Learn how to easily cook chicken wings from frozen with all of our tips. Less than an hour from freezer to plate!
These chicken wings from frozen can be ready in 50, unfussy minutes. It’s mostly just place them in the oven, set the timer, and in less than an hour you’re enjoying delicious chicken wings!
What Kind Of Wings Can I Cook From Frozen?
I recommend fresh wings from the meat counter/meat section of the store that you then cut and freeze at home. They work better than the wings from the freezer section because they aren’t coated in frozen water.
If the wings are frozen solid and can’t be pulled apart, pop them into the microwave for 1-2 minutes. The outside will thaw just enough so you can pull them apart and place them on the sheet pan in a single layer.
Do I Need To Cut My Chicken Wings?
If the wings are only sold whole in your area (drum, flat, and wing tip together), and you don’t want to cut them, the recipe will still work well with whole wings. Just add 10 minutes to the cook time if you’re leaving them whole.
However, you can find detailed instructions with step by step photos on how to cut chicken wings here. We’ll use the drumette and flat to make our chicken wings.
How To Cook Chicken Wings From Frozen
Set oven to 425° and place frozen wings in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. No need to wait for the oven to pre-heat, place them in immediately and they will start to thaw as the oven heats up.
If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use aluminum foil, but I recommend spraying it with cooking spray or rubbing some oil over it. The fatty juices from the chicken as it cooks can cause the skin to stick, but the extra bit of oil should minimize that.
Bake for 50 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 160°F. While it’s best to keep the oven door closed for the full 50 minutes during baking and then season afterward, halfway through baking, you could add salt and your favorite seasonings to the wings, making sure the oven door is quickly closed so that the oven temperature doesn’t drastically change. The wings will be thawed and cooked enough that the seasonings will cling.
Oven temperatures can fluctuate greatly. If the wings aren’t as crispy as you’d like after the 50 minutes in the oven, switch the oven to broiling, and cook for another 6-10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let wings rest 5 minutes. Then, toss them in your favorite sauce (like this Smoky BBQ Sauce) and enjoy!
Can get enough chicken wings? I hear you. I’ve got a whole series devoted to them over on TheCookful! Plus, find out how to brine chicken wings for tender, flavorful meat with crispy skin on the outside. So so good.
More Chicken From Frozen Recipes
- Poached Chicken From Frozen
- How to Cook A Whole Frozen Chicken
- Chicken Breasts from Frozen Recipe
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
Plus, you can browse my complete collection of Cooking from Frozen recipes so you’re always ready to save the day with a great dinner.
Podcast Episode: Cooking Wings From Frozen
Listen to me explain briefly about how to make these wings, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:
Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.
Print
How To Cook Chicken Wings From Frozen
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Rest Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
Don’t panic! You can bake delicious wings from frozen with these instructions.
Ingredients
- 20 frozen, split chicken wings (drumettes and flats)
Instructions
-
Set oven temperature to 425°F.
-
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, arrange wings in a single layer.
-
Immediately place pan in oven. Do not wait for oven to preheat.
-
Bake for 50 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 160°F. when inserted into the thickest part of the wing.
-
Remove pan from oven and let stand 5 minutes.
-
Toss wings in barbecue or buffalo sauce and serve.
Love this recipe? I’d appreciate it if you could scroll down and add a *5 star rating* to help others know they’ll love it as well!
Notes
- It’s important to let the wings rest after removing the pan from the oven; carryover cooking will bring the wings to the proper temperature, without overcooking them.
- If wings are stuck together in a package, microwave for 1-2 minutes, which will be just enough to pry them apart and place in a single layer on sheet pan.
- If wings are not already cut into flats and drums, add 10 minutes to cook time.
- Do not open the oven door until the 50 minutes are up. Use the oven light to check the wings. If you want to season them, you can quickly add salt and seasoning half-way through, but best to wait till the end.
- Because the wings do not have seasoning yet, be sure to use a well-seasoned sauce.
- If your wings are producing excess liquid while cooking, you can transfer them to a rack on the baking sheet and then return them to the oven.
Tel U says
what are some popular seasoning or sauce options to enhance their flavor?
Christine Pittman says
Tossing with your favorite BBQ sauce or Buffalo sauce at the end is a great option!
BK says
I have to say, I never leave reviews— and even I’m skeptical when someone starts a review like this. But goodness, this seriously changed the game. I can’t believe you can cook wings from frozen. I did two trays (5 lbs) of split wings in this method, rotating 30 minutes in. I then rotated again after 1 hour total and let the wings crisp about 10 minutes after. In total, 1:10 minutes?
★★★★★
Bobbie O'Brien says
Hi, thank you for your frozen chicken recipe. It’s the way I used to do it but I haven’t done it in so long I couldn’t remember so I was scrolling through different recipes and yours was exactly like mine so thank you for refreshing my memory and you did a good job. They always come out tasty like that.
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
So glad it was helpful, Bobbie!