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This healthier version of Buffalo Chicken Wings is one of my favorite snacks – especially for game days! Not only are they bite-sized and easy finger foods, but they are also loaded with flavor. A little hot sauce alongside a perfect blend of spices makes these oven-baked chicken wings a great appetizer or snack for your next party!
Buffalo Baked Chicken Wings
My recipe for Buffalo Baked Chicken Wings will totally transform your view of tailgate food! I made sure to eliminate all butter in the sauce to keep these at 192 calories per serving—that’s 6 pieces of chicken! But the flavor is still out of this world.
Another tailgate favorite to try is my healthy baked crab rangoons or my favorite baked mozzarella sticks recipe. All are great for finger food events and, of course, to dip into your favorite healthy sauces like my Greek yogurt ranch dressing.
What should I know about the chicken wing parts?
Bottom to Top: Wingette, drumette, wing tip.
A whole chicken wing is made up of three parts:
- Drumette: The meatiest part. It looks like a mini-chicken drumstick, and is located at the end of the wing opposite the wing tip.
- Wingette (aka flap or flat): The middle portion.
- A wing tip (aka flapper): virtually no meat.
Pro Tip: The wing tip can stay attached to the wingette when cooking, or it can be cut off (as shown below). You typically wouldn’t cook it on its own (it has virtually no meat), unless you’re saving it to make homemade chicken stock.
Tips to Keep This Recipe Healthier
Boil the wings to cook them most of the way through before broiling. This is a great way to reduce fat because the extra fat comes off in the water and is drained away. The wings then finish in the oven instead of being fried. Most buffalo sauce contains a lot of butter, but this method eliminates the butter altogether.
If the low broil setting is too low and you aren’t seeing a crisping of the chicken, turn it up to high — but keep a careful eye on them! Broiling on high will go faster than you think.
How long to bake chicken wings?
For this baked chicken wing recipe, we will boil the chicken first. This allows the time in the oven to be less than traditionally baking the wings alone. And as mentioned above, a lot of the fat is removed when boiling in the water.
If you are simply just baking the chicken wings, stick them in a 400° oven for about 40 minutes. If you want an extra crispy wing, leave them in a warm oven for an additional 30-60 minutes.
Why are they called Buffalo wings?
The original Buffalo Wings were served in 1964 at a family-owned establishment in Buffalo, New York, called the Anchor Bar. They were created by Teressa Bellissimo, who covered them in her own special sauce and served them with a side of blue cheese and celery.
They are widely popular at parties and tailgate events because of their unique flavor and ease of handling without utensils. Just remember to keep plenty of water on hand and a cooling dip for the wings; in case you can’t take the “heat” of the buffalo sauce.
Ingredients
- chicken wings
- Frank’s RedHot Original Sauce
- white vinegar
- oregano
- paprika
- garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper
How to Make Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
If the wings are whole, you need to split them at the joint to separate the drumette from the wing (or the “flat”). Cut the piece that looks like a mini drumstick away from the middle part by cutting through the joint.
Preheat the oven broiler. If there are low and high settings, choose low. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top of that. Generously spray the cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray to help with cleanup.
Place the wings in a large pot, and cover them by 2 inches with water. Bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes, and then drain in a colander.
Run cold water over the wings to cool them down quickly. Using your hands, gently peel the skin off of the wings, being careful not to pull the meat off of the bones. Use a paper towel to get a better grip if needed.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix all of the sauce ingredients together, reserving half of it. Toss the boiled wings in half of the sauce. Place the sauced wings on the prepared baking sheet and broil for 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
Carefully toss the wings in the remaining sauce. Then, place back under the broiler for an additional minute to heat the sauce and crisp the wings.
Be sure to check out these Buffalo recipes:
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Crock-Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders
- Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels
- Buffalo Chicken Bites
Healthier Buffalo Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 3½ to 4 pounds chicken wings cut in half at the joint (This will end up being 12 whole chicken wings, making 24 pieces. Cut the drumette and the wingette, or “flat,” apart.)
- ½ cup Frank’s RedHot® Original Sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- If the wings are whole, you need to split them at the joint to separate the drumette from the wing (or the “flat”) to make 12 pieces. Cut the piece that looks like a mini drumstick away from the middle part, cutting through the joint.
- Preheat the oven broiler. If there are low and high settings, choose low. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top of that. Generously spray the cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray to help with cleanup.
- Place the wings in a large pot and cover them by 2 inches with water. Bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes, and then drain in a colander.
- Run cold water over the wings to cool them down quickly. Then using your hands, gently peel the skin off of the wings, being careful not to pull the meat off of the bones. Use a paper towel to get a better grip.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix all of the sauce ingredients together, reserving half of it. Toss the boiled wings in half of the sauce. Place the sauced wings on the prepared baking sheet and broil for 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
- Carefully toss the wings again in the remaining sauce and then place back under the broiler for an additional minute to heat the sauce and crisp the wings.
Notes
- Chicken wing breakdown:
- Drumette: The part that looks like a mini chicken wing.
- Wingette (or flat): The middle portion that is the most meaty.
- Tip: This part of the wing can stay attached to the wingette when cooking, or it can be cut off. You typically wouldn't cook it on its own, unless you're saving it to make homemade chicken stock.
- Boiling the wings to cook them most of the way through before broiling is a great way to reduce fat, because the extra fat comes off in the water and is drained away. The wings then finish cooking in the oven instead of being fried. Most buffalo sauce contains a lot of butter, but this method eliminates the butter altogether.
- If the low broil setting is too low and you aren't seeing a crisping of the chicken, turn it up to high—but keep a careful eye on them! Broiling on high will go faster than you think.
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