Few dishes satisfy quite like a platter of honey hot wings. This recipe balances the natural sweetness of honey against the warm kick of hot sauce, creating that perfect sticky-spicy glaze that clings to crispy chicken wings. I’ve kept it simple and traditional – focusing on technique to get that satisfying crunch on the outside while keeping the meat juicy inside.
Honey Hot Chicken Wings Recipe
4
servings15
minutes45
minutes422
kcal1
hourKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
900 g 2 lb chicken wings
1 teaspoon 1 tsp salt
1 teaspoon 1 tsp black pepper
1 teaspoon 1 tsp garlic powder
1 teaspoon 1 tsp paprika
1 tablespoon 1 tbsp baking powder
- For the Honey Hot Sauce:
170 g 1/2 cup honey
60 ml 1/4 cup hot sauce (Frank’s RedHot recommended)
2 tablespoons 2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Equipment
Large mixing bowl- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
- Saucepan
- tongs
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top.
- Pat the chicken wings completely dry with paper towels. This is crucial for achieving crispy skin.
- In a large bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and baking powder.
- Add the dried wings to the seasoning mix and toss until evenly coated.
- Arrange the seasoned wings on the wire rack, leaving space between each piece to ensure even cooking and crispness.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the wings are golden brown and crispy.
- While the wings are baking, prepare the honey hot sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add minced garlic to the melted butter and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the honey, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
- When the wings are done, transfer them to a large bowl and pour half of the warm honey hot sauce over them.
- Toss the wings until evenly coated, adding more sauce as needed until you reach your desired level of sauciness.
Notes
- The baking powder (not baking soda) is the secret to achieving crispy skin when baking rather than frying. It changes the pH level of the chicken skin, helping it brown and crisp beautifully.
