Honey BBQ Chicken Wings (Printable)

Crispy wings coated in sweet smoky honey BBQ sauce

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken Wings

01 - 1.5 lbs chicken wings, split at joints, tips removed
02 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
03 - 1 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
05 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
06 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

→ Honey BBQ Sauce

07 - 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
08 - 1/4 cup honey
09 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
10 - 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
11 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top.
02 - Pat chicken wings completely dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss wings with vegetable oil, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange seasoned wings in a single layer on the wire rack over the baking sheet, ensuring pieces do not overlap.
04 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, flipping wings halfway through cooking, until skin is crispy and golden brown with internal temperature reaching 165°F.
05 - While wings bake, combine barbecue sauce, honey, unsalted butter, apple cider vinegar, and cayenne pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until butter melts and sauce is smooth, approximately 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
06 - Transfer cooked wings to a large clean bowl. Pour warm honey BBQ sauce over wings and toss thoroughly until each piece is evenly coated.
07 - Serve immediately while hot, garnished with chopped parsley or sliced green onions if desired. Accompany with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The homemade honey BBQ sauce comes together in minutes and tastes way better than anything from a bottle
  • Baking them high and hot means way less mess than frying but still delivers that irresistible crunch
  • These wings are a crowd pleaser that work equally well for a Tuesday dinner or a Super Bowl party
02 -
  • Drying the wings thoroughly with paper towels before seasoning is the secret to crispy skin, so do not rush this step
  • The sauce thickens quickly as it cools, so toss the wings immediately while everything is still hot for the best coating
  • If you want extra crispy wings, let them air dry on the rack for 10 minutes before baking, it really does make a difference
03 -
  • Line your baking sheet with foil before the wire rack for easy cleanup, the sugar in the sauce can get messy
  • Let the sauce cool for just a minute before tossing so it coats the wings instead of sliding right off
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