Chicken wings are a classic appetizer and game day food. When cooked properly, they have crispy skin with juicy meat inside. But cooking chicken wings can be tricky. Undercook them and the skin is rubbery. Overcook them and the meat dries out. So what is the perfect internal temperature for crispy, juicy chicken wings?
What Makes Chicken Wings Crispy?
Crispiness comes down to a couple of factors:
- Dry skin – Chicken skin needs to be thoroughly dried before cooking to allow it to crisp up. Marinating or wet batters will make the skin soggy.
- High heat – Cooking at a high temperature (ideally 400°F or higher) will help the skin brown and get crispy. Lower temperatures will lead to flabby skin.
- Rendering fat – As the fat under the skin melts during cooking, it bastes the skin and makes it crispy.
So to get crispy wings, you need to make sure the skin is dry before cooking, use high heat, and cook them long enough for the fat to render and crisp up the skin.
What’s the Best Internal Temp for Juicy Meat?
While crispy skin comes down to dryness, high heat, and rendered fat, juicy meat is all about not overcooking. Chicken is done cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Any hotter than that and the proteins will tighten up, forcing moisture out of the meat.
For chicken wings, an internal temp of 165°F will make the meat safe to eat, but it will be on the dry side. To keep wings nice and juicy on the inside, it’s best to cook them to an internal temperature of:
175°F
At 175°F, the meat will be fully cooked with a little pink left inside. This means it will be juicy and tender. Going above 175°F will rapidly lead to dry meat.
How Long to Cook Chicken Wings
Now that we know crispy skin needs high heat and juicy meat needs an internal temp of 175°F, how long does it actually take to cook wings that way?
Cooking time can vary based on the size of the wings and how hot your oven, grill or air fryer runs. But in general, expect it to take:
- Oven at 400°F – 40-60 minutes
- Grill at medium high – 20-40 minutes
- Air fryer at 400°F – 15-30 minutes
The best way to tell when they’re done is to use an instant read thermometer. Check the thickest part of a wing for an internal temp of 175°F. When they hit that mark, they’re ready.
Tips for Extra Crispy Wings
Follow these tips and tricks for super crispy chicken wings every time:
- Pat the wings dry – Make sure they are thoroughly dried off before seasoning or cooking.
- Don’t overcrowd – Cook wings in a single layer with space between each one. Crowding steams the wings.
- Use a wire rack – Elevate the wings on a rack so air circulates all around.
- Add baking powder – Dusting the wings with baking powder raises the pH for extra crispy skin.
- Finish under the broiler – Broil the cooked wings for 1-3 minutes to really crisp the skin.
How to Keep Wings Crispy After Cooking
The crispy skin you worked so hard for can quickly get soggy. Follow these steps to keep your wings ultra crispy even after cooking:
- Let wings rest before saucing – Give them 5-10 minutes for the steam to escape.
- Sauce wings while hot – The heat helps the sauce caramelize and adhere better.
- Toss wings in sauce – Don’t pour sauce over wings or they’ll get soggy.
- Spread wings out – Don’t pile sauced wings up or moisture will get trapped.
- Keep in a warm oven – Hold wings in a 200°F oven on a wire rack until serving.
Conclusion
Crispy wings with juicy meat is easy to achieve with these tips:
- Cook wings to an internal temp of 175°F
- Use high heat around 400°F
- Allow 40-60 minutes in the oven or 15-30 minutes in an air fryer
- Dry the skin thoroughly, don’t crowd, and elevate on a rack
- Let rest before saucing and hold in a warm oven until serving
Master these simple techniques and you’ll have perfect crispy, juicy chicken wings anytime you want.