Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Wings

These oven baked BBQ chicken wings are sweet, smoky and saucy with crisp skin underneath a sticky layer of caramelized BBQ sauce. They’re an easy way to make barbecue wings in the oven without firing up the grill.

These baked BBQ chicken wings work for everything from family dinner to game day. Since everything cooks in the oven, they’re an easy option when you want barbecue chicken wings without using a grill. Serve them with baked macaroni and cheese, or make a few wing flavors with lemon pepper wings and baked Buffalo wings.

Why Make These Baked BBQ Wings

• Crisp skin under the sauce: The wings get a chance to brown and crisp before the BBQ sauce goes on.
• BBQ flavor throughout: I season the chicken with BBQ Seasoning before baking instead of relying on sauce alone.
• No grill needed: Make BBQ wings in the oven with sticky, caramelized sauce and plenty of smoky flavor.
• Dinner or game day: Make a batch for a meal or add them to a spread with a few different wing flavors.

Ingredients Needed

• Chicken wings: Use raw, thawed chicken wings. You can buy them already separated into drums and flats or cut whole wings yourself.
• BBQ Seasoning: I use my homemade BBQ Seasoning for sweet, smoky and savory flavor before adding the sauce. I also use it on my fall-off-the-bone ribs and air fryer ribs, so it’s an easy blend to make ahead and keep on hand.
• Baking powder: This helps the chicken skin crisp while it bakes. I use the same trick in my crispy oven baked chicken wings. It’s optional here, so you can leave it out for more traditional baked BBQ wings with softer skin.
• BBQ sauce: Use your favorite thick barbecue sauce. Kansas City-style, honey BBQ and hickory sauces all work. You can also use my homemade BBQ sauce.

How to Make Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Wings

Season the wings

Pat the chicken wings very dry, then toss them with the BBQ seasoning until every piece is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight so the seasoning has time to flavor the chicken.

Add the baking powder

Just before baking, toss the seasoned wings with the baking powder. You want a light, even coating without thick white patches.

Bake until browned

Arrange the wings in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet or on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.

Bake until the wings are cooked through and the skin looks browned and crisp. They should already have good color before you add the BBQ sauce.

Add the BBQ sauce at the end

Brush BBQ sauce over both sides of the wings, then return them to the oven. The wings are ready when the sauce looks thick and sticky with darker caramelized spots around the edges. Adding the sauce near the end gives the skin time to crisp and keeps the BBQ sauce from cooking for the entire bake time.

Tips for the Best Baked BBQ Chicken Wings

• Dry the wings well: Surface moisture makes it harder for the skin to brown and crisp.
• Use baking powder, not baking soda: They aren’t interchangeable in this recipe.
• Give the wings room: Arrange them in a single layer instead of crowding the pan.
• Bake before saucing: Let the wings brown first, then brush on the BBQ sauce.
• Watch the sauce closely: BBQ sauce can caramelize quickly during the final few minutes.

What to Serve With BBQ Chicken Wings

• For game day, serve these wings with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
• For dinner, add baked macaroni and cheese, homemade cornbread, or pressure cooker cabbage.
• If you’re making a wing spread, add another flavor like lemon pepper wings, baked Garlic Parmesan chicken wings or baked Buffalo wings.

Storage & Reheating

• Store: Keep leftover BBQ chicken wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
• Reheat: Warm them in the oven or air fryer until hot throughout and the sauce is sticky again.
• For the best texture: Skip the microwave when possible since it softens the skin.

How Long Do You Bake BBQ Chicken Wings in the Oven at 400°F?

I bake these BBQ chicken wings at 400°F for about 40 minutes, flipping halfway, before adding the sauce. After brushing on the BBQ sauce, they go back into the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.

The exact cooking time can vary with the size of your wings. Look for browned skin before adding the sauce and make sure the chicken reaches at least 165°F in the thickest part.

How Do You Keep Baked BBQ Chicken Wings From Getting Soggy?

Bake the wings until the skin has browned before adding the sauce. Patting the chicken dry, giving the wings space on the pan, and adding the BBQ sauce near the end all help keep the skin from getting overly soft.

When Should You Put BBQ Sauce on Chicken Wings?

Add the BBQ sauce near the end of baking. This gives the wings time to brown and crisp before they’re coated and prevents the sauce from spending the full cooking time in the oven.

More BBQ Chicken Recipes

Want another way to make BBQ chicken? Try my:

• Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings
• BBQ Hennessy Wings
• Crockpot BBQ Chicken Wings
• Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

If you try this recipe, please stop back and leave it a star rating and/or a review in the comments. Stay connected & share photos of your creations with me & others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!