These crispy and tender hot honey chicken wings are super easy to whip up! Smothered in a delicious hot honey sauce, they’re bound to become your new favorite for weeknight dinners, cozy movie or game nights, or just whenever you’re in the mood for something tasty.
These wings are oven baked and requires less mess as opposed to one that is deep fried. Enjoy with a chilled glass of my hibiscus drink.
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Why We Love This Hot Honey Chicken Wings
- Straightforward: this recipe uses a few simple ingredients and a method you can trust! With the help of baking powder and an incredible technique that bakes at low and high temperatures, you’ll end up with irresistibly crispy and golden skin.
- Make ahead: Affordable pantry staples come together for big flavor. If you're hosting game night or movie night, make the hot honey sauce ahead of time. Season the wings and place them in a ziplock bag to marinate overnight. For crispier wings, air dry in the refrigerator for 24 hours on a baking sheet. On the day of the event, bake the wings in the oven or air fryer, heat the sauce, and mix them together.
- Great for large gatherings: These wings are perfect for feeding a crowd! You can triple the recipe and adjust the baking time accordingly. If you have a picky crowd, consider using different sauces. Try my mango habanero hot sauce, hot honey sauce, or this fall favorite cranberry BBQ sauce. All of them are a hit!
If you love easy recipes as much as I do, then check out my honey soy chicken drumsticks, peri peri chicken, and hot honey chicken tenders recipe.
📃Ingredient Description
Here are the simple ingredients needed to make the best tasting wings:
- Chicken wings: The star of the dish, providing a crispy base for the sticky sauce.
- Baking powder: The secret to achieving crispy skin without frying. This acts as a coating to crisp the wings for that restaurant-style crisp we all love.
- Spices and Seasoning: these are my go-to for a flavorful chicken wings: paprika, ground garlic, onion powder, and sometimes chicken seasoning (for an umami flavor since we won’t be marinating the chicken).
- Hot Honey sauce: this sticky, caramelized sauce uses a combination of honey, sriracha and chili powder. This can either be drizzled over the baked wings or mixed in a bowl. The honey helps to mellow the heat of the peppers.
Please refer to the recipe card for the exact measurements.
Substitution
- Corn starch can be used in place of baking powder, it will yield the same crispness as one mixed with baking powder.
- You can use a dissimilar type of hot honey sauce or a less spicy version (not that this recipe is spicy, but I know spice level is relative).
It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavor may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.
📝Step-by-Step Instructions
Detailed instructions are outlined in the recipe card below, but here are a few steps with visuals to guide you:
Step 1: Place the wings into a large bowl, then add the spice and seasonings.
Step 2: Add the baking powder and give the chicken a nice toss to coat all sides.
Step 3: Heat the ingredients for the hot honey sauce in a saucepan for a few seconds, then set aside
Step 4: Place the seasoned wings over a baking sheet.
Step 5: Place the sheet at the top layer and bake on low heat, then increase afterwards until it’s cooked.
Step 6: Coat the baked chicken with the cooled sauce, and serve.
👩🏽🍳Maur's Tips
- The drier the wings, the crispier the meat. Be sure to pat the meat properly with a paper towel. You can equally air dry the wings in the refrigerator overnight for the perfect result.
- Use baking powder, not baking soda; baking powder raises the pH, creating crisp skin.
- Consider using aluminum-free baking powder as it doesn’t leave a bitter aftertaste on the wings. There is a science to it. Read more about it at food republic.
- If using whole wings, cut right where the joints cross. Be sure to wear an apron, and use a cleaver for less mess.
- I recommend spreading the wings apart; crowding the tray traps steam, making them soggy.
- Flip halfway through baking, this ensures even browning and crispiness.
- Toss in sauce after baking; coating them too early makes them lose crispiness.
✅Recipe FAQS
Yes, but thaw and pat them completely dry before seasoning to avoid excess moisture. You can equally use the recipe for my frozen chicken wings to learn more on how to cook from frozen to bake using the air fryer.
The sauce should thicken to the right consistency once cooled. Simmer on low heat and not scorch. For a thicker consistency, add the butter or use a cornstarch slurry (I am yet to try this method).
Absolutely! Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Once it’s hot, bake at 400°F (200°C) for 18-20 minutes, shaking halfway through.
Love This Recipe. Here Are More Chicken Recipes to Try:
Have you given this recipe or any other from my website a try? Please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and sharing your experience in the 📝 comments section. Your feedback means the world to me, and I'm excited to hear from you!
PEACE & LOVE
Maureen
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📖 Recipe
Hot Honey Chicken Wings
Equipment
- saucepan
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs chicken wings
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste I used a teaspoon each See note 1
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chicken seasoning powder bouillon
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- ½ cup Pure honey
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Set the oven racks on the upper and lower shelves. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and top with a rack. Grease the rack with cooking spray. Set aside
FOR THE HOT HONEY SAUCE
- Heat the honey, sriracha, and chili powder in a small sauce pan on medium low heat for 3 minutes (warm it, but not boil), stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat, then add the butter. Stir, then set aside. It will thicken slightly.
FOR THE CHICKEN
- Pat dry the chicken wings with a paper towel and transfer them into a bowl or a large ziplock bag.
- Add the olive oil, salt and pepper, paprika, garlic, onion, and chicken powder into the bag/bowl. Give it a good massage to combine.
- Add the baking powder to the bowl/bag and toss it until all the chicken pieces are coated.
- Lay the chicken wings on a single layer (skin side up) over the prepared rack. Place each rack on the top and bottom racks. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Increase the heat to 425°F.
- Meanwhile, rotate the pans and flip the wings.
- Once the oven is heated, place the pan back into the oven, switch the bottom pan to the top, and the top to the bottom. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the skin is crispy and cooked to your desired doneness.
- The internal temperature of the wings should be around 170-175℉ (77-79℃).
- Remove the pans from the oven. Dump the wings into a large bowl, pour over the cooked hot honey sauce, and give it a nice toss, making sure to coat each wing.
- Garnish with chopped parsley(optional) or brush with more sauce. Serve immediately!
Notes
- Note 1: Regular salt is finer and denser than kosher salt, so it measures less. You only need half as much regular salt to match the saltiness of kosher salt.
- Note 2: Depending on how meaty your chicken is, it might take less time to cook. I recommend checking the oven at 12-minute intervals once you’ve passed the 40 minutes mark of baking time.
- If you like your wings saucy, you can simmer the wings in the sauce for 5 minutes before serving. In this case, you might need to double the amount of the sauce.
- Use baking powder, not baking soda; baking powder raises the pH, creating crisp skin.
Consider using aluminum-free baking powder as it doesn’t leave a bitter aftertaste on the wings. No worries if you can’t find one. Regular baking powder works fine. - If using whole wings, cut right where the joints cross. Be sure to wear an apron, and use a cleaver for less mess.
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