Ultra Crispy Honey Hot Wings (Secret Baking Hacks)

Name: Ultra Crispy Honey Hot Wings
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 pound chicken wings; 1 teaspoon paprika (dried ground); 1 teaspoon garlic powder (dried ground); salt and pepper (to taste); 2 tablespoons oil (We used a light flavored olive oil); 2 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (or sriracha (adjust to your heat desired heat level)); 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos for gluten free); 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (or vinegar of choice ); 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (dried ground); salt and pepper (to taste); 2.5 tablespoons honey (or to taste); dried red pepper flakes (optional - garnish)

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Grab those extra napkins! Oven baked honey hot wings are saucy, spicy, sweet, savory and ultra crispy. Learn our secret hacks for getting extra crispy chicken skin without frying, breading, or adding baking powder – its life changing! Try this easy chicken recipe as an appetizer for your next gathering. Double up the recipe and serve as a main with a side of sweet potato fries or a salad.

Baked honey hot wings in a plate lined with parchment paper and extra sauce on the side.

Secret Hacks for Ultra Crispy Chicken Wings

Say goodbye to blubbery and rubbery fatty chicken wings forever!

Have you have tried our super easy baked wing dings or baked General Tso’s chicken wings? If so, you already know the basic concepts. We originally first posted this recipe in August of 2011. We wanted to share with you the new and improved recipe and hacks.

✨The key to making extra crispy chicken wings is rendering the fat!

Healthy World Cuisine’s crispy wing recipe hacks:

Ensure the chicken wings are completely dry. This means taking each individual wing in a paper towel and patting it dry thoroughly.
Bring the chicken to room temperature for 30 minutes prior to baking to ensure even cooking.
High oven temperature of 450 degrees F (232 degrees C).
Season the chicken wings right before baking as salt can draw out moisture.
Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet!
Bake on the middle rack of the oven.
Bake wings with the skin side up first.

Ingredients to make baked chicken wings with an Asian sticky hot honey sauce.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Chicken wings – Halved at joints and reserve the wing tip for chicken soup broth. You will use the middle part called the “wingette” and the meaty “drumette” sections for this recipe.

Garlic powder – used to season the wings and in the hot honey sauce.

Paprika – pop of heat.

Olive oil – and the high temperature of the oven helps the chicken wings get crispy and golden brown.

Grabbing a sticky and crispy hot honey wing off a plate lined with parchment paper.

Hot Honey Sauce Ingredients

Asian fusion finger foods starts with a well balanced sauce to excite your taste buds.

Honey – sweet and sticky and keeps the sauce thick. You can exchange the sweet sauce with maple syrup, but the sauce is thinner.

Chili Garlic Sauce or Sriracha – gives these wings a kick of heat. You can adjust to your preferred level of hotness. You can also experiment with other hot sauces of choice. For example, try Franks or tabasco sauce but note that each have a different flavor and heat level.

Soy sauce – add the savory flavor.

Rice wine vinegar – adds the sour flavor. It balances out the sweet, spicy, savory flavors which are essential to all Asian recipes.

Dried Red Pepper Chili Flakes – for garnish if you want to raise the heat index.

Step by Step: How to Make Honey Hot Chicken Wings?

Drying the chicken wings well and massaging in the seasonings.

Step 1 and 2: Dry the chicken wings well. Holding each wing in a paper towel to really get all the juices off. Next, place the wings in a large bowl. Add paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper and oil. Give them a good toss to make sure each wing is coated.

Sheet pan prepped and ready to go with chicken before and after baking.

Step 3 and 4: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees f (232 degrees C). Bake the chicken wings skin side up for 25 minutes. Turn the chicken wings over. Continue baking for another 8 - 15 minutes or until the chicken is golden and crispy. Properly cooked chicken wings will have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (73 degrees C).

Preparing the hot honey sauce for wings in a small saucepan.

Step 5 and 6: Whilst the chicken wings are baking, make the honey hot wing sauce. In a small saucepan over low heat, add butter and allow it to melt. This is the start of a delicious golden-brown butter. Then add the sriracha or garlic chili sauce. Followed by garlic powder, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey and salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken wings getting tossed with sauce and garnished with dried red pepper chili flakes.

Step 7 and 8: Toss the chicken wings in the hot honey sauce. If you want to kick up the heat a few notches, add a few dried red pepper flakes and enjoy.

What Sides to Serve with Chicken Wings?

Determining which sides depends on how you plan to serve your honey hot wings.

If serving as a main dish, a side of veggie fried rice or vegetable lo main are filling.

Serving as an appetizer? It can be as simple as sliced celery and carrot sticks with ranch dip. Consider adding in a dish of air fryer Chinese eggplant or firecracker shrimp. This will keep the whole crew happy and full.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

How to store baked wings?

Leftover honey hot chicken wings can be stored in a covered container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Alternatively, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.

How to reheat glazed chicken wings?

There are a few different ways to reheat chicken wings. You might opt to make a little extra honey hot sauce to slather on them after reheating.

1) Oven Method – Bake at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) for 10 to 20 minutes. Wings are ready when the internal temperature rises to 165 degrees F (73 degrees C) and they are toasty. Be sure to flip the wings halfway during the cooking process.
2) Air Fryer Method – Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Grease the air fryer basket and reheat wings for 5 to 7 minutes until warm and crispy.
3) Stove Top Method – Add a little oil to a skillet. Heat wings over medium heat until warm and toasty.
4) Microwave Method – Place wings on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes. This is our least favorite way as the wings will lose the crispy factor.

Can you air fry chicken wings?

Yes, you can air fry chicken wings. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Air fry the chicken wings with the skin side up on a greased air fryer basket for 10 minutes. Do not crowd the air fryer basket. Flip over and continue air frying for another 8 to 10 minutes. The wings are cooked when crispy and the internal temperature is 165 degrees F (73 degrees C). Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the wings in batches.

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