Zesty Baked Italian Style Chicken Wings

Versatile - perfect for lunch, dinner, side dish, game-day finger food, picnic or backyard bbq. An easy party food for game day, family and friends. Can also be made in an air fryer in 16 minutes for super crispy wings!

Baked not fried - oven baked chicken that's not fried. A delicious recipe with light and zesty flavors you can feel good about.

Finger food - the perfect finger food when watching the big game, with garlicky Mediterranean flavors.

Easy - just toss in an Italian dressing and bake. No marinating required.

You can serve these crispy oven baked chicken wings on a bed of rice or alongside my Crunch Cabbage Salad with Mint, Kale Mango Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette or my Maple Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower. If you love chicken wings then you'll love my Sticky Baked Sesame Chicken Wings and Rice.

• Fresh garlic - adds a pungent depth to the Italian dressing. Substitute with garlic powder.
• Fresh herbs - I use a mix of oregano, rosemary and cilantro but you can also substitute with basil, thyme or parsley.
• Crushed red peppers flakes - adds some zesty heat. Add more or less depending on your taste. Swap for hot sauce or any of your favorite sauces.
• White wine vinegar - used in many Italian dressings. Red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar or soy sauce will work well too. Fresh lemon juice can also be swapped in.
• Chicken wings - they're often sold as drumettes and wingettes, which work well for sharing because it will double your quantity of wings. Whole chicken wings can also be substituted. You'll get 4-5 whole wings in a pound and about 8-10 drummette and wingettes in a pound (about half a kilo).

See recipe card below for all ingredients and quantities.

Expert tips and variations

• Italian dressing - make sure the wings are fully coated with the Italian dressing before baking. Marinate for an hour or overnight to deepen the flavors but they're also perfectly delicious if baked right away. Sprinkle the finished wings with parmesan cheese if you do dairy.
• Crispy wings - if you want crispy baked Italian chicken wings, set them under the broiler for a few minutes at the end of baking. Keep and eye on them though since they can burn easily!
• Dipping sauce - Toss them in the dipping sauce before serving to intensify the flavors, or add an extra tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil and serve the dipping sauce on the side.
• Dried Italian herbs - no fresh herbs on hand? Use Italian seasoning instead. For ¼ cup of fresh herbs, substitute a total of 1 tablespoon of dried herbs.
• Storage - these wings can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Do not leave the baked wings at room temperature for longer than 2 hours before refrigerating or freezing.
• Air fryer option - Preheat you air fryer at 400°F. Place wings in a single layer in air fryer basket and bake for 16 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time (8 minutes per side). The wings will be golden brown and crispy.

How to make zesty Italian chicken wings

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Thoroughly pat wings dry with paper towel. Make Italian dressing by mixing olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, crushed red peppers, white wine vinegar, sea salt and pepper.

3. Toss wings with Italian dressing.

4. With tongs, place wings on prepared pan in a single layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown with crispy edges. 

Note: Air fryer option - preheat air fryer to 400°F. Place prepared wings in a single layer in air fryer basket and bake for 16 minutes, flipping wings half way through (8 minutes per side).

5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the dipping sauce by combining the extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh herbs and crushed red pepper flakes.

6. To serve, either toss wings in dipping sauce or serve wings on a platter with a side dish of dipping sauce. You may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil to the side of dipping sauce.

Frequently asked questions