Chicken wings are a game day classic, and let me assure you, these hot honey wings always impress! Sweet and spicy, Hot Honey Chicken Wings are finger lickin’ good! These sticky chicken wings are marinated, baked in the oven, and top with a delicious hot honey glaze. If you’ve never used hot honey before, give this recipe a try! You’ll fall in love with each sweet yet spicy bite.
These oven baked hot honey wings are the ultimate game day food. Perfectly paired with a cold beer, this is one delicious bite to enjoy during the game!
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party this year, serve these wings as an appetizer. Your guests will thank you! Featuring an irresistible glaze, each wing is sweet, spicy, and baked to caramelized perfection. Be sure to try my Crockpot Buffalo Wings and Crockpot Honey BBQ Wings.
Hot honey adds the most delicious and addictive sweet yet spicy flavor and makes them perfectly sticky!
Ingredients for Hot Honey Chicken Wings
- Chicken Wings: Using chicken wings works out well because they are already bite size, marinates well, and juicier than any other cut. Drumsticks, thigh cut may work but then cooking time may differ. If frozen wings are handy, make sure you thaw them fully before marinating them. Let them defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
- Hot Honey: Use any kind of hot honey for these wings. Check out this hot honey recipe to make your own!
Can I cook these in an air fryer
Sure! Marinate the wings and cook them in the air fryer at 400°F for 16 minutes, flipping the wings after 8 minutes. Remove them from the air fryer, brush the glaze on top of the wings, and return them to the air fryer to cook for another 3-5 minutes. Ensure that you spray the air fryer basket with non stick cooking oil or use aluminium foil.
For that smokiness, grill the wings on medium-high heat, flipping occasionally for about 20 minutes until cooked through before brushing on the glaze.
Tips For Success
- If using frozen wings, defrost them completely before using in the recipe. Pat them dry to remove excess moisture.
- Marinate these wings for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours (overnight) – any longer and they can become slimy.
- Pat them dry before marinating them. Repeating myself here, patting them dry ensures that marination works better.
- Use a meat thermometer to know when it is done cooking. Once the internal temperature reaches 165 F, know that wings are cooked.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerate: Any leftover hot honey wings will last 3-5 days in refrigerator. Warm them in microwave until desired and enjoy them all over again.
Freeze: All chicken recipes are best to enjoy fresh but if you are planning ahead of time or want to store for longer, feel free to freeze them. Once wings are marinated, place the baking sheet in refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Afterwards transfer them in freezer-friendly bags and store.
You can also store them after baking. Once hot honey chicken wings are at room temperature place them in refrigerator for an hour and then store them in freezer-friendly bags. They are good to store for up to 3 months.
Doing so, make sure that all pieces stay separate and don’t stick to each other.
Reheat: Reheat in the oven at 400°F for 10-15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
These hot honey wings are great served with other game day classics like Baked Sweet Potato Fries, Crockpot Little Smokies, Shoestring Fries, Best Guacamol and Sour Cream & Onion Dip.
5-Star Review
“I made this last night and it was the moistest chicken we’ve ever had. A bit of crispy and the flavor was wonderful. I didn’t have buttermilk and did add lemon juice to 1% milk. I am making it again today. Thank you for this recipe.” – Dawn
Hot Honey Chicken Wings Recipe
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 1 cup hot honey
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Chicken Wings
- 2 pounds chicken wings patted dry
- Juice from 1 lime
For the Glaze
- ½ of the marinade
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Juice of ½ lime
- Chopped fresh cilantro and sliced scallions for garnish
Instructions
For the Marinade
- In a medium bowl, combine the hot honey, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper together.1 cup hot honey, ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pour half of the marinade into an airtight container and place in the refrigerator and the remaining half in a large resealable plastic bag.
- Add the chicken wings to the marinade in the bag. Squeeze the air out of the bag and make sure the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to overnight).2 pounds chicken wings
For the Chicken Wings
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with nonstick spray.
- Remove the marinated chicken wings from the refrigerator. Arrange the wings in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Bake the wings for 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
- While the wings bake, prepare the glaze (see below).
- Remove the wings from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Liberally brush both sides of each wing with glaze.
- Bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, until the glaze has caramelized. Watch closely so the wings don’t burn.
- Transfer the wings to a serving tray and let cool for 5 minutes. Drizzle the wings with fresh lime juice, garnish with sliced scallions and chopped cilantro, and enjoy.Juice from 1 lime, Chopped fresh cilantro and sliced scallions
For the Glaze
- While the wings bake, remove the remaining marinade from the refrigerator. Add ¼ cup honey to the remaining half of the marinade and stir until incorporated.½ of the marinade, ¼ cup honey
- Pour the glaze mixture into a small saucepan set over medium-low heat and cook, stirring often, until the sauce thickens by ⅓.
- With the glaze on low heat, stir in the crushed red pepper flakes and butter. If the glaze begins to get too thick, remove it from the heat.1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Immediately prior to using, add the lime juice and stir well.Juice of ½ lime
Becky’s Tips
- Pat them dry before marinating them. Patting them dry ensures that marination works better.
- Marinate these wings for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours (overnight) – any longer and they can become slimy.
- Use a meat thermometer to know when it is done cooking. Once the internal temperature reaches 165 F know that wings are cooked.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Hot Honey Chicken Wings Step by Step
Make the marinade: In a medium glass bowl combine 1 cup of hot honey, ⅓ cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Mix them well.
Pour half of the marinade into an airtight container and place in the refrigerator and the remaining half in a large resealable plastic bag.
Marinate the wings: Take 2 pounds of chicken wings and pat them dry. Now transfer them in a zip lock bag and add the half portion of hot honey marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag and make sure the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to overnight) for marination.
This is what it makes flavorful and finger licking chicken wings.
Bake the wings: Once the marination is done. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
It’s time to remove marinated chicken wings from the refrigerator. Carefully arrange the wings in a single layer on the baking sheet. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes while the oven preheats.
Bake them for 40 minutes and rotate the pan halfway through. Just so they bake evenly.
Make the hot honey glaze: While the wings are in the oven, I would finish cooking up my hot honey glaze. Remove the other half portion of marinade from the refrigerator. Add ¼ cup of honey to it and stir until incorporated.
Transfer the glaze mixture into a small sauce pan over a medium-low heat. Cook until sauce thicken by 1/3. Keep stirring the sauce to avoid the burn.
While the glaze on low heat add 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Mix it well and cook for few more minutes. If the glaze begins to get too thick, remove it from the heat. Just before using it, add juice of 1/2 lime and stir.
Brush the glaze onto the wings: Once 40 minutes of baking time over, remove the wings from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Liberally brush each wing with glaze from both sides.
Bake for another 8-10 minutes until the glaze has caramelized. Watch closely, wings should not burn.
Cool and serve: Let the wings cool, transfer the wings to a serving tray. Drizzle the wings with juice of fresh 1lime, garnish with sliced scallions and chopped cilantro, and enjoy.
Enjoy this finger licking hot honey chicken wings, it is soooooo gooooooood!!
