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These mouth-watering baked Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings taste just like the famous potato chips! Packed into one perfect game day snack, you won’t be able to get enough of the crunchy bites and salty tangy flavors.
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Salt and vinegar isn’t just for chips!
Just one thought of opening a bag of salt and vinegar chips and BAM! My mouth starts watering. The salty and tangy flavors are so satisfying that I just knew I had to transfer them over to a delicious game day snack.
I’m a huge fan of these Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings because they taste just like my favorite chips without being overpowering. The flavors are so similar to the classic potato chip flavor but toned down enough to be enjoyable by all. Yes, that means you can eat the whole batch without your lips puckering!
These oven baked wings are made with the same tried and true method as my Crispy Baked Chicken Wings so each bite is crispy and crunchy. You won’t have to go anywhere near a deep fryer!
Ingredients you’ll need
Each of these very basic, pantry-staple ingredients were carefully chosen to give you the best salt and vinegar baked chicken wings. Try not to make any substitutions to this list:
White wine vinegar
White wine vinegar is a sweet, fruity, and mild vinegar made from fermented white wine. When used in the and sauce, it gives your wings the classic tangy flavor of salt and vinegar chips but without the lip puckering.
If you don’t have white wine vinegar, the best replacement would be rice vinegar because it’s the closest in flavor. Distilled white vinegar has a strong flavor that may make the wings too sour but you can try using it if that’s all you have.
Salt
It just wouldn’t be salt and vinegar without the salt! Diamond kosher salt is used in every part of this recipe so make sure to get yourself a big box.
Sugar
Just a little sugar in the salt and vinegar sauce will help balance the strong flavors.
Salted butter
Melting butter with sugar, salt, and vinegar creates a luscious salt and vinegar chicken wing sauce that you'll want to drizzle all over your wings!
Chicken wings
Make sure to separate the flats and drumettes if your wings come connected. Dry them really well with paper towels so the cornstarch sticks to the skin and they crisp up as much as possible!
Cornstarch
A mixture of cornstarch and salt will coat the wings before they're baked. They work together to dry out the wing and form a crispy coating on the outside. The longer you let the wings sit in this coating, the better!
How to make salt and vinegar chicken wings
These salt and vinegar wings are dried, coated, and baked in the oven to achieve a perfectly crispy crunchy bite. You’ll never want to babysit deep fried wings again after trying this simple method:
Step 1: Dry the wings as much as possible with paper towels.
Step 2: Mix the cornstarch and salt together in a small bowl.
Add the dried chicken wings to a large bowl, sprinkle the cornstarch mixture over the wings, and toss to coat.
Step 3: Place the coated wings on a wire rack on a baking sheet and let them rest for at least 1 hour.
Step 4: Bake the chicken wings in the oven until they're golden brown and crispy.
Step 5: While the wings bake, add all of the sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved and the butter is melted.
Step 6: Place the baked wings in a bowl, pour the sauce over top, and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
Want to make the very best salt and vinegar chicken wings? Make sure you follow these simple tips and tricks:
Let them rest!
Leaving the coated wings in the fridge to chill and dry out is another secret to a truly crispy baked chicken wing. Let them rest for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours in the fridge.
Bake them on a wire rack
Bake the wings on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. This will circulate air in and around the wings, making sure each bite becomes extra crispy. If you were to just place them on a rimmed baking sheet, the wings would steam and turn out soggy.
Don’t forget the dip
Your oven baked chicken wings should be served with a cool and refreshing dipping sauce, like ranch dressing or jalapeno Greek yogurt dip. Don’t forget the celery and carrot slices too!
Frequently asked questions
The best way to save time with this recipe is to toss the marinated chicken wings in the cornstarch mixture and leave them to sit in the fridge. This can be done up to 12 hours ahead of baking.
On game day, serve your wings next to any savory appetizer, like a meat and cheese board, pigs in a blanket, queso dip, and nachos. They also make for a fun and delicious dinner next to french fries, mac and cheese, roasted vegetables, salad, or baked beans.
Recipe
Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings separated into drumettes and flats
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Salt and Vinegar Sauce
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- Optional: additional flakey salt
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place a wire baking rack on top of each. Spray the racks with nonstick spray.
- Place wings in a large bowl and thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Mix cornstarch, and salt together in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle the cornstarch mixture evenly over the wings and toss to coat.
- Evenly place on the racks and chill for at least 1 hour and up to 12.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Bake the wings for 30 minutes. Flip the wings, and continue to bake until they are crisp and golden brown about 15 minutes.
- When the wings are almost done cooking, make the sauce.
- Combine the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved and the butter is melted, abbot 3 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked wings to another large bowl, add the sauce, and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle with flake salt if desired and serve immediately.
Lewkie Boy says
Loved the sauce. Just curious. Why not use the aluminum free baking powder with this in addition to the cornstarch and salt like your Crispy Baked Chicken Wings?
Michelle Weiner says
YAY, thanks for the comment and the stars! Great question... let's get a little sciency! The aluminum-free baking powder is basic and the vinegar is acid. When combined the baking powder neutralizes the sourness of the vinegar and I didn't want that to happen. So I did skip the baking powder in the recipe so the sour vinegary goodness of the saucee wouldn't be mellowed! FYI, I did a test with the baking soda and they were not as good as the version with just the cornstarch.
Thanks again for the question, comment & stars! It really helps future Party Food Crew members find my recipes!