Tender, juicy baked chicken wings coated in a mouthwatering homemade dry rub that will have your tastebuds singing! Pair it with a creamy gorgonzola dipping sauce and it’s a party hit!
These baked chicken wings are SO good, you won’t miss the deep fryer OR the sauce!!
This post was partially brought to you by the makers of Sutter Home. All opinions expressed are my own.
Who’s starting to get excited for the big game in a couple of weeks? I am!! Not necessarily for the football (my team is the Bengals, and let’s face it, they’re definitely no where near championship material), or the commercials… but for the food!
Game day foods are the most mouthwatering, and can be so creative. Usually, there’s a chicken wing or two on everyone’s game day plate, but this year, I’m inviting you all to take a break from the traditional, and try these epic dry-rubbed baked chicken wings!
I know, I know… chicken wings are supposed to be deep fried and tossed in a spicy sauce right? But what if I told you that these baked chicken wings are every bit as tasty as the traditional variety… in fact, they’re utterly fantastic? Seriously, I’m a huge wing fan, and these knocked my socks off. I meant to save some for my husband after the photoshoot was finished… and well, let’s just say there was nothing left for him to try!
While not a copycat recipe, this dry rub is inspired by one of my favorite local treats. Ohioans love chicken wings… like a lot! We also love our unique chili recipe too 😉
I titled this recipe Epic Dry-Rubbed Baked Chicken Wings, because I truly feel they are epic. They hit nearly every flavor component, and are the perfect little crispy bites of flavor! Even better when this spicy dish is paired with a sweet wine like Sutter Home Riesling!
No chicken wing is complete without a dipping sauce, and this one is truly fantastic. Instead of the traditional blue cheese, I went with a homemade creamy gorgonzola cheese sauce, which is not as sharp, and more buttery. It perfectly balances the heat from the wings… you don’t want to skip it. However, if you don’t have time or the ingredients to make it, a good quality blue cheese dressing could be swapped in for it.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BAKE CHICKEN WINGS IN THE OVEN?
Let’s get down to brass tacks here… how long before you can be munching on these delicious wings? I like to bake my wings at 400 F degrees and it takes about 45 minutes. So yes, it takes a little while, but it’s totally hands-off time… so you can go about your day until the oven timer goes off.
BUT REALLY? WINE WITH BAKED CHICKEN WINGS??
I know… I know. I’m breaking just about EVERY chicken wing rule here… there’s no beer. While you might be thinking I’ve lost my marbles… just hear me out okay? Sutter Home Riesling has an amazing almost tropical fruit taste, which when paired with a spicy dish, is absolutely delicious and memorable! I promise! After pairing it with a sweet wine, I was blown away. Remember back when I paired this spicy chicken meal with white zinfandel? Wine is the way to go here friends!
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING BAKED CHICKEN WINGS:
- If you’re using frozen wings (I usually do), make sure they’re completely thawed.
- Be sure to pat the wings dry with a paper towel. This helps the oil and rub coat them really well.
- For the most even cooking (and easy cleanup), line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil (or two sheets of regular), then top that with and oven safe metal cooling rack (like the one below). Spray that with non-stick cooking spray and you’re good to add the wings.
- This rub is insanely flavorful, so make extra and keep it in an airtight container with your other spices. It’s great on chicken of any kind!
- The gorgonzola sauce can be made ahead of time, or while the chicken wings are baking.
So this game day season, treat yourself and make these EPIC dry-rubbed baked chicken wings!
HELPFUL TOOLS:
- Extra large baking sheet AND rack – this is a fantastic combo! I’ve been using this combo for years and it still works like new.
- Nitrile gloves – to keep your hands from being stained from the rub, these gloves are perfect! I like nitrile as it feels stronger than traditional latex.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
EPIC DRY RUB:
- 1/2 Tbsp ancho chile pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 3/4 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you're worried about the heat level)
- 1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried ground thyme
WINGS:
- 4 lbs chicken wings, thawed completely if using a frozen bag
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
CREAMY GORGONZOLA SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 3-6 Tbsp buttermilk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 -3 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
MAKE DRY RUB AND CHICKEN WINGS:
- Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with 2 sheets of aluminum foil (or 1 heavy duty sheet). Top that with an oven safe cooling rack and spray it with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine all dry rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add chicken wings and vegetable oil. Use a rubber spatula to toss gently to coat.
- Sprinkle in about half to 2/3 of the dry rub mixture and use your hands to massage it into all of the chicken wings, coating evenly. Feel free to use all the dry rub, but for a coating like in the photos, 1/2-2/3 of the mixture does just fine.
