These crispy Old Bay Wings are addictively delicious and yet simple to make. Drenched in brown butter and plenty of seasoning, they will keep you coming back for more!
This recipe for Old Bay Wings is my recreation of some of the best chicken wings I’ve ever had. It was at a restaurant in upstate New York, and I was hooked after the first bite.
I managed to corner the chef and ask him what made them so darn good. He was kind enough to share his secrets: a combination of browned butter and Old Bay seasoning.
I raved about them so much to my husband that he insisted we try it for ourselves. So I immediately got to work. I used my best tricks for making crispy keto chicken wings, and then played with the proportions until I got it just right.
You are going to be so glad I did!
Why you will love these wings
The original recipe, from Northstar restaurant in Ithaca, calls for smoking the wings. And while I do happen to own a smoker, I wanted to make a version that was accessible the average home cook. These Old Bay wings are definitely doable and worth doing at your first opportunity.
While seasoning chicken with Old Bay is nothing new, the addition of the brown butter makes this recipe extra special. And tossing the wings with baking powder allows you to get truly crispy skin in the oven. I use the same method for my Cajun Wings too.
The method is easy and results in succulent chicken that really is finger-licking good.
Reader Reviews
“These were great! So crisp and crunchy! Would have never thought of Old Bay on wings! Would make again for sure!” — Kelly
“I’ve made these three or four times now and I’m making them again tonight. Thanks, again, for providing such a simple and amazing recipe!” — Jessica
“These wings are AWESOME!!! The buttery goodness combined with the Old Bay… WOW! They were so easy to make too! They will be a regular on my weekly rotation!” — Caitlin K.
Ingredients you need
- Chicken wings: I made 3 pounds of wings for this recipe, but you could easily do more or less, depending on what you need. You can use fresh or frozen wings. If using frozen, make sure to thaw them completely.
- Baking powder: This is the secret to crispy oven-baked wings, and trust me it works!
- Butter: You are going to love the brown butter flavor in these wings! It also helps the seasoning stick to the wings.
- Old Bay Seasoning: Old Bay is a unique seasoning blend marketed by McCormick and usually used in seafood and poultry dishes. The main ingredients are celery salt and paprika.
Step-by-step directions
1. Dust the wings: Place half of the wings in a heavy duty ziploc back and sprinkle with half of the baking powder. Shake vigorously to coat, then place the wings on the prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining wings and the remaining baking powder.
2. Bake at low temp: Set a baking rack over a rimmed baking sheet and lightly grease the rack. Arrange the wings in a single layer on the rack and bake in the lower third of the oven for 30 minutes.
3. Increase the temp: Increase the oven temperature to 425ºF and move the baking sheet to the upper third of oven. Continue to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until crispy. You can flip them once if you like.
4. Brown the butter: In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the butter until it becomes a deep amber, 4 to 5 minutes. Watch carefully so it does not burn.
5. Season the wings: Transfer the wings to a bowl and pour the butter over. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with Old Bay to taste (it can get pretty salty so a light hand is best until you see how they taste).
Tips for success
Make sure you pat the wings VERY dry before adding the baking powder. Otherwise it clumps up and doesn’t dust the wings lightly as it should.
Make sure to get aluminum free baking powder, as the kind with aluminum can leave a metallic taste on your wings. And make sure you are using baking POWDER, and not baking SODA.
Don’t add salt to this recipe, since both baking powder and Old Bay include salt. Also make sure that you go lightly on the Old Bay seasoning and add after you taste.
Air-fryer method: The baking powder trick is one of the best ways to get truly crispy oven-baked wings. However, you can also get really crispy, delicious wings in an air fryer. Simply toss the wings with baking powder, and air fry for 20 to 25 minutes. You can follow the same instructions I use for my Pickle Brined Chicken Wings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for 3 or 4 days. You can re-heat them in a warm oven, although they will never be quite as crispy as when they are freshly cooked.
Baking powder is slightly alkaline and it raises the pH levels on the chicken’s skin, allowing the proteins to break down more easily. It also reacts with the natural juices in the skin to form carbon dioxide, creating little bubbles that harden and crisp as it bakes.
As long as they aren’t breaded or have some sort of sugary sauce, most wing recipes are low in carbs. This Old Bay Wings recipe is very keto-friendly and has only 2g of carbs per serving!
What to serve with Old Bay Wings
Old Bay Wings Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken wings
- 1 ½ tablespoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoon butter melted
- 3 to 4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250ºF and place a baking rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly grease the baking rack.
