Hot Honey Chicken Wings
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read My Disclosure
No need to head out to the wing joint when restaurant-quality wings are easily made at home! These Hot Honey Chicken Wings hit all the right notes: crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and finished with a glossy glaze that’s sweet, spicy, and downright delicious!
“Yep, it’s a keeper! … Perfectly delicious!! Thanks for a great recipe!”
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
Hot honey isn’t just a trend—it’s a flavor combination that has earned its hype. If you love wings with attitude, these Hot Honey Chicken Wings are for you. They’re crispy, sticky, sweet, and spicy in a perfectly balanced way that will have you licking your fingers! Whether you’re feeding a game-day crowd or just craving something bold for dinner, this easy hot honey glaze turns chicken wings into something special!
This Hot Honey Chicken Wings recipe is:
- Big flavor with minimal effort! A short ingredient list creates bold, restaurant-quality flavor without complicated steps.
- A real crowd-pleaser! It’s not a game day get-together without the wings. These wings will disappear fast!
- Easy to customize! Make them as spicy or as mild as you want.
- Make ahead! These Hot Honey Chicken Wings reheat beautifully, so they’re perfect for entertaining!
Simple to make, easy to customize, and guaranteed to disappear fast, these Hot Honey Chicken Wings check every box!
How to Make Hot Honey Chicken Wings:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this hot honey chicken wings recipe. The exact quantities are on the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Add additional heat and serve as a garnish.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter in cooking because I can control the amount of salt. If using salted butter, just be aware of the other sources of salt/sodium in this wings recipe if you’re salt-sensitive.
- Cider Vinegar: You won’t notice a pronounced vinegar taste; cider vinegar adds just enough acidity to keep the glaze bright and balanced.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is preferable to fresh garlic because fresh garlic can scorch and turn bitter. Also, garlic powder disperses evenly in a dry rub, so every wing gets consistent garlic flavor.
- Hot Sauce: Frank’s RedHot is the traditional Buffalo wing hot sauce, so you can’t go wrong with it.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder helps moisture evaporate faster, giving you drier skin and better crunch. It raises the pH of the chicken skin, so the fat renders more efficiently and the skin crisps. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE BAKING SODA!
- Honey: Use regular honey or hot honey.
- Smoked Paprika: Adds a light smoky touch.
- Chicken Wings: Use wings, wingettes (flats), or drumettes.
- Whole wings are the entire wing. Remove the tip, as there’s very little meat there.
- Wingettes are the middle section of the wing, with two thin bones and meat in between.
- Drumettes are the meatiest section and are shaped like a small drumstick.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place an oven-safe rack (cooling rack) over the foil and spray it with cooking spray.
- Combine the baking powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper (if using) together in a small bowl.
- Mix well.
- Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels, then place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle the mixture over the wings and toss to coat evenly.
- Arrange the chicken wings/drumettes on the rack, spacing them evenly so they don’t touch.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until evenly browned and they all reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Meanwhile (when the wings have about 15 minutes left), combine the honey, hot sauce, butter, cider vinegar, paprika, and garlic powder in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Let it stand 5 minutes to thicken more. Taste and adjust the sweet-hot-vinegar ratio as desired.
- Transfer the wings to a large, clean bowl …
- … and gently toss with the sauce. Transfer to a platter and serve. OPTIONAL: After coating with the sauce, place the wings under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Be sure you’re using baking powder. Baking powder in the rub helps the skin crisp and brown beautifully without frying. Baking soda is too strong and can leave an off taste.
- Dry the wings well. Pat the wings dry thoroughly before seasoning. If you have time, let them sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to further dry the skin.
- Control the spice by changing the amount of hot sauce, cayenne or crushed chili flakes. Start mild — you can always add more heat, but you can’t take it away.
- Cooking wings on a rack allows air to circulate underneath, helping them crisp evenly without flipping constantly.
Recipe FAQs:
No. Please don’t! Baking powder helps crisp the skin, which is why it’s needed. Baking soda doesn’t work in the same way, and it will ruin the taste of the wings.
Yes! These can be made 1 day in advance. Bake the wings as directed and make the glaze. Cool and refrigerate separately.
Reheat the wings at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until heated through to 165 degrees. Reheat the sauce. Toss the wings with the sauce and serve.
Yes, and they work well! Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes. Flip the wings and increase the heat to 400 degrees. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes or until the skin is crispy and the wings are fully cooked through to 165 degrees. Air fryers can vary in performance, just like microwaves. If working in batches, keep warm in a 175-degree oven unless making ahead of time.
Serve as part of a game day spread with:
Get all my appetizer and snack recipes at Appetizer and Snack Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
Hot Honey Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Wings
- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
- 2 pounds chicken wings, drumettes, or wingettes
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Sauce
- 1/2 cup honey, or hot honey
- 1/3 cup hot sauce, preferably Frank's Red Hot
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Crushed red pepper flakes, optional for more heat and for garnish
Instructions
Wings
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place an oven-safe rack (cooling rack) over the foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Combine the baking powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper (if using) together in a small bowl.
- Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels, then place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle the mixture over the wings and toss to coat evenly.
- Arrange the chicken wings/drumettes on the rack, spacing them evenly so they don't touch.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until evenly browned and they all reach and internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Sauce
- Meanwhile (when the wings have about 15 minutes left), combine the honey, hot sauce, butter, cider vinegar, paprika, and garlic powder in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Let it stand 5 minutes to thicken more. Taste and adjust the sweet-hot-vinegar ratio as desired.
- Transfer the wings to a large, clean bowl and gently toss with the sauce.
- Transfer to a platter and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley and red pepper flakes if desired.
- OPTIONAL: After coating with the sauce, place the wings under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.
Notes
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees.
- Cook for 15-18 minutes.
- Flip the wings and increase the heat to 400 degrees.
- Cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the skin is crispy and fully cooked through to 165 degrees
- Cook the wings in batches if necessary.
- Keep in mind, air fryers can vary in performance, just like microwaves.
- Keep warm in a 175-degree oven unless making ahead of time.
- Use baking powder, not baking soda. Baking powder helps the skin crisp and brown beautifully without frying; baking soda is too strong and can leave an off taste.
- Dry the wings thoroughly. Pat them dry before seasoning, and for extra-crispy skin, let them sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.
- Adjust the heat to taste. Control the spice with the amount of hot sauce, cayenne, or chili flakes—start mild and add more as needed.
- Cook on a rack. Elevating the wings allows air to circulate underneath, helping them crisp evenly with minimal flipping.
- Bake the wings as directed. Make the glaze. Cool and refrigerate separately.
- Reheat the wings at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until heated through to 165 degrees. Reheat the sauce.
- Toss the wings with the sauce and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Yep, it’s a keeper! I mixed two to one regular honey to hot honey. I finished them off on outside grill, brushing extra sauce. perfectly delicious!! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi, Beverly, Thanks so much and happy you love this recipe! Love that you finished them on the grill–great idea! Appreciate you giving this recipe a try out of so many others and for taking the time to come back and comment and rate.