Baked Sticky Honey BBQ Wings (Printable Version)

Crispy chicken wings coated in a sticky honey BBQ glaze, baked for a flavorful, tender finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs chicken wings, separated at joints, tips removed

→ Seasoning

02 - 1 tsp garlic powder
03 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1/2 tsp black pepper

→ Honey BBQ Sauce

06 - 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
07 - 1/4 cup honey
08 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
09 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top.
02 - Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels. Toss wings with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange wings in a single layer on the rack. Bake for 35 minutes, flipping halfway, until skin is crisp and golden.
04 - Combine barbecue sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, melted butter, and hot sauce in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Remove wings from oven and transfer to a large bowl. Pour warm honey BBQ sauce over wings and toss to coat evenly.
06 - Return sauced wings to the rack and bake for an additional 10 minutes until sticky and caramelized.
07 - Serve wings hot, garnish with chopped parsley or green onions if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They crisp up in the oven without any deep-frying mess, but taste like they came from a proper smoker.
  • The honey and barbecue sauce combination is sweet enough to satisfy but tangy enough that they don't feel heavy.
  • You can make the sauce while the wings bake, so there's no complicated timing or babysitting.
02 -
  • The wings need that first 35 minutes to crisp up, or you'll end up with soggy meat instead of that satisfying crunch when you bite through the caramelized exterior.
  • Don't skip patting the wings dry before seasoning—I learned this the hard way when I rushed and ended up with wings that steamed instead of roasted.
  • The sauce will keep cooking and thickening even after you pull it off the heat, so pull it while it's still pourable or it'll stick to the pan.
03 -
  • Pat your wings dry and let them sit uncovered in the fridge for an hour before baking if you want them extra-crispy—the cold air dries out the skin further and creates an almost glass-like crust.
  • The moment your sauce is done simmering, let it cool for just a minute before tossing with hot wings, or it'll be too thin and slide right off instead of clinging.
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