Honey BBQ Chicken Wings are juicy, tender, and perfect for a weeknight dinner or a crowd. All you need to do is season the wings, toss them in your favorite BBQ sauce, bake, and enjoy!
These wings are a big hit at parties and game days. Depending on the size of the party, we just double or triple the recipe. Not only are these wings delicious, they are surprisingly easy to make and don't require a grill.
If you love our BBQ Baked Chicken Thighs (Baked in Oven) or our classic Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings, you will love these BBQ chicken wings. Serve them with Healthy Greek Yogurt Coleslaw (with Napa and Red Cabbage), BBQ Pulled Chicken Burgers (Sandwiches and Sliders), Hawaiian Roll Turkey Pesto Sliders, and Furikake Teriyaki Chicken Wings for a full game day spread!
Jump to:
About Honey BBQ Chicken Wings
- Taste - These bbq chicken wings are lightly sweet and packed with barbecue flavor.
- Texture - The wings have the perfect sticky crispy outside and tender inside.
- Effort - All you need to do is season the wings, toss them in BBQ sauce, bake the wings, then enjoy!
- Time - It takes about 5 minutes to prep the wings then about 50 minutes to bake the wings.
Ingredients
- Chicken wings - You can use either flats or drumettes depending on your preference.
- Olive oil - Olive oil helps to make the wings crispy.
- Lemon juice - Fresh lemon juice adds a bright citrus flavor.
- Baking powder - Baking powder creates more surface area on the wings and helps them get crispy.
- Kosher salt - Kosher salt accentuates the other flavors.
- Freshly ground black pepper - Pepper adds a nice little spice.
- Garlic powder - Garlic powder adds a light garlicky flavor to the wings.
- Smoked paprika and chili powder - Paprika and chili powder add a smokey spice.
- BBQ Sauce - Use your favorite barbecue sauce to dress the chicken. Our favorite bbq sauces are Stubbs and Trader Joe's Kansas City style BBQ.
- Honey - Honey adds a sweetness to balance the other rich bbq and seasoning.
- Cilantro - Cilantro adds brightness.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions/Variations
- Spicy - Add more paprika or chili powder to make these wings spicy.
- Onion powder - Sprinkle some onion powder for a light oniony flavor.
- Garlic - Use minced garlic instead of garlic powder for extra garlic flavor.
- Hot honey - Drizzle some hot honey on the wings for a sweet and spicy kick.
- Whole wings - Use flats and drumettes or whole wings for this recipe. If you use whole wings, make sure you spread the wings so they cook evenly and get crispy.
- Chicken tenders - If you’re making this recipe for kids, use breaded chicken tenders and cook per the packaging instructions and toss in the sauce as instructed in the recipe.
Instructions
Baked BBQ Wings
- Preheat oven to bake - Place the rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
- Prepare chicken - Add olive oil, lemon juice, baking powder, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and honey to a large mixing bowl and stir until combined. Dry chicken wings with a paper towel and place in the mixing bowl. Toss the wings in the mixture until completely coated. (Photo 1 and 2)
- Add BBQ sauce - Then coat with a half cup of barbecue sauce so each piece is evenly coated. (Photo 3)
- Bake chicken - Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet or a greased cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Leave some space between each wing and avoid crowding so the chicken cooks evenly. Place in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes, turning the wings over halfway through. Cook until the internal temperature is 165°F (74°C). (Photo 4)
- Baste with sauce - Remove the chicken wings from the oven and turn on the broiler. Baste the wings with the remaining barbecue sauce until coated. Place in the oven and broil for an additional 3-5 minutes. There will be bits of charring on the edges. (Photo 5 and 6)
- Serve - Transfer to a clean serving platter, sprinkle the chopped cilantro on top, and serve immediately. (Photo 7 and 8)
Pro tip - To ensure the wings are fully cooked, you can use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C).
What Goes With BBQ Chicken Wings
These homemade baked bbq wings are an easy and flavorful main course or appetizer. We love to make them for a simple weeknight meal or for barbecues and parties with family and friends. We usually enjoy them with a delicious side like pan fried potatoes or rice and a tasty veggie like our roasted asparagus with parmesan or elotes corn. Try them with a delicious dipping sauce like our Greek yogurt ranch, Garlic Parmesan Sauce, or Honey Soy Garlic Sauce for extra flavor.
Recipe FAQs
We find that these wings have plenty of bbq flavor and the perfect sticky texture when they are tossed in the bbq sauce after baking.
First, pat them dry to get rid of excess moisture. Second, you can bake them for an extra few minutes to make them extra crispy.
No, keep the skin on for extra flavor and crispiness.
It depends on whether you are eating the wings as an appetizer or main course. For an appetizer, 2-3 wings per person should be enough. For a main course, we eat 6 wings each. Our recipe makes about 12 chicken wings.
This comes down to personal preference. Some like to fry or grill them, but we find it easiest to bake them and we don't find that it sacrifices texture.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover baked chicken wings for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. In order to reheat the wings, reheat them in the oven at 300°F until warm. You can also freeze the wings in a freezer safe bag for up to 2 months.
Cooking Tips
- Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and increase crispiness.
- Serve these wings with a delicious sauce on the side. Try them with more BBQ sauce, homemade ranch dressing, or the dip of your choice.
Related Recipes
Did You Like This Recipe?
Love this easy bbq chicken wings recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment below. You can also try our other easy chicken recipes and these BBQ sides.
Sign up for THP's newsletter and keep in touch on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, and YouTube. If you make this recipe, tag #theheirloompantry so we can see your baked barbecue wings!
📖 Recipe
Honey BBQ Chicken Wings
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs chicken wings (flats and drumettes)
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce divided
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1-2 teaspoon cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to bake - Place the rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
- Prepare chicken - Add olive oil, lemon juice, baking powder, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and honey to a large mixing bowl and stir until combined. Dry chicken wings with a paper towel and place in the mixing bowl. Toss the wings in the mixture until completely coated, then coat with a half cup of barbecue sauce so each piece is evenly coated.1½ tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ¾ cup barbecue sauce, 2 tablespoon honey, 1½ lbs chicken wings
- Bake chicken - Arrange the chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet or a greased cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Leave some space between each wing and avoid crowding so the chicken cooks evenly. Place in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes, turning the wings over halfway through. Cook until the internal temperature is 165°F (74°C).
- Baste with sauce - Remove the chicken wings from the oven and turn on the broiler. Baste the wings with the remaining barbecue sauce until coated. Place in the oven and broil for an additional 3-5 minutes. There will be bits of charring on the edges. Transfer to a clean serving platter, sprinkle the chopped cilantro on top, and serve immediately.1-2 teaspoon cilantro
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate leftover bbq chicken wings for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. Reheat the wings in the oven at 300°F until warm. You can also freeze the wings in a freezer safe bag for up to 2 months.
- To ensure the wings are fully cooked, use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C).
- Pat the wings dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture and increase crispiness.
- Serve these wings with a delicious dipping sauce like BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, or the sauce of your choice.
Leave a Reply