These healthier buffalo chicken wings are perfect for gameday! They are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and coated in a delicious and simple honey buffalo sauce. If you are love chicken wings but want a healthier option than deep fried, you will LOVE these!
Buffalo chicken wings are one of my fiance’s favorite foods, and he loves watching Sunday football. He’s a Jet’s fan, so I guess I am now too… but if I’m being COMPLETELY honest I just love coming up with fun foods to eat while we are watching the game.
Finn really got me hooked on chicken wings, and now they are something I crave A LOT. I mean buffalo chicken wings dipped in blue cheese!!!?? Name a better combo.
So I had to find a way to make them a little bit healthier so I can eat a bunch of them and still feel good afterwards. One of my favorite BBQ places in Charlotte, NC smokes their wings instead of deep frying, and they are seriously the best wings I have ever had!!! While I don’t have a smoker, I’ve found that baking the wings in the oven is a great alternative to deep frying… and you don’t need ANY oil!
Ways to cook healthier chicken wings
Oven Baked: Baking the wings in the oven makes them crispy on the outside and tender and juicy in the middle. They do take 45 mins to bake, but you can throw them in the oven right when the game starts and they are done in time for halftime! I also like the baking option because you can fit a bunch of wings on a baking tray so you don’t have to cook them in batches. That means every wing is HOT and ready to eat right away – no reheating!
Air Fryer: I also love cooking chicken wings in the air fryer, especially if I am on a time crunch! They only take about 18 minutes in the air fryer which is less than half the time baking them in the oven takes. The air fryer also gives the wings a SUPER crispy outside. The only downside is I can only fit about 8 wings in my air fryer basket, so I have to do them in batches and then reheat them all at the end so they are all hot.
INGREDIENTS FOR BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS
- Chicken wings: I buy them split into flats and drumsticks so I don’t have to cut them in half.
- Spices: I use paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt to add flavor to the wings.
- Baking powder: This is the SECRET ingredient to making the chicken wings super crispy!
- Buffalo Sauce: My favorite is Frank’s Buffalo Sauce – it’s low calorie and the perfect amount of spice.
- Honey: Toss the wings in buffalo sauce and a drizzle of honey, it’s the perfect sweet and spicy combo!
KITCHEN TOOLS I USED
- Air fryer: If you want to air fry the chicken wings instead of bake them, this is my favorite air fryer!
- Metal mixing bowls: I like using the big bowl in to toss the chicken wings in the seasoning, and then the medium size bowl for tossing them in the sauce! They are so easy to clean!
Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wing drumsticks and flats
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup buffalo hot sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Pat chicken wings as dry as you can with paper towels.
- In a small bowl combine paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and baking powder.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl and toss in the seasoning mixture until evenly coated.
- Arrange the chicken wings on the baking tray so they are spaced apart.
- Bake for 45 minutes, flipping halfway between (around 22 minutes).
- Add the baked chicken wings to a large bowl with buffalo sauce and honey. Toss to coat the wings in the sauce.
- Eat on their own, or serve with ranch, blue cheese, celery and carrot sticks! Enjoy!
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