Baked Sticky Honey BBQ Wings (Printer-friendly)

Crispy baked chicken wings glazed in sticky, sweet honey BBQ sauce with smoky seasoning for rich flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

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

→ Seasoning

02 - 1 tsp garlic powder
03 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
04 - ½ tsp salt
05 - ½ tsp black pepper

→ Honey BBQ Sauce

06 - ½ cup barbecue sauce
07 - ¼ cup honey
08 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
09 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and position a wire rack on top.
02 - Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels. Toss wings in a large bowl 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, until skin is crisp and golden.
04 - Combine barbecue sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, melted butter, and optional 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 thoroughly.
06 - Return sauced wings to the 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 Advice:

01 -
  • They're baked, not fried, so you actually feel okay eating more than one.
  • The honey-BBQ combination hits that sweet-savory note that keeps people coming back to the plate.
  • Prep takes ten minutes; the oven does the heavy lifting while you relax.
  • Works for a casual Tuesday night or impressing people on game day.
02 -
  • Drying the wings is the difference between crispy and soggy; I learned this the hard way by skipping that step exactly once.
  • Don't skip flipping them halfway through the first bake, or one side will stay pale and rubbery.
  • The sauce needs to go on after the initial crisp, not before, or you'll lose that golden exterior everyone expects.
03 -
  • If you want extra-crispy skin, pat the wings dry and let them sit uncovered in the fridge for an hour before seasoning and baking—the dry air tightens the skin.
  • Use a meat thermometer if you're nervous about doneness; the thickest part should hit 165°F, and you'll feel more confident pulling them out at the right moment.
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