- Pat the wings very dry. Place half of the wings in a heavy duty ziploc back and sprinkle with half of the baking powder. Shake vigorously to coat, then place the wings on the prepared rack. Repeat with the remaining wings and the remaining baking powder.
- Arrange the wings in a single layer on the rack and bake in the lower third of the oven for 30 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425ºF and move the baking sheet to the upper third of oven. Continue to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until crispy. You can flip them once if you like.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the butter until it becomes a deep amber, 4 to 5 minutes. Watch carefully so it does not burn.
- Transfer the wings to a bowl and pour the butter over. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with Old Bay to taste (it can get pretty salty so a light hand is best until you see how they taste).
Ginny L. says
This came up today somehow (ha) in my feed on FB and the recipe caught my eye/stomach. The story, however, caught my heart. THIS. THIS is what my life feels like (and mine are little). You succinctly put into words what I’ve been struggling to come to grips with. The blessed but not feelin’ it, thing. Thank you for your deliciousness, but thank you so much for your honesty. I desperately needed that today. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Now to put them back into their beds for the 947th time.
Carolyn says
You are so welcome, Ginny. I feel that people often feel that they must present the best side of everything and it can leave us feeling alienated. I am glad it helped, even a little.
carolyn says
You are really funny.I just happen to run across your page.It made my morning joyful.Thanks you.
Carolyn says
Well that’s lovely to hear. Thank you!
Joan says
Okay, I have no kids to blame it on. I just lovingly followed this recipe, took a bite of the first one, and spit it out. Gross! Guess who used baking SODA instead of baking powder? Damn, I was so ready for these wings! I literally washed them off and just threw them back in the oven, but I’m not feeling very hopeful ??
Carolyn says
Oh goodness…so sorry about that. Yuck indeed!
Jules says
We just try this recipe for the first time last night. So surprised at how well it Krista the skin without frying or adding anything else to it. Thank you so much for providing your low carb and low sugar recipes. For some with PC OS who has put herself on a strict sugarfree and no carb diet, I love your website !
Kelly says
These were great! So crisp and crunchy! Would have never thought of Old Bay on wings! Would make again for sure!
caitlin kelly says
These wings are AWESOME!!! The buttery goodness combined with the Old Bay… WOW! They were so easy to make too! They will be a regular on my weekly rotation!
Rachel says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’ve been looking for a good low-carb chicken wing recipe and I think I found it. I have difficulty cooking chicken sometimes, but this looks pretty easy to follow!
Tiphanie says
Getting ready to make these tonight and just read through the post. That is the day I am having today so even though I am 3 months late, I FEEL YOU! LOL.
Carolyn says
Aw, sorry you were having a rough day!
Lisa says
HOLY CRAP these are the bomb!!! I have never eaten or cooked wings before and they were amazing! The whole family devoured them with great praise. I had a 4 1/2 lb package of wings from Costco and we ate all but 6 pieces (there were 6 of us). Served with sugar free cole slaw and garlic mashed potatoes for the carbers. I can’t wait to make them again. For those who might read this and who don’t like old bay, for some reason the browned butter totally changes the flavor and as much as I love old bay, I wouldn’t have guessed that was the seasoning used. Tastes more like fried chicken flavoring. Thanks so much for your genius recipes.
Carolyn says
I am so glad they were a hit!
Deborah Ragno says
THIS is the recipe I’ve been hunting for since I bought the wings last month. I know what we are eating on Wednesday!
Darrell says
Should the wings be thawed first?
Carolyn says
If they are frozen, they absolutely should.
Mary-Stewart says
It’s so refreshing for me to read another mother’s blog and discover that I am not the only one that has days similar to the one you described. The fact that you keep up with this beautiful blog and share delicious recipes with me, well and everyone else 😉 AND be a mother shows that you are super woman! It is so hard when the husband leaves us mommas solo, so we must encourage each other to keep on keeping on, even when it’s tough and we’re tired and just. need. a. break! Thank you for sharing your real life with us. You are not alone!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Mary!
Sheryl says
Have SO been there! Looking back, I should have been more patient but also should have put up with less unpleasant behavior on their part. Having said that, they were nice kids overall and I bet yours are too. We now have a 26 year old daughter who has gone from self-centered teen and college student to a wise and considerate true adult–YAY! And a 22 year old son with one more year of college, great career prospects, and a funny and loving nature. Double-YAY!! It’s worth it. It’s really, really worth it.
