Baked sticky honey BBQ wings (Printable Version)

Crispy chicken wings baked and coated in a sticky honey BBQ glaze with a perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

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

→ Seasoning

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

→ Honey BBQ Sauce

06 - 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
07 - 1/4 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 oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and set 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 on low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Remove wings from oven, place in a large bowl, and toss with warm honey BBQ sauce until evenly coated.
06 - Return sauced wings to the wire rack and bake an additional 10 minutes until sticky and caramelized.
07 - Serve wings hot, optionally garnished with chopped parsley or green onions.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're crispy on the outside and impossibly tender inside, with a sauce that clings to every bite.
  • Takes less than an hour from fridge to table, which means you can pull them off for last-minute entertaining.
  • The honey-BBQ balance hits that sweet spot between comfort food and restaurant-quality results.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the wings completely dry before seasoning—it's the difference between crispy and mediocre.
  • If your sauce breaks or separates, just whisk it gently off the heat, and it'll come back together.
  • The final 10-minute bake is crucial—it's when the sauce sets into that sticky, caramelized glaze everyone loves.
03 -
  • If your BBQ sauce is on the runny side, use slightly less of it so the final glaze isn't watery—thick sauce is your friend here.
  • Room-temperature wings toss more easily in the sauce than cold ones, so if you've made them ahead, let them sit for a few minutes before the final coating.
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