These crispy, baked salt & vinegar chicken wings taste exactly like the classic chips, just in wing form! Salty, tangy and finger lickin’ good, these wings are the ultimate game day grub!
Growing up I had a serious obsession with salt and vinegar chips.
Salty, tangy, lip puckering crispy chips.
Love. Them.
OUR LATEST VIDEOSKettle cooked, baked, fried, with ridges, without ridges, wavy, curved, thick cut, thin cut, stacked nice and neat, broken and strewn about… didn’t matter to me.
I’d put them in my sandwiches, eat them plain, dip them in ketchup (don’t judge), use them as a vessel for a more conventional dip, hide in a closet and inhale a ‘family’ size bag all to myself.
I couldn’t get enough.
Now that I’m older, I try my hardest to practice self-restraint, and only indulge once in a while.
Okay I lie, now I just buy the reduced fat kind. 🙂 Shhhhhh don’t tell.
I’ve been dying to make something for the blog, with one of my favorite flavors of chips.
I thought of crushing them and using them as a coating on chicken, sharing my favorite sandwich with you guys, and a couple other dishes (that I still may develop and post).
All of that thinking and pondering changed when I went to my local grocery store and one of their managers (and one of the nicest chicks you could ever meet) asked if I knew how to make salt n’ vinegar chicken wings.
She said her, and some of the other employees, were obsessed with the ones in their deli department, made fresh daily.
Right then and there, I knew I had to do her a solid and hop on that culinary development train.
So I did just that. And Amber, this recipe goes out to you.
Crispy Baked Salt & Vinegar Chicken Wings
Chicken wings with roasted, tender, juicy meat, crisp skin, and robust flavor.
These wings have the perfect combination, and balance, of salty and sour flavor found in the chips, just transformed to coat finger lickin’, delicious chiz-ickin’… wings.
Nice bite and tang from the duo of vinegars, well balanced salty flavor from the use of sea salt as opposed to kosher salt, and slight, very subtle sweetness on the back end from the touch of sugar and dry ranch mix.
These perfectly crispy, baked wings are highly addictive, and if you like salt and vinegar chips, I can guarantee you will love these wings.
Marinated baked salt & vinegar chicken wings?
I made these baked salt & vinegar chicken wings two different ways, depending on how strong of a salt and vinegar flavor you would like your wings to have.
If you want a potent, lip pucker inducing wing, I highly suggest you marinate the wings first. The marinade contains the same exact ingredients, and measurements, as the sauce.
All you need to do is double the sauce and pour half of it into a bag, or large bowl, with the wings to marinate.
Make sure you discard the marinade, because you will not be cooking the sauce and I don’t want you to give yourself salmonella.
That is No Bueno!
So, keep the marinade and the sauce separate.
If you want a more subtle, not so in your face, mild flavor of salt and vinegar wings, simply disregard the marinade and carry on with the recipe as instructed.
No harm, no foul!
Dipping sauce for chicken wings?
If you are like me, and absolutely must have some sort of sauce for dipping, I have a couple suggestions.
You can, obviously, use your favorite dressing.
I tried these baked salt & vinegar chicken wings with some chipotle ranch and they were good.
Then, I dipped some in a plain Sriracha, a few in Sriracha mayo, and gobbled them up. But, I’m biased because I can eat Sriracha off my finger tips and be happy.
However, my favorite was simply to make a little extra salt and vinegar sauce and dip the wings into that, for the ultimate, over the top, explosion of flavor, experience.
Oh! I almost forgot one of the best parts about these wings, aside from the sauce (duh!).
How to get baked chicken wings crispy?
These Baked Salt & Vinegar Chicken Wings are cooked TWICE.
First they get a steam bath, then tossed in seasoned baking powder, and rest overnight in the refrigerator, to help the skin get a lovely crispness.
The next day they get roasted in the oven to produce a healthier, crispy, sensational chicken wing.
And, since these wings are steamed/baked and not fried, you can indulge and not feel so guilty. Yay to that!!
So, what are you waiting for?
Get into the kitchen (or into your car, if you have to go to the grocery store first) and make these Baked Salt & Vinegar Chicken Wings!
Until next time, cheers and happy wing-gobbling!
XOXO
Cheyanne
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How to make Baked Salt & Vinegar Chicken Wings recipe at home 👇
These crispy, oven baked chicken wings mimic the taste of classic salt & vinegar chips! Salty, tangy and finger lickin' good, these chicken wings are the ultimate snack or game day appetizer!
- Wings:
- 2 – 2 ½ pounds Chicken Wings
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp Accent Or, poultry seasoning
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- Marinade: (optional, for a more potent wing)
- 1/4 Cup + 1 TBS White Distilled Vinegar
- 2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 tsp Kosher Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Dry Ranch Mix
- ½ tsp Granulated Sugar
- Sauce:
- 1/4 Cup + 1 TBS White Distilled Vinegar
- 2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 tsp Kosher Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Dry Ranch Mix
- ½ tsp Granulated Sugar
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper and place a wire rack insert on top. Set aside.
- Remove wing tips from chicken wings with a sharp chef’s knife, or kitchen shears, at the joint. (save tips for making stock or discard)
- Separate chicken drumettes from flats by cutting through the joint between the two. The joint is easy to find, bend the flat from the wing backwards, exposing joint.
- Optional, Marinate Chicken Wings: Combine all marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, add chicken wings and marinate for 3-4 hours. Drain and discard marinade.
- To Cook Chicken Wings: Fill a large stockpot, with a steamer basket insert, with 1-1 ½’’ of water. Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the wings to the steamer basket insert. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium and steam wings for 10 minutes.
- Remove the wings to a clean work surface lined with paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. Pat thoroughly dry. Place dried wings in a mixing bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the baking powder, salt, accent (or poultry seasoning if using) and garlic powder.
- Sprinkle baking powder mixture over wings, tossing to coat evenly.
- Transfer chicken wings to the sheet pan with rack insert, placing them in a single layer (do not overlap). Place sheet pan in the refrigerator, but do not wrap with plastic (you do not want condensation from wrapping them in plastic dripping on the wings.) Refrigerate the wings at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.**
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and arrange baking rack to middle position. Remove the wings from the refrigerator and allow them to sit on the counter, and come to room temperature, while the oven is preheating.
- Roast chicken wings for 20 minutes. Remove wings, flip over, and continue to roast wings for another 15-20 minutes, or until crispy, browned and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sea salt and vinegar sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small container, with a tight fitting lid. Vigorously shake together all ingredients to dissolve salt, sugar, and ranch mix. Set aside.
- When wings are cooked, remove and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle wings with 2/3rds of the salt and vinegar sauce and toss together to completely coat the wings.
- Adjust oven temperature to High Broil.
- Transfer wings back to wire rack, and broil for 1-2 minutes. Flip and broil an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer wings back to mixing bowl. Drizzle and toss with remaining salt and vinegar sauce. Or serve remaining sauce on the side for dipping.
- Serve wings immediately.
1. Read recipe fully before preparing. These wings require an overnight, inactive time, in the refrigerator.
2. Make sure you cover the wings while they are in the refrigerator to avoid any chance of cross contamination as the wings are only partially cooked at this point. To avoid moisture building on the wings you just spent time drying out, allow them to cool completely on the counter, then place a piece of parchment paper over them in the fridge.. do not wrap with plastic wrap.
3. Make sure you are using KOSHER salt, if using table salt the wings will come out very salty!!
4. If you don't want to steam the chicken wings first, skip the marinade process. Instead, pat the wings dry, toss them with the baking powder mixture and follow these instructions:
- Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
- Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up and insert a wire rack on top. Lightly spray rack with non-stick cooking spray. Lay wings, skin side up, on the rack in a single layer (It’s okay if they fit snugly).
- Transfer wings to the oven on the lower-middle rack and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, transfer the wings to the upper-middle rack and increase the temperature to 425 degrees F. Continue to bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking.
- Follow the recipe as instructed by preparing the salt and vinegar sauce and tossing the wings in the sauce after they are cooked.
I’m not a salt and vinegar chip fan but still wanted to comment on this recipe post. I think it’s a very cool idea and something that might even be able to convert me into a salt and vinegar lover. Also wanted to add that a good substitute for the baking powder crispiness is corn starch. Great post and a recipe that I’m going to have to try one day. Cheers!
Trevor, you aren’t a salt n vinegar fan?!? I’m going to let that slide, just this once 😉 Thank you for pointing out that corn starch is a good substitute for baking powder! I should have mentioned that… but I’m blonde and forgetful! Since you don’t like salt and vinegar, I suggest you simply toss the cooked wings in the sauce, without marinating them. I promise it won’t be an overpowering salt and vinegar flavor. If you do try them, let me know what you think. Cheers, buddy!
