These easy honey hot wings are seasoned, baked until crispy, then smothered in a mouthwatering sweet and spicy sauce made from scratch. Add a sticky sweet twist to traditional hot wings with this baked honey hot wings recipe!
Want more delicious chicken wing recipes? Then you’ve come to the right place! Try Honey Garlic Chicken Wings with Aleppo, Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Wings, and Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings next.
This content contains affiliate links which helps WhisperofYum.com to provide free recipes. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for support of the blog, Whisper of Yum!
These delectable honey hot chicken wings are baked to crispy golden brown perfection, then tossed in a mixture of honey, butter, garlic and your favorite hot sauce. But unlike most honey hot wing recipes, we aren’t relying on the sauce to do all the work.
Before adding the flats and drums to the oven, we generously coat them with seasoning. So they’re perfectly juicy and flavorful before they’re smothered with this incredible sauce. Get ready to taste the best honey hot wings you’ve ever had!
Why This Recipe Works
- Shareable – This recipe is perfect for parties: Super Bowl, holiday gatherings, and potlucks. Everyone loves chicken wings so it’s a delicious way to please the crowd.
- Easy Prep – Simply season, bake, and toss. That’s how easy it is to make honey hot chicken wings.
- Versatile – Enjoy these yummy wings as is, or serve with a dipping sauce, or side dishes to make it a meal. The possibilities are endless!
Tools You’ll Need
Ingredients You Will Need for Hot Honey Wings
Need another reason to love this recipe? It’s made with pantry staples so you can make this without a trip to the grocery store.
- Party wings – These chicken wings are already split in half so you don’t have to chop them. If you aren’t buying a bag of party wings, chop whole chicken wings yourself by cutting them at the joint and removing the wing tips. Cutting whole wings in half means more to go around but it also helps the chicken cook evenly.
- Seasoning – Season the wings with garlic powder, paprika, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Baking powder – Use this for super crispy baked hot wings. You won’t taste it if you use aluminum-free baking powder. DO NOT USE baking soda.
Honey Hot Wing Sauce
- Honey – The natural sweetness mellows the spicy flavors from the hot sauce. It also lends a rich, velvety texture to the sauce.
- Frank’s hot sauce – This has a moderate spice level. I love the tangy flavor; it reminds me of buffalo sauce. However, you can use your favorite brand instead.
- Salted butter – Butter makes everything tastes better and helps the sauce coat the surface of the chicken, getting into all those nooks and crannies.
- Garlic powder – Add for a savory, garlicky taste.
How To Make Honey Hot Wings
These wings aren’t nearly as good if they aren’t crisp so remember to pat dry the chicken, use baking powder, and cook them on a wire rack for the best results.
- Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Place oven rack on upper middle position. Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place garlic powder, baking powder, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place wings in a bowl then top with seasoning mixture. Toss to coat well.
- Place wire rack inside of baking sheet. Place chicken on wire rack then transfer to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Once timer sets off, flip chicken then place back in the oven. Increase oven temp to 450°F and set a timer for 25 minutes. Check the chicken at the 10 minutes mark and continue to cook until crispy. If. you need to continue to bake in addition to the 25 minutes, bake in 5-minute increments.
- Meanwhile, heat saucepan over medium heat. Add butter, hot sauce, honey, and garlic powder. Bring mixture to a simmer and whisk to combine blend ingredients well. Cook for 2 minutes, then set aside until ready to use.
7. Place cooked wings in a large mixing bowl then top with sauce. Toss wings until evenly coated with sauce. Serve honey hot wings as an appetizer or with rice.
Tips and Tricks
- Bring the chicken to room temperature before baking them. The chicken cooks faster and evenly.
- Remember to rinse and pat dry the chicken wings before seasoning. It is essential for chicken to be dry as this will aid in crispier skin. It also helps the seasoning adhere to the chicken skin.
- Use a wire rack when baking chicken wings. Elevating the chicken allows the air flow to penetrate the meat from every direction. This results in crispier chicken.
- Taste the sauce before mixing it with the chicken and adjust if necessary. Want it sweeter? Add more honey. Want it spicier? Throw in a few extra dashes of hot sauce.
- Store leftover hot honey wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the oven or air fryer at 375°F until warmed through.
Variations
- Spicier – For spicier hot honey add crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. You can also use spicy honey in order to up the heat.
- Sauce – You can swap the honey hot swing sauce for any sauce you’d like. Try buffalo sauce, Honey Garlic Aleppo Sauce, or BBQ sauce.
Looking for More Chicken Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you eat with honey hot wings?
Serve these saucy wings with rice, french fries, cornbread, mac and cheese, potato salad, or a simple side salad.
What is honey hot wing sauce made of?
Make your own honey hot sauce using honey, salted butter, hot sauce, and garlic powder.
Can I make hot wings in the air fryer?
Make air fryer honey hot wings by adding seasoned wings to a preheated air fryer set to 400°F. Cook for 12 minutes, then flip the wings and cook for an additional 12 minutes. Finally, toss the cooked wings in sauce and serve.
Loving this Honey Hot Wings Recipe?
There’s a reason this hot honey wings recipe is loved by all! Leave a comment below and share your love for this recipe on Instagram and Pinterest. We love to see you get down in the kitchen. Thank you for supporting Whisper of Yum and happy eating!
Easy Honey Hot Wings
Equipment
- ½-baking sheet,
- Wire Rack
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 pounds party wings
- 1½ tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder, aluminum free, DO NOT USE baking soda
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, Diamond Crystal
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Honey Hot Sauce
- ½ cup honey
- ⅓ cup Frank's hot sauce
- 3½ tablespoons salted butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. It is essential for chicken to be dry as this will aid in crispier skin.
- Place oven rack on upper middle position. Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place garlic powder, baking powder, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place wings in a bowl then top with seasoning mixture. Toss to coat well.
- Place wire rack inside of baking sheet. Place chicken on wire rack then transfer to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Once timer sets off, flip chicken then place back in the oven. Increase oven temp to 450°F and set a timer for 25 minutes. Check the chicken at the 10 minutes mark and continue to cook until crispy. If. you need to continue to bake in addition to the 25 minutes, bake in 5-minute increments.
- Meanwhile, heat saucepan over medium heat. Add butter, hot sauce, honey, and garlic powder. Bring mixture to a simmer and whisk to combine blend ingredients well. Cook for 2 minutes, then set aside until ready to use.
- Place cooked wings in a large mixing bowl then top with sauce. Toss wings until evenly coated with sauce. Serve as an appetizer or with rice.
