Up your wing game with these Bourbon BBQ Wings! They're baked to crispy perfection then tossed in a spicy, sweet, sticky Bourbon BBQ Sauce. They're finger-licking good!
If you don't have the sauce prepared ahead of time, you can easily make it while the wings bake, too. Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Whisk occassionally and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and place oven-safe wire cooling racks on top of the pan/foil.
Pat the chicken wings dry, then evenly coat with salt and pepper. Evenly sprinkle the baking powder (NOT SODA) across the chicken wings, tossing to coat, ensuring they are covered and no baking powder clumps remain; you want to lightly and evenly coat the wings, we're not making a breading. Place the wings on the cooling rack/pan, skin side up, and place in the oven.
Bake for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time if desired. I like to flip them, for good measure on the crispiness factor, but it isn't totally necessary. At 35 minutes, check the internal temperature of the wings. They need to be at an internal temperature of at least 165°F. If they are, and the skin is crispy enough to your liking, remove them from the oven. If the skin needs to get a little more crispy, flip them back to the skin side and bake for an additional 10 minutes (note the cooking time is going to depend on how big/small your wings are, too).
Once the wings are ready, transfer them to a bowl and pour in the bbq sauce, tossing to coat evenly. If you're someone who likes to dip wings in sauce, too, reserve a bit of sauce here to do so.
Optional (but recommended!): place the wings back on the baking sheet and place in the oven for an additional 5 minutes or so, giving the sauce a chance to caramelize and thicken.
Remove from the pan and place on a serving tray or plate, then dig in and enjoy!
Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2016; it was updated in 2021 as written above to an improved method for crisping the wings in the oven.