference is real. At 425F, the fat doesn’t render quickly enough and the skin stays chewy. At 450F, the fat melts out, the baking powder coating dehydrates the surface, and you get skin that shatters.
The baking powder is the other half of the equation. I tested coated wings against plain wings side by side, and the coated batch came out with golden, crackly skin while the plain ones were rubbery. The baking powder raises the pH of the skin and draws out moisture, which is why this coating matters more than almost anything else in the recipe. Reader Heather put it well: “The skin on these shattered when I bit in, the way wings from a good sports bar do. I’ve tried probably five other baked wing recipes and none of them got there. This one did.”
Mine take 28-35 minutes with a flip halfway through. You’ll know they’re done when the skin is golden and taut, pulling away slightly from the bone. I don’t even use a thermometer anymore for these because the visual cues are that reliable.
While they bake, I make the sauce. It’s four ingredients: Frank’s Red Hot, melted butter, minced garlic, and vinegar. That’s it. No sugar, no fillers, and zero carbs, which is why I stopped buying bottled sauce years ago. This same sauce works on buffalo chicken dip and buffalo cauliflower too.
Once they come out of the oven, I toss them straight into the sauce bowl while they’re still hot. The heat helps the butter and hot sauce cling to every surface. Don’t want to fire up the oven? Air frying works great for smaller batches. Same coating, same sauce, 400F for 25-30 minutes.
If you’re in the mood for a different wing flavor, try my garlic parmesan wings or chili garlic wings using the same baking method. Finish with crumbled blue cheese and parsley, then serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing. This is my go-to keto appetizer for parties and football Sundays.
How to make buffalo wings
Here’s how I make crispy buffalo wings in the oven, start to finish:
- Pat wings dry with a paper towel. Dry skin is the foundation of crispy skin.
- Mix the coating (baking powder, salt, garlic powder, black pepper) and toss with wings until evenly coated.
- Bake at 450F on a wire rack for 28-35 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Make the buffalo sauce by combining hot sauce, melted butter, garlic, vinegar, and salt.
- Toss the baked wings in sauce while they’re still hot so the butter clings to the skin.
Serve with celery sticks and a side of blue cheese dressing or ranch.
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Ingredients
2 ½ pounds party chicken wings -
1 tablespoon baking powder
-
1 teaspoon salt, divided
-
1 teaspoon garlic powder
-
½ teaspoon black pepper
-
⅓ cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
-
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
-
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
-
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or white vinegar
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare wings & preheat oven
Preheat the oven to 450 °F. Pat wings dry with a paper towel and add wings to a large bowl.
- 2 ½ pounds party chicken wings (drumettes & wingettes)
Crispy chicken coating
In a small bowl, combine baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Toss and coat
Sprinkle about half of the baking powder mixture on the wings and toss. Sprinkle remaining and toss again until evenly coated.
Bake the party wings
Cover a baking tray with foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray rack with cooking spray. Evenly space wings on top of the wire rack. Bake at 450°F for 28-35 minutes or until cooked through and crispy outside. Flip wings halfway through cooking.
Homemade buffalo sauce
Meanwhile, combine Franks Red Hot sauce, melted butter, minced garlic, vinegar and remaining salt in a large bowl.
- ⅓ cup Franks Red Hot
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen party wings?
Yes, but I always thaw them completely first. Frozen wings release too much moisture while baking and the skin never gets properly crispy. I thaw mine overnight in the refrigerator, then pat them dry with paper towels before coating. If I'm short on time, I use the microwave defrost setting, but the fridge method gives me better results because the wings dry out more evenly.
Can I substitute baking soda for baking powder?
I've tested both. Baking soda works, but you need to use about half the amount. When I used the same ratio as baking powder, the wings had a bitter, metallic taste that I couldn't get past. Half a teaspoon of baking soda is the most I'd use for this batch size. It still crisps the skin, just be conservative with it.
How do I make the buffalo sauce spicier?
I adjust the heat three ways depending on how much kick I want. First option: just increase the amount of Frank's. Second: swap in a hotter hot sauce (I've used habanero sauce a few times for parties). Third: stir in a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the finished sauce. That third option gives the most heat per teaspoon. My family prefers the standard ratio, but when it's just me, I go heavier on the cayenne.
Is buffalo sauce keto?
