These crispy, baked salt & vinegar chicken wings have all the flavors found in your favorite chips! Salty, tangy and finger lickin’ good, these wings are craveworthy and impossible to resist!
Updated: This post was originally published in January 2015. I took new photos and updated the post below to include more information about crispy chicken wings. I also tweaked the recipe to perfection, and added step by step photos plus a recipe video to show you how quick and easy these potato chip inspired wings are to make!
Growing up I had a serious obsession with salt and vinegar chips. What’s not to love about those salty, tangy, lip-puckeringly delicious crispy chips? Kettle cooked, baked, fried, with ridges, without ridges, wavy-cut, thick cut, thin cut, stacked nice and neat, broken and strewn about – it didn’t matter to me, I loved them all. Basically, I was the Bubba Gump of salt and vinegar chips.
Now that I’m older, I try my hardest to practice a little self-restraint, but I will always have a special place in my heart for salt and vinegar chips.
Recently I have been craving the favorite snack of my youth and I’ve been dying to make a salt and vinegar flavored treat for you guys! Luckily, divine culinary intervention happened during my last trip to the local grocery store. While I was there one of their managers (and one of the nicest people you could ever meet) asked if I knew how to make salt n’ vinegar chicken wings. She said some of the other employees and herself were absolutely obsessed with the ones in their deli department where they were made fresh daily.
Right then and there I knew I had to try and recreate those craveworthy chicken wings at home. So I did just that! And, Amber, this recipe goes out to you.
Crispy Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings
Chicken wings with roasted, tender, incredibly juicy meat, impossibly crispy skin, and all the robust flavor.
These salt and vinegar wings have the perfect combination of salty and tangy flavor found in the chips! These wings have a nice flavorful, bold bite and tang from the duo of vinegars and are balanced out by the fleeting salty flavor. With an extremely subtle hint of sweetness and zip from the touch of sugar and dry ranch mix, these wings are highly addictive!
Perfectly crispy, juicy and bold in flavor, if you like salt and vinegar chips, I can absolutely guarantee you will fall head over heels in love with these wings!
And, since these wings are oven baked and not deep fried, you can indulge without all the guilt! Hello winning at life!
What is salt and vinegar?
Salt and vinegar is a robust seasoning used to flavor a variety of foods, from chips and French fries to popcorn and chicken wings! Salt and vinegar seasoning provides a harmonious balance of zesty salt and bold vinegar flavors.
How to make salt and vinegar seasoning?
Salt and vinegar seasoning can be made various ways.
Some methods are more complex and involve a bit of chemistry by using an acid-based reaction between vinegar and baking soda neutralized with salt.
An extremely easy way to make salt and vinegar seasoning is to simply mix distilled white vinegar with malt vinegar and plenty of flaky sea salt.
However, if you like the classic salt and vinegar flavor found in potato chips, there are a couple extra secret ingredients!
To make classic salt and vinegar seasoning:
- Combine white distilled vinegar, malt vinegar, flaky sea salt, dry ranch mix, granulated sugar and garlic powder in a small jar or airtight container.
- Seal the jar or container and shake vigorously until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Use as a marinade or wet seasoning mix.
Marinated baked salt & vinegar chicken wings?
If you want a truly salt and vinegar flavored wing, I highly suggest you marinate the wings first. The salt and vinegar sauce doubles as a marinade, so there are no extra ingredients needed to marinate the wings!
After marinating the wings make sure you discard the marinade! Since you will not be actually cooking the marinade, it is unsafe to eat since it has been in contact with raw chicken.
If you want a more subtle, very mildly flavored salt and vinegar wing, you can cut disregard the step for marinating the wings and start with step 3 of the recipe.
How to get baked chicken wings crispy?
These Baked Salt & Vinegar Chicken Wings have an extremely crisp, golden exterior with incredibly tender and juicy meat! They taste like they were deep fried without all the hot oil and messy grease!!
The secret to crispy baked chicken wings:
- Pat dry: Make sure you pat your chicken wings thoroughly dry to remove all excess moisture.
- Baking powder: Tossing the dried chicken wings in baking powder helps draw the moisture out of the chicken wing and to the surface of the skin which aids in evaporation.
- Bake at low heat and finish at high heat: Baking chicken wings at low heat helps dry out the chicken wing and melt the fat. Switching the oven to high heat helps crisp up the skin.
How to make salt and vinegar wings?
These chicken wings are truly crispy and bursting with delicious salt and vinegar flavor, and yet they are also so easy to make! With just a few minutes of preparation you can make crispy, better than restaurant-quality wings in your very kitchen!!