Aloha, from the Island of Oahu, Hawaii….
I found this page because I tried the vinger/salt chicken wings from one of our local grocery stores “Food Land” by chance because I absolutely love all types of chicken wings. I was looking for something different so, I tried a half a pound from the Hot food section of the store. Just to snack on until I get home to cook dinner and WoW!!! I was hooked (yes I love vinger and salt chips too by the way). I did not get far from the store and taste testing the wings before I went back in to order another pound of V/S wings. I been buying them on a semi regular basis and I have told friends and co-worker about them and everyone loves them. I sometimes bring 2 pounds to work and share(just a few…..lol). Now, me and my fiancee can’t get enough of them thus why I search for the recipe so I can make them anytime I want. The store runs out so fast…lol, now I don’t have to wait. Thank you for the recipe
Have a great Aloha day, wekkend and or Year.
A. PAYTON.
b.k.a
Tiny
Aloha, Tiny! Thank you so much for stopping by and the kind comment!! Salt and vinegar chicken wings are crazy addictive, right!? 😉 Cheers!
Love, love the picture of the salt and vinegar wings coming out of chip bag. Very creative and great shot.
Mom, thank you! I wanted you to be able to tell they were salt and vinegar chips right off the bat. xoxo
These look too yummy, Cheyanne. Now I want a bag of salt and vinegar chips and these wings! I’m definitely making these for the Super Bowl party. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Karrie, too funny because when I was done taking photos I ate one wing, followed by a few salt & vinegar chips, back to one wing… eat and repeat. Definately a little dangerous, before you know it you’ve had a bucket of wings and a bag of chips all to yourself. But, thats okay because the wings are baked and the chips I ate were reduced fat… so thats considered diet food, right?? lol Hope you do give these a try, and let me know what you think! Cheers, Karrie!
Aha! So I’m not the only one dipping my chips into ketchup. Those wings look absolutely tasty, keep up the good work Cheyanne 🙂
Yay, another chip & ketchup lover! I swear those people who snub their nose at that combination simply do not know what they are missing! But, thats okay, more for us.. right!? Thank you so much for stopping and the kind words! I love your (both of you) blog 🙂 Cheers, friends!
I don’t think there is a better flavour combination than salt and vinegar.. so I definitely know how delicious these chicken wings must have been. They look great!
Thalia, Thank you so much! I have to admit, I was a little bit nervous the wings wouldn’t recieve that warm of a reception. I did not realize their are so many salt and vinegar lovers out there! Makes me over-joyed! Cheers! 😉
What a great friday night recipe 🙂
I found it on the reddit website, thanks for sharing it looks amazing 🙂
A Life Moment, Thank you so much for stopping by and the kind words! You are so right, these wings are an excellent way to start off the weekend. 🙂 Cheers!
great recipe i also crushed up salt and vinegar chips and used them as bread crumbs turned out amazing
I am thrilled you loved these wings, Jaymes!! Crushed chips as crumbs to coat sounds like a wonderful addition! I’m definately trying that next time! Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know how they turned out, you made my day! Cheers and happy Friday!!
Dear Cheyanne. My, my, my. I almost died and went to heaven when I came upon this recipe. I live in the South of France and we don’t get Ranch Mix or Accent for that matter. Can you suggest any substitutes that I can use? Thanks. I can’t wait.
Hi Ingrid! Thank you so much for the kind comment! There isn’t really a substitute for either, but you CAN make your own Ranch Mix. I haven’t tried this recipe myself, but I’m fairly confident it would be a great substitute – DIY Ranch Mix
As far as the Accent, I would just leave it out if you can’t find it. I hope I’ve answered your questions! Please let me know if you have any more! Cheers and thank you for stopping by!
Absolute success! My wife can be a picky eater and does not like anything spicy. This recipe was fantastic. My wife actually requested it the next day as well.
Oh, Yay! Shawn! I am thrilled these wings were a success! Happy wife = Happy life, so I am glad these won her over AND she requested them again! You just made my day! Thank you so much for not only giving this recipe a try, but for coming back and letting me know you loved them! 🙂 Cheers to a fantastic day!
I would like to have a salt and vinegar pork rind. Do you have a suggestions to obtain the flavor in a powder form or dry base instead of a marinade?
Hi Jimmica, unfortunately I do not as I have never made salt and vinegar pork rind before. You could take the dry ingredients in the sauce, but you would still need vinegar for “salt and vinegar” flavored anything. I’m not sure what dry ingredient you could use to substitute that. Good luck in your attempts!! Hope it turns out well! Cheers and thanks for stopping by!
