Cooking frozen chicken wings in the oven can seem daunting if you’ve never done it before. You may be wondering – will they cook evenly? Will the skin get crispy or just soggy and rubbery? How long should I bake them for? What temperature is best? Have no fear – I’ve baked my fair share of frozen wings and am here to walk you through a foolproof method to achieve tender juicy meat and deliciously crispy skin every time.
Why Bake Frozen Wings?
Baking frozen chicken wings offers several advantages over frying
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It’s healthier – frying adds a lot of extra fat from the oil, baking does not. This cuts down on calories.
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It’s safer – no splattering hot oil.
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It’s easier – simply toss the frozen wings on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven. No need to heat up and monitor oil in a pot on the stovetop.
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Less messy – contained neatly on a sheet pan rather than submerged in a pot.
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You can season or sauce them however you want – buffalo, bbq, lemon pepper – the possibilities are endless!
So if you’re looking for a quick and easy appetizer the whole family will devour, baking frozen wings is a fantastic option.
Essential Equipment
Baking delicious frozen wings requires just a few essential tools:
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Rimmed baking sheet – contains any juices and prevents a messy oven
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Wire rack (goes inside the baking sheet) – elevates the wings for crisper skin
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Oven thermometer – ensures your oven runs at the proper temp
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Instant read thermometer – tests doneness precisely
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Tongs – for easily flipping the wings
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Bowl – for tossing cooked wings with sauce (if desired)
Step-By-Step Method
Follow these simple steps for perfectly baked frozen wings every time:
1. Preheat Oven
Crank your oven up to 425°F. This high heat thoroughly and evenly cooks the wings while also crisping up the skin.
2. Prep Baking Sheet
Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. The rack allows air to circulate underneath the wings as they cook, eliminating sogginess.
Lightly coat the wire rack with oil or non-stick spray so the wings don’t stick.
3. Arrange Wings on Rack
Carefully arrange the frozen wings on the rack in a single layer, spacing them apart so they aren’t crowded.
Crowding causes steaming instead of crisping.
4. Season (Optional)
Sprinkle your favorite dry rub seasoning over both sides of the wings.
I like a simple blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
5. Bake 30 Minutes
Pop the baking sheet in the preheated 425° oven.
Bake for 30 minutes without opening the oven door.
6. Flip Wings
Remove baking sheet and use tongs to carefully flip each wing over.
Return to oven for 20-25 more minutes.
7. Test Temperature
After 50-55 minutes total bake time, begin checking temperature.
Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of a wing, avoiding bone.
Wings are safely cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°F.
8. Crisping (Optional)
If wings are cooked through but skin isn’t quite crispy enough, you can finish them by broiling, air frying, or frying for just a couple minutes to crisp them up.
9. Toss with Sauce (Optional)
Once wings are cooked to perfect doneness, toss them in a bowl with your desired sauce if you want sauced wings.
Buffalo, bbq, teriyaki – choose your favorite!
10. Serve and Enjoy!
Let wings rest 5 minutes before serving to allow juices to redistribute.
Dig in and enjoy your crispy baked frozen wings!
Tips for Extra Crispy Wings
If you love your wings extra crispy, try these tricks:
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Pat the frozen wings dry with paper towels before baking to remove excess moisture.
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Toss the wings in a bit of baking powder before baking – it helps dehydrate the skin.
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Prop up the sides of the wire rack to maximize air flow all around.
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Broil the wings for the last 5 minutes of bake time. Watch closely to avoid burning.
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Finish in an air fryer or fryer for a couple mins after baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to thaw the wings before baking?
Nope, you can bake them straight from the freezer with great results. No tedious thawing required.
What temperature should I bake frozen wings at?
425°F is ideal. This high temp crisps the skin beautifully.
How will I know when they’re done?
Use an instant read thermometer to check for a safe internal temp of 165°F. Also look for crispy, browned skin and clear juices when pierced with a fork.
Can I use different seasonings or sauces?
Absolutely! Adapt this base recipe to suit your tastes.
What if my wings are rock hard frozen?
If frozen into a solid block, try to separate as much as possible. May need to bake a bit longer.
Why are my wings rubbery?
This happens if wings are overcrowded or oven temp is too low. Make sure they’re in a single layer on the rack and bake at 425°F.
How do I get the skin extra crispy?
Try coating with baking powder before baking. Broil at end. Or finish in air fryer or fryer.
Can I bake bone-in thighs or drumsticks too?
Yes, the method will be the same but cook time may need to be adjusted based on size of pieces. Rely on thermometer for doneness.
The Perfect Baked Frozen Wings
Crispety, crunchety baked frozen wings are easily achievable right from your home oven with this straightforward technique. No deep fryer required! Adjust the recipe to your preferences with different seasonings, sauces, and cooking methods. Enjoy your wings game day-ready anytime with minimal effort involved. Just bake, sauce, and dive in!
What To Do If You Only Have Frozen Wings:
This is so important. Whenever possible start with fresh wings, not frozen. But life happens….
I get it, sometimes you can’t find them. Sometimes you forget to pull them out of the freezer. Bottom line, if your wings are frozen, you can still get crispy oven baked wings, but you HAVE to use the parboil method or completely defrost them.
If you can only find frozen wings, here is what you need to do:
- Let them defrost fully in the refrigerator. Never leave them on the counter to defrost, as bacteria can form and that is not good.
- Once fully defrosted, drain off any excess liquid.
- Use paper towels and squeeze each wing to get any excess moisture out of it.
- Pat the wings dry with more paper towels, and set aside.
- Parboil wings in simmering water for 6-7 minutes until completely defrosted and fat is rendered.
- Remove from water. And drain to let the exterior dry.
- Pat dry and let air dry. Be sure to shake off and pat off any excessive moisture.
- Toss with salt and pepper
- Continue as normal
I found this method to work well for a crispy skin, but not so well for my life and house.
A big pot of boiling meat that you have to really pay attention to the time on not to ruin was a bit too fussy for me. So while it worked awesome, and the skin was super crispy. I still much prefer the defrost and use baking powder alternative for ease.
Of course, feel free to use whatever method works best for you! The key is simply to reduce the fat under the skin, and dry the skin well so you can get a crispy exterior.
I have made these wings countless times and haven’t run into problems with the wings tasting like baking powder, but many have commented they have had this problem, so I have done some trouble-shooting. And here are my suggestions:
- First make sure you are using BAKING POWDER. I have had far too many readers mistakenly use baking soda, which makes these inedible.
- Mix baking powder, salt, and pepper together first (unlike in video, I found later this works better)
- Put in a zip top bag and toss so it is more evenly distributed. This way no one wings has too much baking powder on it.
- Make sure you have the correct amount of wings. If you use fewer than 5 lbs, adjust the baking powder accordingly or you will taste it.
- Cook according to instructions for a crispy, golden brown result.
Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings:
If you want the perfect crispy baked hot wings, but want to skip the fat of frying, look no further than this baked chicken wings recipe.
Not only have I tested this recipe hundreds of times, tweaking, and adjusting to make them perfect and be able to answer all the questions, but am sharing everything I have learned with you here.
This post has all the tips for how to prep your wings, how long to bake chicken wings, how to get truly crispy wings in the oven, and how to get finger licking good hot wings with minimal work! These wings come out crispy every time, the fat renders, and they are ready to be sauced with your favorite hot wings sauce recipe, like buffalo sauce , or something from a bottle if you want to keep it easy.
Whether it is Super Bowl Sunday or you just love a good crispy wing recipe, you are going to love these! We are obsessed with wings over here:
No matter how you sauce them, you have to start with crispy, crunchy, golden brown wings that are baked in the oven! So let’s get down to the nitty gritty for how to do this: