Baked Sticky Honey BBQ Wings (Printable)

Crispy baked wings coated in a sticky honey BBQ glaze, perfect for casual meals and snacking.

# What You'll 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)

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top.
02 - Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels. Toss them 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 - In a small saucepan, combine barbecue sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, melted butter, and hot sauce if using. Simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Remove wings from oven and transfer to a large bowl. Pour the warm honey BBQ sauce over wings and toss to coat evenly.
06 - Return sauced wings to the wire rack and bake for an additional 10 minutes until sauce is sticky and caramelized.
07 - Serve wings hot. Optionally garnish with chopped parsley or green onions.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce clings to every crispy inch, so you get that perfect balance of crunch and sticky-sweet coating.
  • Takes less than an hour from kitchen to table, which means you can actually enjoy time with your guests instead of sweating over the stove.
  • Works for everything from casual weeknight dinners to feeding a crowd without breaking a sweat.
02 -
  • Pat those wings dry before the first bake—moisture steams instead of crisps, and no one wants soggy wings.
  • The sauce goes on near the end, not at the beginning, because BBQ sauces burn if they sit in a hot oven too long; the final 10 minutes is the sweet spot where the coating gets sticky without charring.
03 -
  • If you have time before cooking, pat the wings dry and let them sit uncovered in the fridge for an hour—this helps the skin render out and crisp up even more.
  • Don't rush the final 10 minutes watching the sauce caramelize; that's where all the magic happens, and about halfway through you'll see the sauce turn glossy and slightly darkened, which is exactly what you want.
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