Baked BBQ Honey Wings

Why These BBQ Chicken Wings Deserve a Spot in Your Oven

• Crispy without deep frying. These wings are baked instead of fried. And thanks to my trusty cooking method, they’re still crispy as can be, without any baking soda, flour, or excess oil.
• Quick to make. It only takes 10 minutes to prepare the wings for the oven, and the sauce comes together in a snap while they bake.
• Semi-homemade sauce. Jazzing up my favorite store-bought BBQ sauce with honey, mustard, and fiery chili sauce is a quick and easy shortcut to loads of flavor. Of course, you can easily customize this recipe with your favorite chicken wing seasonings and sauces!
• A crowd favorite. These baked BBQ wings are always a massive hit on game day. They’re also great to make for parties, potlucks, and easy dinners during the week. So versatile!

What You’ll Need

It’s so nice to be able to know exactly what goes into your food, which is another reason why these homemade chicken wings are the way to go. To know the exact amounts you’ll need, scroll down to the recipe card. For now, here are some quick ingredient notes:

• Chicken Wings – I usually stick with classic bone-in wings. If you’re using boneless chicken wings, you may need to adjust the baking time.
• Canola Oil – Or a similar neutral-flavored cooking oil with a high smoke point. Avocado oil is another good choice.
• Seasonings – I make a simple chicken seasoning rub with garlic and onion powder, paprika (sweet or smoked), sea salt, and ground black pepper. Feel free to get creative with your own spice blend, like this spicy Buffalo chicken rub.

For the Honey BBQ Sauce

• BBQ Sauce – Use your favorite brand. I like Stubb’s. You could also use homemade BBQ sauce here, if you have it.
• Honey – I always try to use raw and unfiltered honey, but any kind goes. Pure maple syrup is a good substitute, or you can use brown sugar instead.
• Stone Ground Mustard – Or any mustard you’d like, such as Dijon, brown, or yellow mustard.
• Sriracha Sauce – Go ahead and add as much or as little as you’d like. If you don’t have sriracha chili sauce, swap in your choice of hot sauce, like Frank’s or Tabasco, cayenne pepper, or chili flakes. You can also skip the chili if you’re sensitive to spice.

Can I Use Frozen Chicken Wings?

I highly recommend buying fresh chicken wings, but if frozen ones are your only option, you can totally use those instead. Just be sure to thaw them out completely before you season and cook them. This helps the spices adhere to the meat and ensures juicy results.

How to Make Baked BBQ Chicken Wings

Follow this simple process for perfect, crispy baked chicken wings every time. For best results, bake your chicken wings on a wire rack set over a lined baking sheet. This way, the high heat of the oven can circulate the wings for maximum crispiness. And two, it’s easy to clean up afterward! Here we go:

1. Prep. While the oven preheats to a hot 400°F, set a wire rack over a baking sheet. If you don’t have a rack, simply line the pan with foil.
2. Season the chicken. Meanwhile, pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels. Drizzle the wings with oil, then add the seasonings and toss evenly to coat.
3. Bake the wings. Arrange the wings on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, using tongs to flip them over halfway through.
4. Make them crispy. Finally, switch the oven to broil on HIGH for 5-10 minutes, or until the chicken skins are crisped and browned. Keep a close eye on the chicken and don’t leave it unattended. Some broilers work more quickly than others!
5. Prepare the BBQ sauce. While the chicken bakes, combine the BBQ sauce, honey, mustard, and sriracha in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir and bring the mixture to a simmer, allowing it to heat through for 2 minutes. Afterward, take the sauce off the heat and set it aside.
6. Make them saucy. When the chicken wings are out of the oven, add them to a large heat-proof bowl with the honey BBQ sauce. Use a pair of tongs to toss the wings in the sauce until they’re evenly coated. If your bowl or container has a tight-fitting lid, you can close it and give the wings a shake to coat instead.
7. Enjoy! Garnish your baked BBQ chicken wings with chopped chives and serve them as-is, or with your favorite dipping sauce. See below for ideas.

Can I Make These In the Air Fryer?

Absolutely! To make these chicken wings in the air fryer, refer to the cooking directions for my honey BBQ air fryer chicken wings. Preheat the air fryer to 400ºF, and cook the chicken wings in a single layer for 14-16 minutes, flipping halfway through. You may need to cook in batches depending on the size of your fryer and the number of wings. You might also like my air fryer Buffalo chicken wings recipe.

Tips for the Best Baked Wings

• Season to taste. Feel free to fine-tune your sauce and spice rub to suit your tastes. If you’d like to crank up the heat without changing the sauce, add chili powder to the spice blend.
• Broil for extra crispiness. The secret to achieving crispy wings doesn’t involve coating the chicken in flour or baking soda, like some recipes would lead you to believe! It’s all about the broiling. Those 8-10 minutes under the broiler are essential for a crispy, crackly skin that soaks up all the BBQ sauce.
• Use Tongs to Handle Your Wings: It’s best to avoid touching things that just came out of a hot oven. That’s where the tongs come in. They’re also useful when you’re tossing the wings with the sauce.

Serving Suggestions

These crispy, flavorful wings will have you licking your fingers and your plate. Want to pair your wings with something equally tempting? Crispy, saucy BBQ chicken wings make a great addition to a game day charcuterie board. Or, take your pick of these easy sides:

• Easy appetizers. Fill your snack table with more delicious party foods like these Cajun shrimp bites, fully-loaded sheet pan steak nachos, and these baked fries with crave-worthy roasted garlic aioli sauce.
• Game day cocktails. My 5-minute frosé (frozen rosé) is the perfect way to cool down your mouth after a spicy wing. I also love a classic margarita or this skinny version.
• Make it a meal. Pair these wings with a cool and crunchy cucumber tomato salad, grilled corn on the cob, or potato salad for an easy, cookout-style summer dinner.

Storage and Reheating

• Refrigerate. Let your wings cool to room temperature before you transfer them to the fridge, but don’t leave them out for longer than 2 hours. Place any leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days.
• Reheat. Reheat the wings on a foil-lined baking sheet at 350°F. After 15-20 minutes, or once their internal temperature reaches 165°F, remove them from the oven and enjoy them.
• Freeze. You can freeze the baked wings for up to 1 month if you’d like. Place them into a freezer-safe container with parchment or wax paper in between layers if you have to stack them. Thaw out frozen wings in the fridge before you reheat them.

More Chicken Wing Recipes to Try

• Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Wings
• Asian Baked Chicken Wings
• Crispy Korean BBQ Baked Chicken Wings
• Garlic Parmesan Wings