These oven baked honey garlic chicken wings are perfectly tender and crispy, coated in a sweet, sticky and addictingly good honey garlic sauce. These wings are a super simple appetiser to make for a party or Friday night footy and are sure to have people coming back for more!
Chicken wings are one of those foods that is great to bring out when you need to bring a dish or are just looking for something that is going to be universally enjoyed. And these honey garlic chicken wings are the perfect flavour combination, especially for those who prefer milder foods aka will pass on the traditional hot wing.
Let me say that there is nothing better than a good sauce. This recipe is not about to let you down on this part. These simple baked crispy chicken wings are coated in the most delicious, sticky sauce made from the classic flavours of honey, garlic, soy and ginger. It’s quick, it’s simple, and it’s so good you’re definitely going to want to save any extra for dunking.
I love these wings because they are so satisfying and are perfect for any party or gathering as an appetiser or a great, low cost dinner option served with your favourite sides.
If you’re looking for a vegetarian alternative to serve alongside these wings, make sure to try my air fryer buffalo cauliflower wings as well!
Making chicken wings in the oven
I’ve made a lot of chicken wings in the oven over the years, but when developing this recipe I knew that I wanted them to be not just good, but some of the best wings you’ve ever had. To do so, I spent some time researching and reading A LOT of articles from different sources around the internet and the common themes of what makes the best oven baked chicken wings is summarised below.
And just to be clear, when these tips are applied to this recipe, I can confirm that these wings are some of the best I’ve ever had.
Tips for making crispy chicken wings in the oven:
- Let the wings dry out in the fridge for at least an hour, up to overnight
- Cook the wings on a metal cooling rack on top of the baking tray to allow the air to circulate
- Brush the wings with melted butter right before baking
- Open the oven door around halfway through cooking to allow any excess steam to escape
Key Ingredients
You don’t need anything too special to make these tasty honey garlic chicken wings, much of the ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken wings – you’ll of course need chicken wings. You can leave them whole or cut them at the joints, discarding the wing tips and using just the wingettes and drumettes as they are more enjoyable to eat and tend to crisp up much better.
- Melted butter – I am of course using dairy free butter but you can use regular butter if you don’t need these chicken wings to be dairy free. You can also substitute with olive oil but use the butter if you have it!
- Honey – for the key sweetness and flavour of the wing sauce.
- Soy sauce – adds that salty flavour that balances the sweet and gives that classic flavour combination. You can use tamari to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Rice wine vinegar – adding a little tang to the sauce to cut the harsh sweetness. You can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar instead.
- Garlic – the base of the flavour for these chicken wings. You’ll need to use freshly crushed garlic for the best flavour rather than jarred which doesn’t have as strong flavour.
- Ginger – I love the addition of the warm, spiciness that ginger adds to this dish. Again fresh is best here as we’re using so few ingredients to get a strong, bold flavour.
- Sesame seeds – optional but adds extra crunch and texture.
- Chives – I topped my chicken wings with a scatter of chopped fresh chives which add a little freshness that cuts through the strong flavours of the wing sauce. You could also use spring onion (green onion) instead.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make these chicken wings and ensure they are super crispy, I recommend using a baking tray that has a wire rack. This will allow the air to circulate around the wings while they bake and get the maximum crispness (similar to how an air fryer achieves their crispy results). If you don’t have one, you can do as I do and place a wire cooling rack on top of your baking tray.
The next part does require a little planning ahead as once the chicken wings are cut, they will need time in the fridge to dry out. You can skip this step but this may give you rubbery skin which isn’t the most pleasant to eat.
In Australia, when you buy chicken wings they will be whole, I’ve never seen them sold pre-cut into the bite-sized wingettes and drumettes that are so much more enjoyable to eat and tend to cook better. Luckily, it’s really easy to do this!
Use a sharp knife, cut the chicken wing at each joint. The knife should slide right through without much resistance. Once done, you can discard the wing tip as this is mostly cartilage and does not contain much meat.
Season the chicken pieces and place in the fridge to dry out for at least an hour or overnight if you’re really planning ahead.
Once you’re ready to bake, brush the tops of the chicken wings with melted butter which is going to help them get super crispy and pop the tray into a hot oven to bake for 40-45 minutes.
At about the halfway point, open the oven to allow the steam to escape. Because I am baking the wings on the wire rack, I don’t find they need to be turned but releasing the steam is what would usually happen if we were to turn them, baking simply straight on the tray instead of the wire rack.
When the wings are nearly done, make the sticky honey garlic sauce. Place all of the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan except for the sesame seeds and bring it to a boil. Let the sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. It’s not going to get super thick, but it will continue to thicken as it cools.
Once the chicken wings are crispy and golden and the internal temperature is 74°C/165°F, remove them from the oven. Place the wings in a large mixing bowl and pour over the prepared sauce. Toss in the sesame seeds and mix until all of the wings are coated.
The wings are best served immediately with any excess sauce from the bowl on the side for dipping or poured over the top. You can garnish your platter with chopped chives and extra sesame seeds.
Recipe FAQs
You can keep the chicken wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and leftovers can be enjoyed either cold or reheated.
Yes you can! Place the chicken wings on a baking tray and heat in the oven at 180°C for about 10 minutes.
You can also reheat them in the air fryer for approximately 5 minutes in a single layer.
When cooking these wings, we’re making sure we reach the stage where the outside is crispy and golden, meaning the likelihood of the chicken being cooked by this time is high.
You can however confirm by using a thermometer and ensuring the internal temperature of the chicken is 74°C or 165°F.
More easy appetisers:
Easy Baked Beef Meatballs
Smoked Salmon Crostini
Plant-based Lamb and Roasted Eggplant Tart
Coconut Prawns
Thai Chicken Meatballs
Honey Garlic Chicken Wings (Oven Baked)
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken wings
- Salt and pepper to season
- 2 tablespoons melted butter dairy free or regular
For the honey garlic sauce:
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken wings by cutting them at the joint and discarding the wing tips. Line a large baking tray with baking paper or aluminium foil and place a wire rack on top. Place the chicken wings on the rack, season with salt and pepper and place into the fridge uncovered for a minimum of one hour or overnight to allow the wings to dry out.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C and remove the wings from the fridge. Brush the tops of the wings with melted butter and place in the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes. At about the halfway point, open the oven to allow the steam to escape.
- When the wings are nearly done, prepare the sauce. Place all of the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan except for the sesame seeds and bring to a boil. Let the sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Once the chicken wings are crispy and golden and the internal temperature is 74°C/165°F, remove them from the oven. Place the wings in a large mixing bowl and pour over the prepared sauce. Toss in the sesame seeds and mix until all of the wings are coated.
- Serve the wings immediately with any excess sauce from the bowl on the side for dipping or poured over the top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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