- Add chicken wings to prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.
MAKE GORGONZOLA SAUCE:
- To your food processor or blender, add mayo, buttermilk, sour cream, 1.5 oz of the gorgonzola cheese, garlic, lemon juice, pepper and salt. Process until smooth.
- Transfer to serving bowl and stir in remaining gorgonzola cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Chef Tips
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Ashleigh says
Thank you. I never knew baked wings could taste so good. I added a little olive oil and hot sauce after baking 30 minutes. Flipped them over and cooked another 15 minutes. Broiled them for 5 minutes. Absolutely delicious.
Kim says
The absolute best wings recipe!!! Perfection!
We added dipping sauces for everyone’s preferences. Were eaten with and without sauces. Consensus: best wings ever! Thank you!
Jessica says
Winner winner chicken dinner! I know, original right? I couldn’t help myself, that’s all that I was going through my mind while eating these!
John says
Thank you for the share Amanda, My family loved the grilled wings with your rub. Plenty of room on the Miami Dolphins band wagon. Go ‘fins!
John, Westerville
Jessica says
My favorite kind of wings! Starting to become a lot of my guests fave too!😉 Thank you for sharing! It’s my definite go to❤️
Mark says
I made the dry rub minus the cayenne, mustard and ancho chiles, and added some red pepper chile flakes instead (all I had). They came out very tasty and my family really enjoyed them (and they aren’t wing lovers!). I put one batch on the rack as per the recipe and the other directly on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Both batches came out the same.
Yvonne Lahti says
Fantastic flavor in the dry rub and the Gorgonzola dipping sauce! We love this recipe and make it often, and it’s a fan favorite at parties.
Stick to the actual recipe when measuring the garlic for the Gorgonzola dipping sauce though, we increased the garlic and it was just too much.
Debbie says
Such great tasting wings! I didn’t make the dip as I’m not a huge fan of cheese but I served the wings with classic fries and it was a delicious meal! Ancho chilli peppers are hard to come by around me so didn’t include that too and it was still great.
Cheryl Sorenson says
Epic is correct. I’ve been searching for an easy, tasty wing recipe and this is it. Not too spicy, I think I would add a bit more heat next time.
Melissa Niska says
This is the absolute best dry rub for wings ever invented! I don’t use any other recipe! My roommates routinely eats himself sick on these wings! LOL! Thank you for being a genius.
Lesley says
Has become our go-to dry rub for wings
Grace Watkins says
This was delicious! My husband LOVED them
Shell Hawk says
Amazingly gone in 60 seconds, delish 😋
Amanda says
Love this recipe! Been using it on my air fried wings for a year now and we can’t get enough! Finally leaving a comment because I can’t stop coming back! Thank you!
Daniel Caplen says
awesome recipe, I haven’t even made it yet but I know it’s gonna be good!
Cyril says
Loved the rub, I was missing one of the ingredient’s from the top of the list, but it still worked perfectly. BBQ’d the wings. Normally I’m a blue cheese + Sour cream guy, but I tried your version of a dip and except for having to use blue instead of gorgonzola, it’s going to be my go to from now on as it’s not very hard to make and except for the buttermilk, I normally have the fixings (I used heavy cream instead this time). My opinion on the other cheese choice would be either blue, gorgonzola or any other with a strong creamy taste as you need that burst of flavour to offset the spiciness of the rub. A bland dip just wouldn’t have the same result.
Next time I’ll have to buy some gorgonzola and give it a try, or some stilton. I’ll also have to pick up some ancho chili pepper powder for the rub.
Tiffany says
Can you substitute a different cheese for the dipping sauce?
Amanda says
I’ve only tried it with the gorgonzola and with crumbled bleu cheese, but I would think other crumbly cheeses, like feta would work too.
Abi K. says
This is seriously my favorite rub ever. I add in chipotle powder in place of cayenne,and use fresh herbs! Then the wings get tossed on the grill. Perfection. Thank you!!
APRIL SMITH says
Best dry rub EVER! Forever changed my wing game. So freaking good! I make it in volume and use it all the time. Try it its awesome!
Cingee says
Loved this dry rub. We used it on an air fried pork tenderloin and my family (including 12 year old daughter) LOVED it!! Thank you 🙂
Jackie says
These were absolutely excellent. I wanted a baked chicken wing recipe as good as fried wings. This gave the flavor and texture and was super easy to make. I didn’t have any brown sugar so substituted with white sugar and still tasted great.