12 Chicken Wings Recipe

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. This allows air to circulate and yields crispier skin.

Pat the wings very dry with paper towels. Removing surface moisture is essential for crispness.

In a large bowl, combine kosher salt, black pepper and baking powder. Add the wings and toss with 1 tsp neutral oil until evenly coated. Spread wings out in a single layer on the prepared rack with space between each piece.

Bake on the middle rack for 35–45 minutes, turning once halfway through (at ~20–25 minutes) until skin is deep golden brown and crispy and internal temperature at the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C). For extra crispness, broil 2–3 minutes at the end while watching closely.

Remove wings to a clean bowl and keep warm while you prepare sauces. Reserve about 1/4 cup of pan drippings if desired for richness in sauces (optional).

Make Buffalo Sauce

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the unsalted butter. Add the hot sauce, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, honey and salt. Whisk continuously until smooth and slightly simmering for 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Toss half the baked wings (6 wings) in the warm buffalo sauce until evenly coated. Serve immediately with celery, carrots and blue cheese or ranch.

Prepare BBQ Coating

In a small saucepan, combine the bottled BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar and smoked paprika. Warm over low heat, stirring until combined and just simmering for 1–2 minutes, then remove from heat.

Toss 6 wings in the warmed BBQ sauce until evenly coated. If you want a stickier glaze, return sauced wings to the oven for 3–5 minutes at 425°F (220°C) on the rack to set the glaze (watch carefully to avoid burning).

Make Hot Honey

In a small saucepan, combine the honey and chili flakes. Warm gently over low heat, stirring until the honey thins and the chili infuses (about 2–3 minutes). Add apple cider vinegar and salt, stir and remove from heat. Taste and adjust heat by adding more chili or 1 tsp lemon juice if you want brightness.

Toss 6 wings in the hot honey sauce until coated. For a contrasting texture, you can drizzle hot honey over naked wings (no sauce) instead of tossing.

This recipe yields 12 wings. You can divide them by sauce as desired: suggestions are 6 Buffalo + 6 BBQ, or 4 each of Buffalo, BBQ, Hot Honey, and Naked. For 'Naked' wings simply serve plain or with reserved pan drippings tossed lightly and an extra pinch of salt.

Arrange sauced wings on a platter with celery and carrot sticks and a bowl of blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping. Serve immediately while hot and crispy.

Leftovers: store cooled wings and sauce separately in airtight containers in refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 8–10 minutes to regain crispness; recoat with sauce after reheating if needed.