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Sticky Wings are the perfect appetizer for any occasion. These Baked Sesame Chicken Wings are a favorite for game day. A little bit spicy and sweet, and loved by all. You’ll never miss deep frying your wings after you taste how amazing baked wings are!
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“Delicious! Will add more red pepper flakes for more heat next time. Great recipe!” -Sandra
Sticky Wings
These sticky wings are baked in a flavorful Asian-inspired sesame soy sauce for the perfect mix of sweet and spicy.
Pat and I always have a debate every time we order baked wings. He always wants really spicy, and I always want something mild like garlic parmesan or honey bbq. I just don’t like my mouth to be on fire for the rest of the night. But I get his point. A little flavor on your wings is a good thing—too mild is just boring. You might as well order chicken strips off the kids menu.
I created this Sticky Wings recipe as the perfect compromise—something we can both devour. There’s plenty of spice, but not too much. Enough delicious sesame sauce to go around, and I’ve baked the wings instead of frying them.
Baked Sesame Sticky Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wingettes and drumettes either one or a combo of both
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoons ginger paste or 1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- garnish: 2 scallions or green onions thinly sliced at an angle
Instructions
- Place two 2-gallon sized resealable plastic bags together. (I use two just in-case one has a small hole.)
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper.2 pounds chicken wingettes and drumettes
- Pour ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, minced garlic, maple syrup, soy sauce, ginger paste and crushed red pepper into the inside plastic bag.½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 3 garlic cloves, ½ cup pure maple syrup, ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1½ tablespoons ginger paste or 1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, and zip the inside bag closed, squeezing out as much air as possible.
- Seal the outside bag around the inside bag and turn the chicken over a few times to ensure all pieces are covered with marinade.
- Refrigerate the chicken at least 1 hour or overnight.
- When ready to cook, heat the oven to 425°F and line a medium sized baking dish with parchment or spray the dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place chicken in the pan, being sure to keep a little space between the pieces. Pour the excess marinade over the chicken and cook for 20 minutes, then flip each piece over and brush with pan drippings (marinade).
- Sprinkle chicken with toasted sesame seeds and cook another 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and caramelized. The chicken should cook for a total of 30-35 minutes.2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and serve. Enjoy!garnish: 2 scallions or green onions
Becky’s Tips
- For extra crispy wings, place them under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
- If you can’t find toasted sesame seeds, heat a small skillet over medium heat, spread the seeds in an even layer, and cook until they are lightly browned. Shake or stir the seeds to prevent burning and to promote evenly toasted seeds, approximately 4-5 minutes. Watch closely.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Sticky Wings Step by Step
Prep the bags: Place two 2-gallon-sized resealable plastic bags together. I use two just in case one has a small hole.
Prep the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper.
Make the marinade: Pour ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, minced garlic, maple syrup, soy sauce, ginger paste, and crushed red pepper into the inside plastic bag.
Add the chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, and zip the inside bag closed, squeezing out as much air as possible. Seal the outside bag around the inside bag and turn the chicken over a few times to ensure all pieces are covered with marinade.
Refrigerate: Refrigerate the chicken for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven and prep the pan: When ready to cook, heat the oven to 425°F and line a medium-sized baking dish with parchment or spray the dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake the chicken: Place the chicken in the pan, being sure to keep a little space between the pieces. Pour the excess marinade over the chicken and cook for 20 minutes, then flip each piece over and brush with pan drippings (marinade).
Sprinkle with seeds: Sprinkle chicken with toasted sesame seeds and cook another 10-15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and caramelized on the meat. The chicken should cook for a total of 30-35 minutes.
Remove and cool: Remove the chicken from the oven and let cool slightly.
Garnish, serve, and enjoy: Garnish with sliced green onions and serve. Enjoy!
How to Store
Uneaten chicken wings can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven to crisp them back up. Freeze leftover wings for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re prepping food for game day, these sticky sesame wings go well with a load of other finger food options like easy tortilla pinwheels or cheesy baked mozzarella sticks. Make sure to have a bowl of some fiesta ranch dip close by for dipping!
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These turned out great! I marinated overnight and baked/broiled. Very easy to prepare and flavorful.Definitely worth the effort. Will make again.
The wings were great! How long to cook chicken legs with same sauce?
It depends on the size of the legs. Start with the same cook time, and check every 5 minutes until they reach 165°F internally!
Delicious! Will add more red pepper flakes for more heat next time.Great recipe!
Thanks for letting us know, Sandra!
Hi! I came here after listening to the Mom Hour’s podcast and gave them a test run this weekend and they were delicious! I am hoping to make them this Saturday for my family’s Christmas party but was thinking I probably need about 6lbs of wings. Would I need to triple the sauce ingredients? Particularly the maple syrup? 1.5cups just sounded like A LOT – any way to reduce it without compromising the taste and consistency? Thanks so much!
I think making too much possibly is better than too little!
Hi! The Mom Hour Podcast directed me here and it looks so delish! Would love to make for my holiday party next weekend, but would need to make about 6lbs of wings. Would I really use 1.5cups of syrup? Seems like a lot so wanted to see if there
Would be a way to reduce the amount? Thanks so much!
I think making too much possibly is better than too little!
Is there a substitute for ginger paste?
The best option would be grated ginger!
Hi Becky. What would you suggest to use instead of soy sauce? Could I use Worcestershire sauce?
It might alter the taste a bit, but give it a try!
Hi could u plz suggest an alternative for maple syrup. Thanks
You could use honey. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks;)
Becky < thank you .
these were amazing . i love you website:) im a very experienced cook and love to cook but also love good new recipes .thanks for all the hard work
YAY! Thank you so much! So glad you loved them. Thanks for the kind words.
I follow you on instagram. This recipe caught my attention. We are preparing for bad weather and i wanted to have some Finger food to snack oN throughout the day. This recipe was simple and easy. I didn’t have sesame seeds, but It was still good. Wings did not last one hour. PInning this so i can make again. Thank you!
This made my day to hear! Sorry you’re having bad weather but I’m so glad the wings were a hit! Thanks so much for saying hi, love to hear comments like this :)