My homemade version is, yes. It's four ingredients (hot sauce, butter, vinegar, salt) and all of them are zero carb. I make it from scratch specifically because some bottled sauces add sugar or honey that sneaks in carbs. Always check labels if you're buying pre-made. With my recipe, the entire batch of sauce adds zero net carbs.
Can I skip the wire rack?
I've made them both ways. Without the rack, the bottoms sit in rendered fat and steam instead of crisping. You'll still get a decent wing, but the underside will be soft instead of crunchy. If you don't have a wire rack, flip the wings every 10 minutes instead of just once. That helps, but the rack is a better solution. I consider it essential for this recipe.
What if I don't have sherry vinegar?
I use sherry vinegar because it adds a subtle depth, but it's not a dealbreaker. Reader Holly used apple cider vinegar and said they were still great, and I've done the same when I was out of sherry. White vinegar works too. The vinegar's job is to cut through the butter richness and add tang. Any vinegar with a clean flavor handles that well. I'd avoid balsamic though because the sweetness changes the sauce profile.
Can I make these ahead of time?
I've done this two ways. First: coat the raw wings in the baking powder mixture and refrigerate them uncovered on a wire rack overnight. The overnight rest actually makes the skin drier, which means crispier results the next day. I do this when I'm prepping for a party. Second: bake the wings fully, store them unsauced in the fridge, then recrisp in a 400F oven or air fryer before tossing in fresh sauce. Both work well.
Does it matter if my baking powder contains aluminum?
I use Rumford, which is aluminum-free, and I'd recommend the same. When I've used brands with aluminum (sodium aluminum sulfate in the ingredients), the wings picked up a faint metallic taste that bothered me. For sauced wings the buffalo sauce covers it somewhat, but on dry-rubbed wings where the coating is front and center, I noticed it more. Aluminum-free baking powder crisps the skin the same way. Just check the label before you buy.
Made these probably seven times now and the only thing I keep tweaking is pulling the butter back to two tablespoons in the sauce. More heat comes through, less of that heavy coating feel. Still a 4, but the version with less butter is getting close to a 5.
The Frank's comes through so much better with less butter. I keep mine at four because my kids tap out on heat, but your version sounds closer to actual bar wings.
My wife, who normally just grabs a bottle of store-bought and calls it a night, stood at the pan spooning extra homemade sauce onto every piece before I could even get them plated, so next time I'm doubling the sauce recipe.
I'd never made wings at home before and was pretty convinced I'd mess them up, but the baking powder coating genuinely changed the skin in a way I wasn't expecting. Like, shattered when I bit in. The sauce with the actual minced garlic (not powder) is so much better than anything I've bought at the store. One question though: do you think the sherry vinegar vs white vinegar makes a noticeable difference? I used white because that's what I had and they came out great, but now I'm wondering what I'm missing.
Sherry vinegar is more mellow, white is sharper. Hard to notice once all that Frank's and butter coat everything. White is totally fine.
I've been through so many baked wing recipes trying to skip the deep fryer without giving up the crunch. The baking powder at 450 is what I was missing this whole time. My last batch the skin actually shattered when I bit in (I gasped, not exaggerating). And the sauce with the sherry vinegar and real minced garlic is so much better than just pouring Frank's straight from the bottle. Already making another batch this weekend.
That shatter is what I'm going for every time. The sherry vinegar and real garlic make it a completely different sauce than anything from a bottle.
I was convinced baked wings could never get properly crispy without a fryer. The baking powder coating sounded like a workaround, not a real solution. But the skin on these shattered when I bit in, the way wings from a good sports bar do, which I was not expecting from my own oven. I've tried probably five other baked wing recipes and none of them got there. This one did.
The baking powder is doing exactly that. I tested without it once and the skin stayed leathery no matter how long I left them in.
Used apple cider vinegar instead of sherry and they were still good. Next time I'll add more garlic to the sauce.
Apple cider vinegar works great in this. And yes, more garlic is always the right call. I usually do an extra clove or two in the sauce myself.
Made these for the playoff game on Sunday. The wire rack step is worth the extra cleanup. 1.8 carbs per serving so I had room for beer too.
The wire rack makes all the difference. Airflow underneath is what gets them crispy without frying.
The baking powder trick actually works. Crispiest wings I've gotten from an oven.
That's the magic ingredient right there. I tested without it once and it wasn't even close.