Baked Honey BBQ Wings (Printer-Friendly)

Crispy chicken wings coated in a sweet honey BBQ glaze, baked until sticky and full of flavor.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

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

→ Seasoning

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

→ Honey BBQ Sauce

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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top.
02 - Pat wings dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss wings with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange wings in a single layer on the wire rack. Bake for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until skin is crisp and golden.
04 - While wings bake, 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 place in a large bowl. Pour warm honey BBQ sauce over wings and toss to coat evenly.
06 - Return sauced wings to wire rack and bake an additional 10 minutes until sauce is sticky and caramelized.
07 - Serve wings hot, optionally garnished with chopped parsley or green onions.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They bake hands-off in the oven while you prep sides or just relax, no babysitting required.
  • The honey caramelizes into this glossy, sticky coating that tastes like it took hours but honestly doesn't.
  • Everyone asks if you deep fried them—the skin gets genuinely crispy from the wire rack and high heat.
02 -
  • Drying the wings matters more than people think—I learned this by getting soggy wings the first time, and it changed everything once I started using paper towels properly.
  • The wire rack is worth the space in your cabinet; it's the difference between crispy and disappointing.
  • Don't skip the initial 35-minute bake; the wings need to render their fat and get golden before the sauce goes on or they won't have that textural contrast.
03 -
  • Try maple syrup instead of honey for a deeper, more woodsy sweetness that tastes less cloying.
  • Always use a foil-lined pan under your wire rack; it catches drips and makes cleanup almost effortless.
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