You can get white vinegar powder on amazon. Delicious on porkrinds.
Excellent! Thank you for coming back and letting me know! Cheers!
Does leaving them in the fridge uncovered leave a bad vinegar odor in the fridge?
Hi, Lisa! No it does not. Cheers!
LOVE these wings! I’ve made them several times, the only thing I did different was omit the ranch. ALL the people I’ve made these for absolutely rave about them! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Yay! I’m thrilled you love these wings, Lakeyn! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know!! Cheers! 🙂
Ok, I made these yesterday for Super Bowl and they are KILLER. I thank you over and over for such a great recipe; these are going to be a party staple around here! To die, just to die.
I am beyond thrilled you loved these wings as much as we do, Sue! Thank you so much for coming back and letting me know! People like you are the reason why I blog and share recipes! Cheers to a fabulous day!
I’m back just to say … we’ve made these so many times since Super Bowl ’16…. They’ve replaced my family-favorite chicken wing standard since I was a CHILD in the early 1970s! Best.Wings.Ever. You rock, Cheyanne!
Hi Sue! You just made my YEAR! Thank you so much for coming back again and letting me know they are such a hit! YOU rock!!!
I guess I feel compelled to praise you around Super Bowl time … again these awesome bad boys are on our menu. Our little neighbor (six years old?) ate so many of these at our party recently it was hilarious but a little maddening too, don’t be such a hog! I WANT ALL THE WINGS. Best recipe ever. Hugs from Minneapolis!
Hi Sue!! Thank you SO much for all the support and kind words! You have no idea how honored I am that these wings continue to make an appearance at your game day parties! Your kind comments warm my heart! Truly, people like you are the reason I continue to blog and share recipes! I hope you have a fabulous weekend… and I do hope you get to hoard a few (dozen) of these wings to yourself! <3
Made these yesterday for the superbowl and wow! These are fantastic! Thank you so much for such a tasty recipe.
Great recipe, thanks for sharing it! Our wings were great.
So glad you liked them, Darryl! Thanks for coming back and letting me know how they went over! Cheers!
Question. Do I Have to leave wings in fridge for 8 hrs? I saw the recipe, ran to store without reading all the way through and it’s for dinner TONIGHT! HELP!!
Hi T. Don’t fret!! If you don’t have time to let the wings sit in the refrigerator overnight, don’t worry about it. Just toss the wings with the baking powder and seasonings, then roast as directed. However, DO NOT skip the baking powder – this is what really helps the wings get crispy! Let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers!
I love, love, LOVE salt & vinegar anything and especially the s&v wings at our local deli. I’ve been wanting to make them myself, so finally looked up a vinegar sauce recipe. I am so glad to have found yours!
Doubly glad to hear the 8-hour refrigeration is not required.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for stopping by Renae! I hope you love these wings as much as we do! Cheers!
Question. I don’t have a steamer. Is that a must that I steam them? Thanks for a reply
Hi Brian! No worries if you don’t have a steamer basket. You will want to skip the marinade completely. Pat the wings dry and toss them with the baking powder, salt and garlic powder. Place them on a rack inserted into a rimmed baking sheet and bake them at 250 F for 30 minutes. Bump the heat up to 425 F and bake them for 40-45 minutes, or until crispy. Then remove them and toss with the salt and vinegar sauce. Let me know if you have any more questions!! Cheers and thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for the quick response. Will try this 😀
My pleasure!! Hope you love the wings as much as we do! 🙂
Darn…I don’t have a steamer either , but I want to marinate to get all that yumminess , is there another way I can do this?
Hi Audra! Sorry it took me a few days to get back to you, I was celebrating the holiday with my family. You can certainly marinate the chicken wings and then pat them completely dry and toss them with the baking powder, salt and garlic powder. Place them on a rack inserted into a rimmed baking sheet and bake them at 250 F for 30 minutes. Bump the heat up to 425 F and bake them for 40-45 minutes, or until crispy. Then remove them and toss with the salt and vinegar sauce. (<-- As I instructed another in a comment). HOWEVER, I have never tried marinating the chicken and then baking them without steaming them. So I can not guarantee crispy chicken wings. If you aren't worried about the crispness, I'd say go for it - marinate and bake! If you try it, let me know how it goes! I'll certainly keep my fingers crossed they turn out delicious for you!! Thank you so much for stopping by! Cheers to a wonderful New Year!
