A good batch of oven baked chicken wings, all crispy and waiting for whatever flavour you want to bathe them in make the perfect savoury snack and these Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken Wings are one of the best.

If you love chicken wings as much as I do, try these Crunchy Korean Fried Chicken Wings or  Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings too.

Chicken wings on a baking paper lined baking tray.

Baked chicken wings are a genius snack. Easy to make, you don’t need to babysit them while they bake and they’re healthier than their fried cousins. Plus, handheld snacks + couch + family and friends is all you need right 😊

I think I ate my weight in wings when we travelled to Canada and, while I didn’t grow up being a sports lover, one of my favourite things these days is sitting with hubby on a weekend watching a game with snacks on hand.

Like the Crispy Honey Soy Chicken Wings that came before them, my oven baked barbecue chicken wings are baked in the oven until golden and crispy. They’re then drenched in sauce and baked a little longer to set the flavour in place.

A chicken wing being dipped into a white bowl filled with ranch dip.

The Secret To Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Wings

A very simple sprinkling of salt and baking powder is all you need to make your wings crispy in the oven. Baking powder may sound strange but it truly works and you won’t taste it, so long as you use an aluminium free baking powder.

Chicken wings have enough fat in the skin that you don’t need to add any oil. A little salt to intensify the flavour and baking powder which dries out the skin, causing it to turn crispy while leaving the inside moist and meltingly tender is all you need.

How To Make Barbecue Chicken Wings In The Oven

Cooking your barbecue chicken wings in the oven is simple.

  1. Start cutting your wings into sections. Discard the tips but keep the wingettes (or flats) and drumettes. Sprinkle them with salt and baking powder
  2. Bake the wings on a tray lined with baking paper for around 45 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp.
  3. While they bake, you can quickly throw together the simple bbq sauce. It is literally all the ingredients thrown into a saucepan and reduced until thick. It literally takes around 6-7 minutes.
  4. Once the wings have baked, mix them through the sauce until they are all well coated and bake for a further 10 minutes until sticky, glistening and caramelised.

This method of baking chicken wings never fails me. It leaves the outside crispy, while the meat on the inside stays tender and moist. The meat literally falls away from the bone.

BBQ chicken wings on baking paper on a grey plate. A bowl of ranch dip sits in front and avocado dip sits behind.

Simple BBQ Sauce For Chicken Wings

The wing sauce recipe is made up of tomato ketchup, cider vinegar, maple syrup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, paprika, mustard powder and salt.  You can add hot sauce or a touch of cayenne pepper if you like a bit of heat.

What To Serve With Chicken Wings

These wings are perfect gameday food so serve them on their own as finger food or even as a main dish. You can serve your wings with perfect sauces like:

And great side dishes include things like;

Carby and comforting with a little freshness from some salad is the perfect way to serve wings.

A plate of barbecue chicken wings with a bowl of ranch dip next to them.

Now you’re all set with a recipe for Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken Wings and a bunch of sides and dips to match. These lovely morsels will have you going back for one after another. Then happily licking the remnants off your fingers at the end. I’d say you’re all set for a delicious weekend.

More Recipes You’ll Love

BBQ chicken wings on baking paper on a grey plate. A bowl of ranch dip sits in front and avocado dip sits behind.
4.8 from 26 ratings
These Oven Baked Barbecue Chicken Wings are completely irresistible and perfect as an appetiser, finger food or even a main. Baked, not fried, these BBQ chicken wings are fall off the bone tender and smothered in a rich but simple BBQ sauce.

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN WINGS

  • 1 kg chicken wings (approx 8 large wings)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

FOR THE SIMPLE BBQ SAUCE

  • ¾ cup tomato ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar (notes)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (notes)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar (notes)
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce (notes)
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 220C / 425F / 200C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  • Cut wings at joints to separate. Discard the wing tips. Pat the rest dry with paper towel and place in a bowl. Sprinkle over baking powder and salt and given them a good mix so they are all coated.
  • Space out on the baking tray and place in the oven for 35- 45 minutes until golden and crispy.
  • While the chicken is cooking add the sauce ingredients to a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer while stirring. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until thickened.
  • Once the chicken wings are ready, toss them in the BBQ sauce until well coated. Tip them back out onto the baking tray and bake for another 10 minutes.

Notes

Equipment used in this recipe: cookie trays, heavy based saucepan
  • I use a standard 20ml Australian tablespoon (= 4 teaspoons worldwide)
  • All ovens vary – always test for doneness 3-5 minutes before the recipe suggests
  • Serve with Homemade Ranch Dip or this Avocado Cream Sauce for dipping and this Simple Potato Salad or Pumpkin Mac and Cheese.
  • Maple syrup – you can use honey or more brown sugar in place of the maple syrup.
  • You can add a little hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the sauce to make it spicy.
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Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.