- Make the salt and vinegar sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small jar or container with a tight fitting lid. Vigorously shake to thoroughly combine all the ingredients, making sure the salt and sugar are dissolved.
- Marinate Chicken Wings: Place the chicken wings in a large zip-closure bag. Pour HALF the salt and vinegar sauce over the wings. Seal the bag and shake to coat the wings. Transfer to the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours, or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven: Arrange one oven rack in the lower third position and one in the top third position in the oven. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Place a wire rack insert on top of the baking sheet. Spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the wings from sticking.
- Dry wings and toss with baking powder: Remove chicken wings from the marinade, gently shaking excess marinade off the wings. Discard marinade. Transfer wings to a clean work surface lined with paper towels. Pat the wings thoroughly dry. Transfer the dried wings to a large zip-closure bag. Add the baking powder and kosher salt to the bag. Seal and shake the bag vigorously to evenly coat the wings. Transfer the wings SKIN SIDE UP to the wire rack baking sheet in a single layer.
- Cook Chicken Wings at Low heat: Bake the chicken wings on the LOWER shelf in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Cook Chicken Wings at High heat: Move the wings to the UPPER shelf and increase the oven temperature to 425 F. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove the wings from the oven and flip them over. Return to the oven and continue to bake for 20 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown, the skin is crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
- Toss wings and serve: Remove wings from the oven and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Pour the remaining salt and vinegar sauce over the wings. Toss well to coat. Serve immediately and enjoy!
How to make salt and vinegar baked chicken wings step by step photos:
Dipping sauce for salt and vinegar chicken wings?
If you are like me, and absolutely must have some sort of sauce for dipping, I have a couple suggestions.
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 fingertips and be happy.
However, my favorite was simply to make a little extra salt and vinegar sauce. Using the sauce as a dip results in the ultimate explosion of salt and vinegar taste!
Alternatively, you can use your favorite variety of dressing as a dip!
What to serve with salt and vinegar wings?
Baked wings make a great appetizer, lunch, snack or dinner! Whether you are looking to include these salt and vinegar chicken wings on a football party spread, or enjoy them for dinner, the below dishes pair well with wings!
Appetizers to serve with chicken wings:
- Crudite Platter
- Chips and Dip
- Jalapeno Poppers
- Potato Skins
- Onion Rings
- Nachos
- Avocado Fries
Sides that pair well with chicken wings:
- Soup
- Sandwich or Grilled Cheese
- Green Salad
- Coleslaw
- Pasta Salad
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Baked Beans
- Cheesy Broccoli
- Cauliflower Rice
- Mashed Potatoes
- Grilled Corn
Are salt and vinegar chicken wings healthy?
Chicken wings themselves are made up of skin and fat, so they are not classified as healthy. Also, chicken wings are traditionally deep fried which add extra fat. However, these chicken wings are baked to produce a slightly healthier wing! They have the same crispy, crunchy texture minus all the oil, grease and added fat!
Are salt and vinegar wings keto-friendly?
This chicken wing recipe is keto-friendly and low in carbs! (See below for nutritional information)
Are salt and vinegar wings gluten free?
This recipe as written is not gluten-free. To make gluten-free salt and vinegar chicken wings, replace the malt vinegar with apple cider vinegar.
How many calories in salt vinegar wings?
The exact number of calories in chicken wings will depend upon the exact recipe and ingredients used. This salt and vinegar wings recipe serves 4 and has approximately 293 calories and 3 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
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 Wings!
Until next time, friends, cheers and happy eating!
XOXO
Cheyanne
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The best Salt & Vinegar Chicken Wings recipe plus step by step video👇
Salt and Vinegar Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Large Zip-Closure Bag
- Airtight Jar or Container
- Large Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Wire Rack
Ingredients
Wings:
- 2 pounds Chicken Wings - separated into drumettes and flats (SEE NOTES)
- 2 ½ tsp Baking Powder - DO NOT use baking soda!
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Sauce (which doubles as a marinade):
- 1/2 Cup White Distilled Vinegar
- 6 TBS Malt Vinegar - (or Apple Cider Vinegar)
- 2 TBS Flaky Sea Salt (Maldon) - plus more for garnishing
- 2 1/4 tsp Dry Ranch Mix
- 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
Optional for Garnish: Sliced Chives or Scallions, Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
- Make the salt and vinegar sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small jar or container with a tight fitting lid. Vigorously shake to thoroughly combine all the ingredients, making sure the salt and sugar are dissolved.