Curious to know why steam prior to baking? They look awesome.
Hi Martin,
Steaming them first helps render out a lot of the fat, so they don’t generate smoke in your oven when you roast them. Thank you for stopping by! Cheers!
I can’t wait, they’re chilling in fridge for tomorrow’s dinner! Thank you for the recipe!
Hope you love them as much as we do, Adrianne! 🙂
Is there a way to do the steam cooking in an electric pressure cooker instead of using a steaming basket?
Hi Kat! Although I have never tried it myself, I don’t see why you can’t par-cook the chicken wings in an electric pressure cooker. You will need to adjust the cook time accordingly. Thank you so much for stopping by! Cheers!
So I may give this a shot tomorrow but I would be smoking them, not baking…what do you think?
Hi Jordan! I’ve never tried smoking these wings, so I can’t really say how I think they would turn out. But, if you give it a try, please let me know how they turn out! I’m curious!! Either way, I hope you love these wings as much as we do! Cheers and thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂
I have a Super Bowl wings contest with friends coming up (I won last time with a different recipe), so I tried a test run of these to see if they’d be worthy. They intrigued me because salt & vinegar ANYTHING has always been my favorite, and I wanted a recipe that was different than the old standard hot wings. Yes, this recipe has quite a few steps and lots of prep involved, but I can tell you that my husband and I LOVED them! The cooking method of steaming before baking in the oven, then broiling, made the meat fall off the bone. They were wonderfully crispy, and just flat out delicious. I told my husband to give me his honest opinion if he thought they were ‘contest worthy”. He said yes, without a doubt! So…fingers crossed for Super Bowl! 🙂 Thank you for sharing an amazing new way to cook wings!
Hi Meredith!
I am beyond thrilled you and your husband loved these wings! And I’m absolutely HONORED you are going to make these for your Super Bowl wings contest with your friends! People like you, and your kind comments, are the reason why I continue to blog and share recipes!! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know how this recipe went over the first time around. I’m going to have all my fingers and toes crossed you win that contest!!! Cheers and thanks again for being so wonderful! 🙂
These were very good/excellent. I made them exactly per recipe and I thought maybe a tad too salty. I made a second time with 1 tbsp. less salt and added 4 tbsp. malt wine vinegar and used slightly less white vinegar and continued with the apple cider vinegar for the marinade. These changes (I know its a whole new recipe) made it more of a fish & chips inspired recipe instead of potato chips. I marinated 24hrs and baked per recipe including the coating. I prefer to use a brown paper bag, throw in the wings, and baking powder mixture and shake well to coat. When wings were done baking I splashed with malt vinegar and was good to go. I did not make the sauce this go around. Delicious.
Sorry, I must be missing something. At what step do we do anything with the poultry seasoning? It’s mentioned in the ingredient list but not in the instructions. Thanks!
Hi Mike,
Sorry about that! It was a complete oversight on my part, and I thank you for pointing that out! You add it to the baking powder, salt and garlic powder. I’ve updated the recipe to reflect that. Please let me know if you have any additional questions! Cheers and thank you so much for stopping by!
Quick question: making these right now and wondering if you (or other respondents) save the water left over from steaming and use it for a soup base? I like to not waste and I think it’d be a good base for a hot and sour soup. Any thoughts? Just want to make sure it’s safe…
Hi Amy,
The reason for steaming the chicken wings in this recipe is to render some of the fat. So, the liquid after steaming the wings will basically just be water flavored with chicken wing fat, which is much different from a poaching liquid… meaning there are no aromatics, vegetables or anything of real flavor in the water. I would not save the water as it won’t make a good base for anything. Let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers!
Oh yes- I would if course be using it combined with chicken fat and pieces I keep in the freezer for stock…adding to the water with spices and salt, then adding vegetables and chicken.
My wings are steaming right now. I was wondering if it would affect the recipe too much to let them cool to room temp after riding and then baking them without the overnight part? Since the marinade is already completed I’m just unsure why there is a second wait step
Hi Kourtney! Honestly, I’ve only ever made them as specified in the recipe (or as specified in the notes section skipping the steaming completely). Since you are already mid-steam, I would make sure you completely dry the chicken wings before tossing them with baking powder. Again, in full disclosure, I have never made them that way, but that would probably be your best bet. Good luck!
It worked wonderfully! They were a bit dry but I blame myself for using all the max times, but it does work.