Sweet and Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

We love chicken wings in their many available flavors. We also love that we can make wings with a crispy exterior and juicy meat in the oven without having to deep fry them. More importantly the flavor really matters to us, and these Sweet and Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Wings are absolutely delicious and are baked in your oven without too much effort!

How to make crispy wings without deep frying?

Deep frying can be very intimidating and not very practical, so we usually opt to make our wings in the oven instead. And even better, the result of baking chicken wings is just as delicious and results in crispy skin and juicy wings!

Baking powder is the trick to making the skin and exterior of the wings seem like they’ve been deep fried. It’s as simple as that!

Additionally, baking the chicken wings on a rack over a sheet tray allows for enough air flow that you don’t even need to worry about flipping them over during the baking process.

Finally, tossing them in the sauce right before serving will ensure that you still get the crispy texture when it’s time to devour the chicken wings.

Can I use an air fryer to make this recipe?

You most certainly can make these wings in an air fryer instead of in the oven. The great thing about an air fryer is that it cuts the time to make these almost in half. In an air fryer, your wings will likely only need about 20-25 minutes total at 400°F.

We have noticed that when cooking these honey garlic wings in an air fryer, you may need to flip them at least once or twice throughout the cooking process, though.

Sweet and Spicy Wing Sauce

As for the sticky honey garlic sauce, that’s where most of the flavor comes from. Sambal oelek and cayenne pepper add a spicy kick and savory heat that is just right, while the honey balances the spice perfectly for a tangy sweetness. The other components in the sauce all play a part to give the delicious wings a perfect flavor for game day!

Enjoy!

We hope that you enjoy this recipe for Sweet and Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Wings! If you give it a try and like it, click the heart at the top of the post, leave us a 5 star rating and comment below, or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!

Looking for more Game Day Snacks?

Here are a few other recipes we love to make for game day or other parties:

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Sweet and Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

Course: AppetizersCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Total time

hour

minutes

Ingredients

For the Wings
4 lbs. 4 drums and flats bone-in skin-on chicken wings
1 tablespoon 1 kosher salt
1 tablespoon 1 baking powder
1 teaspoon 1 garlic powder
For the Sauce
¾ cup honey
2 tablespoon 2 soy sauce
1 tablespoon 1 Sambal Oelek or other chile paste
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoon 2 garlic powder
6 tablespoon 6 unsalted butter – room temperature
For the Garnish
Chopped parsley or chives

Directions

Prepare the Wings
Dry off the wings with paper towels and place them on a wire rack over a large baking sheet. Put them in the refrigerator to further dry for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400°F (convection is preferable, but not required).
Mix the salt, baking powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. When the wings are ready, remove from the refrigerator and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt mixture and coat the wings well. Liberally spray the wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and return the wings to the wire rack in a single layer, trying not to let them touch. Place them in the oven for 35 minutes if using convection. If not, cook for about 45 minutes total (remove one wing and test for doneness - the wings should be cooked throughout at 165°F internal temperature - adjust the cook time accordingly).
Prepare the Sauce
While the wings cook, you can prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan over low heat add all sauce ingredients except the butter and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and keep the heat on low for about 5 minutes. Next, add the butter and whisk to combine. Once combined, remove the sauce from the heat. The sauce can be made ahead of time and reheated on low (do not boil) to be ready as soon as the wings come out of the oven.
Assemble the Dish
When the wings come out of the oven, remove them to a large bowl. Pour the sauce in the bowl with the wings and use a large spoon or spatula to mix so the chicken is completely glazed with the sauce. Serve the crispy baked chicken wings immediately garnished with parsley, chives, green onion, toasted sesame seeds or on their own.