Our easy honey barbecue chicken wings recipe would make a great addition to your next family gathering or tailgate party.
Whether you cook these in the oven or on the grill they are sure to be a hit with your family and friends. Combining the sweetness of honey with the tanginess of BBQ sauce creates a delectable appetizer or main dish.
I like to think of these sweet and tender honey bbq chicken wings as meat candy. The meat just pulls off the bone and the flavors dance across your taste buds….sigh.
For a spicy version, of these delicious honey bbq wings add siracha sauce, hot sauce, or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to the sauce ingredients.
Honey barbecue chicken wings is one of my favorite wing recipes, and after one bite of these sweet and tangy wings, I know its going to be one of your favorites too.
If you love chicken wings, make sure to check out our Chinese sticky chicken wings and honey sriracha chicken wings.
Ingredients to make Honey Barbecue Chicken Wings
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
*If you’re not a fan of bone-in wings, you can also use boneless chicken tenders to make this recipe.
How to make Honey Barbecue Chicken Wings
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Add the table salt, black pepper, onion powder, sweet paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and baking powder to a small bowl.
- Whisk to combine.
- Add the barbecue sauce and honey to a small bowl.
- Mix well to combine.
- Pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Using a sharp knife, split the wings into wingettes, drumettes, and wing tips (save the wing tips for soup).
- Season both sides of the wingettes and drumettes with the dry seasoning mixture.
- Place a wire rack on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place the seasoned chicken wing sections in a single layer on the rack.
- Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the wings from the oven and flip them over. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove the wings from the oven and coat both sides with the honey barbeque sauce.
- Place the pan on the top rack of the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
*Make sure the wings have reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
*If you don’t have a wire rack you can place the wings directly on a foil (or parchment) lined baking sheet.
Serve these delicious wings with bleu cheese dressing, ranch dressing, or your favorite dipping sauce. You might not even need napkins with my honey barbecue chicken wings, because they’re finger licking good!
Store any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can. For added heat, you can add a little cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce.
Add dijon mustard or stone-ground mustard for a more tangy flavor. Soy sauce can be added for an umami flavor.
Yes, you can. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. Don’t cook frozen wings.
Any honey that you enjoy the flavor of can be used. Mild-flavored honey like clover or wildflower are good options.
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Honey Barbecue Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings split into drummettes, wingettes, and flaps.
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar light or dark
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika or smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup bbq sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
- Remove the chicken wings from the refrigerator a half hour before cooking
- Add the table salt, black pepper, onion powder, sweet paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and baking powder to a small bowl and whisk to combine.,
- Add the barbecue sauce and honey to a small bowl and mix to combine.
- Pat the wings dry with a paper towel.
- Split the wings into wingettes, drumettes, and flaps using a sharp knife.
- Season both sides of the wingettes and drumettes with the dry seasoning mixture.
- Place a wire rack on a foil lined baking sheet and spray with not stick cooking spray.
- Place the seasoned wings on the rack.
- Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the wings from the oven and flip them over. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove the wings from the oven and coat both sides with the honey barbeque sauce. Place the pan on the top rack of the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. *Make sure the wings have reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
- Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite dipping sauce
Liz
These were delicious!! We liked them so much that we used the rub, minus the baking powder, & the sticky sauce on baby back ribs in our Traeger. Also delicious & easy! Great recipe, thanks for sharing
Liz
Super easy to make! The rub and sauce are delicious. We are going to use both on our baby back ribs next time we smoke a rack. Thanks for sharing this great recipe, it is delicious!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the wings! It’s one of my favorite recipes.
Lisa
I love these wings!