Nancy says
Haha, I feel your pain! My older one is grown with a job and apartment of her own (praise God!), and the other just graduated from college. Or what I thought was her graduation. She tells me a week ago she is lacking one course (after I have spent a fortune and doing a happy dance that she is finished). She said she was supposed to get at least a ‘B’ in a class that was in her major. Amazing I still have hair on my head. And then the older one says she is applying for a master’s program in the Caribbean. No the fun never ends, but I have a well-stocked bar! So bring some low carb snacks over and I will supply the cocktails (low carb of course, hahaha!) and we would probably be on the floor laughing our you-know-what’s off!!
Carolyn says
Ahhhhhhh, sorry they are still giving you fits!
Jillian says
Ha! I love that commercial where the mom is doing the happy dance when her kids get on the school bus to go back to school in the fall. I did not find parenting that easy, yet, am grateful to have a family. My oldest is 45 now, and we still have a few moments that are a challenge. My second was so easy. We all seem to have lessons and growth here and the kiddos are big part of it. It is a very good thing to share with all of us. If we have kids we get it!
Jeff says
Carolyn, you seemed like you always have it so together. Well, the kids have us outnumbered. Wait until they become teens; you’ll wish you had the young kids back! Although I don’t think they even turn human until older than 4 (they are so cute then so we don’t ‘kill’ them). 12-13, their minds are as if on crack. Worst decision I ever made was becoming a parent. I had all these romantic ideas about how close we’d be and the fun we’d have. Well, we have a granddaughter as well now, and the ungrateful things hide from us–we don’t even know where they live. Despite this, I still get envious when I see others’ cute kids. Heartbusters. Hang in there, yours don’t seem so bad.
I got a huge bottle of dried, smoked Chipoltle pepper powder from Amazon that I’m gonna use on those wings, it’s the bomb…
Eileen says
OK. You are obviously something more than a human, though perhaps less than a god. Food-wise, anyway. Maybe your difficult days are just there to keep you humble. 🙂 But I *totally* worship your foodie skills!!!!! 🙂
These are every bit as delicious as you say. We’ve used the butter & Old Bay on chicken drumsticks, baked similarly to the wings, with excellent results as well. And we’ve cheated — my husband ordered wings from the local pizza joint — plain, extra crispy — and then when he got them home we dumped them in a serving dish and gave them the brown butter treatment. Yum!
The best wings I ever had (besides traditional Buffalo wings from the original Anchor bar, that is!), are Salt & Pepper wings from the Blue & Gray restaurant in Gettysburg PA. This recipe reminded my family of those! I wonder if they are prepared the same way, only with S&P instead of Old Bay? Now I’ll have to try it! Meanwhile, these are every bit as awesome as you say.
What a website. I have yet to find a recipe here that isn’t GREAT. Thank you for making a low carb lifestyle actually livable!!! (And for making *me* look good as a low-carb cook!!)
Carolyn says
Thank you! Oh my gosh, I am laughing and blushing!
Robyn says
Wow, you just made me feel a millions times better too! I don’t have many moms to talk to so I always feel like I’m the only “one” out of there. Love you food and your posts!
Dawn says
I’m always relieved when I hear parents talk openly about how parenting isn’t the most fulfilling thing in their life. There are moments that it’s amazing and moments that it downright sucks. We’re allowed to admit this about everything else in our lives, but for some reason admitting this about parenting is stigmatized. I don’t get it. I completely agree with you, though. It’s gotten better as my kids have gotten older and matured out of some of the stupid whiney phases, but yeah, I can think of much better things to do than listen to my kids complain that the activity I’ve not only chosen for them to do but spent a half a week’s grocery budget on wasn’t good enough for them.
As for the recipe, I love it! Wings are my go to for when I don’t feel like cooking lunch. I wonder how well these would freeze? I would bake them again to warm them up from frozen. I may try this with about half a pound to see how it works out.
Carolyn says
Let me know what happens after freezing! I am curious…
Angela says
Since I already love every ingredient in this recipe I know it will be absolutely delicious and a new staple in our repetoire, so many of your recipes are…THANK YOU!!! As for the many trials & tribulations of single parenting…I am with you(unfortunately my husband travels frequently) and on the flip side your post actually soothed me…so thank you so much for sharing! Usually, during the stressful moments I say to myself “this too shall pass” and although I know it’s not guaranteed, it does seem to help me in the moment! LOL! Thanks again for all the wonderful recipes! I’ve now lost 25lbs. and only 12 more to go! But regardless, I’m LCHF for life! ????
Carolyn says
Sharing those trials and frustrations is so helpful to me…glad you found it helpful too!