How to Make Papa’s Chicken Wings at Home

Could You Actually Cook Papa Louie's Chicken Wings of at Home?🍗

We all know how it goes: you start “just one shift” in Papa’s Wingeria and suddenly it’s midnight, your build station is spotless, and your stomach is basically chanting buff-a-lo, buff-a-lo. That game has a way of making wings feel like the only correct answer to life. The reflex is instant—Wingstop? Hooters? BWW? Maybe the local spot down the street? You’re opening DoorDash with sauce on the brain before you even close the browser tab. I want crisp skin that cracks when you bite, a sauce that clings instead of sliding off, and the little sides that make the plate look finished. Celery. Carrots. A calm cup of dip. Simple things done right. However, after spending $$$ on Doordash, you’ve probably asked yourself one big question:
“Wait… could I actually make this at home?”

You might be thinking you need restaurant gear to pull this off. But here’s the thing: when the craving hits, you can get that same glossy, sticky, crispy wing at home. You don’t need an industrial fryer, or any kind of special gear. And you’ll skip that freaking 45-minute delivery window. It’s perfect for NFL Sunday, a late NBA game, movie nights, or that quiet Tuesday you turn into Wing Wednesday because you can. The method below gives you crackly skin in the oven or air fryer, then a quick toss in warm sauce so it clings like the ones you obsess over in the game. If you want your plate just like the one in Papa Louie’s Wing restaurant, we recommend plating the wings with celery, carrots, and a calm little ranch or blue cheese cup. And I promise, if you follow the steps exactly, it will look (and taste) better than a takeout.

Before we start I should mention that you should have these two crucial habits that change everything. Dry the wings very well, and cook them up on a rack in a hot oven (or in an air fryer). That’s it. No cornstarch coating, no complicated brine. Just dry, lift, blast. The fat renders, the skin tightens, and you get that crisp edge we all chase.

Let’s roll up our sleeves, swap the mouse for an oven mitt, and explore how to cook real-life version of Papa Louie’s chicken wings recipe.

Download Recipe PDF

Papa’s Wingeria Style Chicken Wings (Baked or Air-Fried)

Yield: 3–4 servings
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 50–60 minutes (oven) or 25 minutes (air fryer)

Ingredients

Wings

1 kg chicken wings, split into flats and drumettes
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper

Classic Mild Buffalo Sauce

60 g unsalted butter
120 ml hot sauce (Frank’s-style)
1 tsp white vinegar
¼ tsp garlic powder
Pinch of sugar (optional)

Optional Second Flavor (pick one)

Honey BBQ: 120 ml BBQ sauce + 2 tbsp honey + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Garlic-Parmesan: 45 g butter + 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 garlic cloves (minced) + 30 g finely grated Parmesan + pinch salt/pepper + parsley

Dips & Sides

Celery sticks, carrot sticks
Ranch (quick): 120 ml mayo + 60 ml yogurt or sour cream + ½ tsp dried dill + ¼ tsp each garlic & onion powder + salt/pepper + splash lemon
Blue cheese dip (quick): 120 ml sour cream + 60 g blue cheese (crumbled) + 1 tsp lemon juice + black pepper

Directions (Oven Method)

Dry & season. Pat the wings very dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, whisk baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss wings until lightly, evenly coated.
Rack & space. Line a sheet pan with foil or baking paper. Set a wire rack on top. Arrange wings skin-side up with space between each piece.
Bake hot. Roast at 220°C / 425°F for 40–45 minutes, turning once at the 25-minute mark. If you want deeper bronzing, add 3–5 minutes at the end. The skin should look tight and blistered.
Warm the sauce. While wings finish, make your sauce (below) and keep it warm over low heat.
Toss fast, coat light. Move wings to a bowl, pour in just enough warm sauce to coat, and toss quickly. Too much sauce = lost crisp.
Plate neatly. Pile wings, tuck in celery and carrots, add a small cup of ranch or blue cheese. Serve immediately.

Directions (Air Fryer Method)

Same dry/season step.
Preheat air fryer to 200°C / 390°F.
Cook wings 22–26 minutes, shaking once halfway.
Toss in warm sauce and serve.

How to Make Sauces

Classic Mild Buffalo
Melt butter in a small pan. Whisk in hot sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, and a pinch of sugar. Keep warm—don’t simmer hard.

Honey BBQ
Whisk BBQ sauce, honey, and cider vinegar together. Warm until glossy and loose.

Garlic-Parmesan
On low heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and cook 30–45 seconds (don’t brown). Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan, salt, pepper, and parsley.

Why this works

Dry + baking powder formula: The baking powder (aluminum-free) raises surface pH and helps the skin dehydrate in the oven. Translation: crisp without frying.
Wire rack for best results: Air circulates under the wings, so they roast instead of steaming in their own juices.
Warm sauce is a must! Heat keeps the fat fluid and lets the sauce cling in a thin, shiny layer.

Make-ahead, leftovers, and reheating

Make-ahead: Season and place wings uncovered on a rack in the fridge for up to 12-16 hours. Drier skin = better crisp.
Leftovers: Up to 3 days in a sealed container.
Reheat: 220°C / 425°F for 8–10 minutes (plain), then sauce again. If already sauced, reheat uncovered so they don’t steam and soften up.

Troubleshooting

Wings are not crisp enough? Wings weren’t dry enough. Oven might be too cool, or the pan was too crowded. Use a rack and give space.
Too dark too fast? Your oven runs hot. Drop to 210°C / 410°F and shorten the final minutes.
Soggy after saucing? Sauce was cold or you waited too long. Keep sauce warm and toss immediately.

Print-friendly summary

Dry wings well then season with baking powder/salt mix
Bake 220°C / 425°F on a rack 40–45 min (or air fry 22–26 min at 200°C / 390°F)
Warm sauce and toss fast then serve with celery, carrots, and ranch/blue cheese

When you set the platter down: glossy wings, bright sticks, a little dip cup. You get that same clean, satisfying plate we all like to see. No fuss, no gimmicks, just wings that hit the spot. If you post your batch, tag PapasWingeria.io so we can cheer you on.

So, Can You Really Cook Papa’s Foods?

Absolutely! The beauty of Papa’s games is that they’re inspired by real foods. Sure, the game versions are a bit exaggerated (who actually demands five celery sticks evenly distributed at the top right corner of the plate?), but with simple ingredients and a little patience, you can recreate the fun in your own kitchen. And here’s the bonus: in the real world, your friends don’t time you, your oven doesn’t care about “build station accuracy,” and even a messy plate still tastes amazing.