Crispy baked buffalo wings with blue cheese dip
Wings that crackle like they were fried, thanks to one pantry trick, tossed in buttery buffalo sauce with cool blue cheese for dunking.
- 70 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 8
- About $2.89 a serving
- 430 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. Whatever’s left keeps for tomorrow.
Ingredients
For 8 servings.
- 4 lb chicken wings, flats and drumettes
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup butter
- ⅔ cup Buffalo wing sauce
- 6 stalks celery, cut into sticks
- 8 oz baby carrots
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Each serving has about 430 calories, 25 g protein, 5 g carbs and 34 g fat, and costs about $2.89 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds, and line two with foil, then .
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
the wings very dry with paper towels and put them in a large bowl.
Pat dry. Patting dry means pressing paper towels onto food to soak up the moisture on its surface. Wet food steams instead of browning, so this is how you get a good sear and crisp skin.
How you’ll know: The surface feels tacky, not wet, and the last paper towel comes away barely damp.
Dolly’s tip: Dry skin is crisp skin, so take your time here. Packs labeled party wings come already cut.Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Sprinkle the baking powder, salt and garlic powder over the wings and until every piece is lightly dusted.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Dolly’s tip: Baking powder, not baking soda. It dries the skin so it blisters and crackles in the oven.Spread the wings skin side up on the pans with space between each one.
Dolly’s tip: Crowded wings steam instead of crisping, so use both pans.25 minutes, then flip them with tongs and swap the pans between the racks.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Timer: 25 min
20 to 25 minutes more, until deep and and the thickest piece reads 165°F.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 22 min
Dolly’s tip: Wings are safe at 165°F but get even better around 175°F, when the meat turns tender.Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
While they bake, the blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and lemon juice together for dipping.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, about 45 seconds, then in the buffalo sauce.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Add the hot wings to the bowl and to coat.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Serve right away with the celery, carrots and blue cheese dip.
Dolly’s tip: Wings and dip can sit out up to 2 hours. To hold them longer, keep the unsauced wings in a 200°F oven for up to an hour.Food safety: Put leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until steaming hot, 165°F.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
When you host a dinner, Dollop builds the menu around your guests’ allergies, works out a cooking timeline back from when everyone sits down, and puts it all on one grocery list.
