Grandma’s 4-Ingredient Chicken Wings are crispy, buttery, savory, and packed with old-school comfort food flavor. These simple baked wings use only a handful of pantry ingredients, yet they create incredibly juicy chicken with crispy golden skin and rich seasoning in every bite. Unlike heavily sauced wings, these classic baked wings focus on texture, seasoning, and buttery flavor that keeps everyone reaching for more.
This vintage-style recipe proves that simple ingredients often create the most unforgettable meals. The combination of flour, seasoning salt, butter, and chicken wings creates crispy oven-baked wings with almost no effort. They come out golden, flavorful, and perfectly crisp without deep frying or complicated sauces.
The first time these wings appeared at a family gathering, nobody expected much from such a short ingredient list. However, once the tray hit the table, people crowded around immediately. The buttery crispy coating and rich seasoning disappeared faster than any fancy appetizer. Soon everyone was asking for the recipe, shocked that something so simple could taste so good. Since then, these baked wings have become a family favorite for game days, parties, and easy dinners because they deliver big flavor with minimal work.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place butter into a large roasting pan or baking sheet and melt in the oven.
- Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and seasoning salt.
- Toss wings in the flour mixture until evenly coated.
- Carefully arrange coated wings into the hot buttery pan.
- Sprinkle additional seasoning salt over the wings if desired.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then flip the wings.
- Bake another 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- Serve hot with blue cheese dressing and fresh vegetables if desired.
Notes
Why Grandma’s 4-Ingredient Chicken Wings Are So Popular
Simple Ingredients Create Incredible Flavor
One reason Grandma’s 4-Ingredient Chicken Wings stand out is because they rely on basic ingredients that work perfectly together. Flour creates a light crispy coating while seasoning salt adds bold savory flavor without needing multiple spices.
Butter melts underneath the wings during baking, helping the skin crisp beautifully while keeping the meat juicy and rich. As the wings roast in the hot buttery pan, they develop golden edges and deep roasted flavor that tastes comforting and satisfying.
Because the recipe avoids heavy sauces, the chicken itself becomes the focus. Every bite delivers crispy skin, juicy meat, and savory buttery flavor without becoming messy or overwhelming.
This simplicity also makes the recipe incredibly approachable. Most kitchens already contain the ingredients needed, which means you can prepare these wings anytime without extra shopping.
Oven Baking Makes Them Easy
Unlike fried wings, Grandma’s 4-Ingredient Chicken Wings bake entirely in the oven. That means less mess, less oil, and easier cleanup while still creating crispy texture.
The hot melted butter in the baking pan helps crisp the bottom of the wings while the oven heat browns the coating evenly. Flipping the wings halfway through cooking ensures both sides become golden and crunchy.
Because the recipe requires almost no prep work, it is ideal for parties, game nights, family dinners, or quick appetizers.
Another advantage is consistency. Baking creates evenly cooked wings every time without needing special equipment or deep frying experience.
Best Ingredients for Grandma’s 4-Ingredient Chicken Wings
Choosing the Right Chicken Wings
Fresh chicken wings work best because they crisp more effectively in the oven. Patting the wings dry before coating them also helps remove excess moisture that could prevent browning.
Whole wings can be separated into flats and drumettes if preferred, although either style works beautifully.
Using similar-sized wings helps them cook evenly and creates consistent crispiness throughout the tray.
Why Butter and Seasoning Matter
Butter is one of the key ingredients that makes these wings unforgettable. As the butter melts beneath the chicken, it helps the flour coating turn crisp and golden while adding rich flavor.
Seasoning salt provides bold savory flavor in one easy ingredient. Traditional seasoned salt blends contain salt, paprika, garlic, onion, and spices that pair perfectly with baked chicken.
Flour creates the crispy coating while helping the butter cling to the wings during roasting.
Optional additions include:
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Parmesan cheese
- Lemon pepper seasoning
These extras can customize the flavor while still keeping the recipe simple and nostalgic.
How to Make Grandma’s 4-Ingredient Chicken Wings
Preparing the Wings
Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place butter into a large roasting pan or sheet pan and allow it to melt while the oven heats.
Meanwhile, pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels. This step helps the coating stick properly and encourages crispier skin.
In a large bowl, combine flour and seasoning salt. Toss the wings thoroughly until evenly coated.
Once the butter melts and begins bubbling in the hot pan, carefully remove the pan from the oven.
Arrange the coated wings in the hot buttery pan in a single layer. Make sure they are evenly spaced so the heat circulates properly around each wing.
Baking Until Crispy and Golden
Sprinkle a little extra seasoning salt over the wings before placing them into the oven.
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until the bottoms become golden. Then flip the wings carefully and continue baking until both sides become crispy and deeply browned.
The flour coating crisps beautifully in the butter while the chicken remains juicy inside.
Once fully cooked, serve the wings hot with blue cheese dressing, ranch, celery sticks, or carrot sticks.
Tips for the Best Grandma’s 4-Ingredient Chicken Wings
Get the Crispiest Texture
Dry wings crisp much better than wet wings, so always pat the chicken thoroughly before coating.
Using a hot pan with melted butter also helps the wings start crisping immediately once they hit the oven.
Avoid overcrowding the pan because packed wings steam instead of roast. Use two pans if necessary to keep proper spacing.
Make Cleanup Easier
Lining the baking pan with foil before adding butter can help simplify cleanup after baking.
The buttery flour coating may caramelize slightly during roasting, creating extra crispy bits that taste incredible.
Leftover wings reheat especially well in the oven or air fryer, which helps restore crispiness better than microwaving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen wings?
Yes, but thaw them completely and pat dry before coating for the best texture.
What seasoning salt works best?
Traditional seasoned salt blends work beautifully because they already contain multiple savory spices.
Can I make these wings spicy?
Absolutely. Add cayenne pepper or hot paprika to the flour mixture for extra heat.
Do I need to flip the wings?
Yes. Flipping helps both sides become evenly crispy and golden.
Can I use drumsticks instead?
Yes. This same method works wonderfully with chicken drumsticks or thighs.
Conclusion
Grandma’s 4-Ingredient Chicken Wings prove that simple recipes often create the best comfort food. The combination of crispy coating, buttery flavor, juicy chicken, and savory seasoning creates irresistible wings with almost no effort.
Because this recipe uses affordable pantry ingredients and easy baking techniques, it works perfectly for game days, parties, family dinners, or casual gatherings. Once you taste the crispy buttery coating and juicy chicken together, these vintage-style wings may quickly become one of your favorite homemade recipes.