- Marinate Chicken Wings: Place the chicken wings in a large zip-closure bag. Pour HALF the salt and vinegar sauce over the wings. Seal the bag and shake to coat the wings. Transfer to the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 3 hours, or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven: Arrange one oven rack in the lower third position and one in the top third position in the oven. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Place a wire rack insert on top of the baking sheet. Spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the wings from sticking.
- Dry wings and toss with baking powder: Remove chicken wings from the marinade, gently shaking excess marinade off the wings. Discard marinade. Transfer wings to a clean work surface lined with paper towels. Pat the wings thoroughly dry. Transfer the dried wings to a large zip-closure bag. Add the baking powder and kosher salt to the bag. Seal and shake the bag vigorously to evenly coat the wings. Transfer the wings SKIN SIDE UP to the wire rack baking sheet in a single layer.
- Cook Chicken Wings at Low heat: Bake the chicken wings on the LOWER shelf in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Cook Chicken Wings at High heat: Move the wings to the UPPER shelf and increase the oven temperature to 425 F. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove the wings from the oven and flip them over. Return to the oven and continue to bake for 20 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown, the skin is crispy and the chicken is cooked through.
- Toss wings and serve: Remove wings from the oven and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Pour the remaining salt and vinegar sauce over the wings. Toss well to coat. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- To separate chicken wings into drumettes and flats: 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.
- The recipe for the cooking method of these wings adapted from Cook’s Illustrated and Recipetineats.com
Nutrition
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I made these wings the other day and they were delicious! I followed the recipe but substituted the Maldon cracked sea salt for Sel de Mer Mediterranean Sea Salt because I could not find the Maldon. Not knowing what the outcome would be, I used half the quantity of sea salt and it was fine. Next time I will use the full quantity. I marinated for about 3 hours and will try to double that next time as well. The wings were nice and crispy. Loved the oven method! Great recipe, thank you Cheyanne!
I made this tonight for movie night. It was awful. Taste like a salt block and I used less salt than it said in the recipe. I liked the oven cooking method at two temperatures made the wings very crispy. Is it suppose to be so salty??
Hi Madi,
I’m sorry to hear your wings didn’t turn out well! While they should taste like salt and vinegar (similar to the flavor found in the chips), they should not taste like a salt block at all. Did you use flaky Maldon Sea Salt?? The Maldon cannot be replaced with regular sea salt, kosher salt, table salt or any other variety of salt or the wings will turn out very salty. With all that said, I’m glad you liked the cooking method for the wings!
Cheers and all the best,
Cheyanne
Hi, have you made this with party wings? I think they are smaller than what you used. I’m worried about overcooking them.
Thanks,
Leanne
Hi Leanne,
Honestly, I have never heard of, nor seen, “party wings”. I looked it up to see if I could get any information about their size relative to normal wings, however my search didn’t return any information. Without seeing your wings for myself I can’t really answer your question with any certainty. I used regular ‘ole wings. So, I would say if you think your wings are smaller than normal wings, just reduce the cook time a bit. I hope that helps!!! Cheers! 🙂
All the best,
Cheyanne
Hi, thanks. I just looked it up and I think party wings are just already separated into flats and drumettes. Probably. The same size unless you’re buying some really big wings like I’ve seen in takeout food!
That makes total sense! I’ve never seen it called that before, so thank you for sharing, Leanne!! 🙂
Have you made changes to this recipe in the last 2 years? I made this recipe awhile ago and I thought that it had me steam the wings and then let them sit overnight! Am I going crazy? regardless, we LOVE this recipe in our house! Thank you!
Hi Hailey,
Great catch!! After years of tinkering around with this recipe, I found an easier and better way to make the wings! If you scroll through the older comments, you will see a die-hard fan of the original wings (Sue) was a little skeptical to try out this new recipe. She ended up preferring this new method, and I’m certainly hoping you will too!! I’d love to hear how the new recipe works out for you if you try it!! I have my fingers crossed that you not only find this method much faster, but also better tasting! 🙂 Cheers!!
I don’t have ranch seasoning . Have you ever made it without of with maybe Italian seasoning?
Hi Niko,
I have made the wings both as directed and without the ranch seasoning. The ranch mix is the secret ingredient to produce wings with the classic salt and vinegar flavor found in the potato chips. You can omit the dry ranch mix and the wings will still be good, they will just be missing that special something.
I’ve never tried Italian seasoning with these before. If you are in a pinch, you can make your own dry ranch seasoning mix. Just google it and you will see tons of homemade recipes come up (most of them should call for dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, etc.).
Let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers!