BBQ Chicken Wings (EASY, Oven Baked Recipe)

Name: BBQ Chicken Wings
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 pounds chicken wings (separated at the joint into wings & drumettes; tips of wings discarded ); ¼ cup avocado oil (or vegetable oil); 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 1 ⅓ cups barbecue sauce (sweet sauces work best)

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These easy, oven baked BBQ chicken wings are sweet and crispy. They're super simple to make (just bake the wings and toss them with your favorite BBQ sauce) and they're always a crowd pleaser for parties or Game Day!

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe. The full recipe card and ingredient list can be found at the bottom of the page.

3 pounds chicken wings
¼ cup avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 ⅓ cups barbecue sauce

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: Toss the chicken with the oil

In a large bowl, add the chicken wings and toss with the oil, salt and pepper.

Step 3: Add chicken to baking sheet

Place the chicken on the parchment-paper lined baking sheet in a single layer.

Step 4: Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 - 55 minutes, flipping the wings after 30 minutes. The chicken should be crispy and slightly browned.

Step 5: Toss with barbecue sauce

Remove the wings from the oven and add them to a large bowl. Toss the wings with the barbecue sauce so that they are completely coated.

Step 6: Bake again

Add the chicken back to the same baking sheet and bake for an additional 5 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through and the barbecue sauce slightly darkened and caramelized.

Step 7: Serve

Serve immediately, optionally with your favorite dipping sauce (ranch and blue cheese are both tasty)!

PRO TIP: if you love your wings extra sauce-y, brush some extra BBQ sauce on your wings just before serving.

Substitutions

Chicken wings: you can use frozen or fresh wings. If you use frozen wings, be sure to thaw them and pat them dry with a paper towel first. Split wings (wings that are already split into wings and drumettes are most convenient); but if you buy whole wings here's a quick video on how to separate them.
BBQ sauce: any BBQ sauce will work for this recipe. Feel free to use your favorite, go-to sauce: spicy, sweet, or any flavor (our favorite is the Hickory Bourbon flavor from Stubb's)! I find that sweet sauces caramelize and darken best in the oven.
Sriracha: to kick up the spice of your wings, mix ½ - 1 tablespoon Sriracha into your BBQ sauce.

Storage

Fridge: cool and store leftover wings in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: cool and freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between the layers of wings before freezing to prevent them from sticking together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sauce is best for dipping BBQ wings?

These wings are tasty plain or serve them with Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing for dipping!

How do you split chicken wings?

If you buy whole chicken wings, here's how to cut them: place them skin side down and then cut between the wing and drummette (there should be a ridge you can cut along). Then cut the wing tip (thin and meatless) off of the wing. Here's a visual step by step.

Can these wings be made in an air fryer?

Yes: cook the wings at 400°F for 19 - 20 minutes, flipping halfway. Toss them with the BBQ sauce and then cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Top Tip

When buying wings, look for 'split wings,' which are already separated into wings and drummettes. You can find these fresh or frozen in the grocery store. This will save you time and having to separate the wings yourself. You can also buy 3 pounds of wings (no drumettes) if you prefer.