Honey Garlic Chicken Wings Recipe

Name: Honey Garlic Sauce for Wings
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds wings (wings and drumettes); 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ cup honey; ⅓ cup water; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (or ginger paste); 1 teaspoon cornstarch; ¼ teaspoon red pepper chili flakes

Whether you’re making them in the oven or in the air fryer, these honey garlic chicken wings are easy to make and absolutely delicious. These sticky sweet wings are a combination of honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger for the perfect game day meal.

honey garlic chicken wings stacked on a white plate with a bowl of extra sauce and garlic cloves

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Perfect, easy, sweet and sticky Honey Garlic Wings

This honey garlic chicken wings recipe will be your new family favorite. It takes crispy wings and combines them with a sticky honey garlic sauce.

These sweet sticky wings are perfect for game day and Super Bowl parties or even a chicken wing charcuterie board.

They’re sweet with just a little hint of spice from the red pepper flakes. It’s a perfect balance of flavor that both kids and adults love.

If you enjoy honey garlic flavors, you might also like Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken, Honey Sriracha Sauce, and Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken.

honey garlic chicken wings on a white plate

The best Honey Garlic Sauce for Wings

There’s so much to love about this crispy chicken wing recipe.

There’s no need for a deep fryer. Not only is this recipe baked and not fried, but it’s easy to make and it’s ready in less than 45 minutes.
You can bake them in the oven and still get a nice crispy exterior.
The sauce ingredients are easy to find and not complicated.
The homemade honey garlic sauce combined with the crispy wings gives you better wings than your favorite restaurant.
They make a perfect appetizer or main dish.

ingredients to make honey garlic chicken wings

Honey Garlic Wings ingredients

A printable full recipe card with detailed measurements and instructions for Honey Garlic Chicken Wings is located at the bottom of this post.

wings – you’ll want to get both drumettes and wings (also known as flats). Some stores carry them together in a package (like Sam’s Club and Costco), while smaller stores might sell them separately.
salt and pepper – go with coarse kosher or sea salt here. Don’t use table salt as it measures differently and you’ll end up with overly salted wings.
garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika – make sure your spices aren’t expired for the best flavor.

Ingredients for Honey Garlic Wing Sauce

honey – your favorite honey works great here.
soy sauce – you can also use liquid aminos here.
minced garlic – you can use fresh garlic or the jarred kind for a quick shortcut.
fresh ginger – freshly grated ginger or ginger paste both work well. I like to use ginger paste because it’s easier and doesn’t go bad as quickly.
corn starch – you’ll only need a little to thicken the sauce.
red pepper chili flakes – for just a hint of spice!

How to make Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

You’ll want to start by making the wings.

First, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place the wings in a large mixing bowl with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Toss them to coat so that all of the wings are coated with the seasoning.

Once the wings are fully coated in seasoning, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper leaving a little space between the wings. Be sure they are in a single layer. Avoid overcrowding the baking sheet to ensure they cook evenly.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F. You can check this with an instant-read thermometer.

wings in a mixing bowl topped with seasonings

seasoned wings on a parchment lined baking sheet

How to make Honey Garlic Sauce for Wings

This homemade sauce is simple and easy.

While the wings are cooking, you want to go ahead and start making the sauce.

Start by adding honey, water, soy sauce, minced garlic, fresh ginger, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes to a small saucepan.

Heat the saucepan over medium high heat until simmering. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes while whisking occasionally. Just until the sauce begins to thicken slightly.

Remove the sauce from the heat. Remove the wings from the prepared baking sheet, and put them in a clean large bowl. Pour the sauce over them and toss to coat.

Once the wings are fully coated, serve, and enjoy!

honey garlic sauce simmering in a saucepan

Honey Garlic Chicken Wings Recipe tips and tricks

I often find that fresh ginger goes bad before I use the entire thing. For convenience and less waste, I like to use ginger paste instead. You can often find it with the jarred garlic at the grocery store or in the produce section.
These wings are great topped with some sesame seeds as well!
One of the tricks to crispy baked chicken wings is to not overcrowd the baking sheet and cooking at a higher temperature.
I find that I have much better results not using an oil on the wings, but if you’d like to use an oil, you can rub them with olive oil or any other neutral oil before seasoning them.

stacked honey garlic chicken wings on a white plate

How to make this Honey Garlic Wings Recipe in the air fryer

You can make these wings in the air fryer as well! It’s simple and has a quicker cook time.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.

Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick spray and then place the seasoned wings inside. Cook at 360°F for 12 minutes. Flip the wings and cook at 380°F for an additional 5 minutes.

You’ll have delicious wings with nice crispy skin. Place the cooked wings in a clean mixing bowl and pour the wing sauce over them and toss to coat.

What to serve with this Honey Garlic Chicken Wings Recipe

Honey Garlic Chicken Wings are great as an appetizer or the main meal. Here are some sides that would go great with these wings:

How to store Honey Garlic Wings

Any leftover chicken wings should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze leftover chicken wings. Place them on a baking sheet in the freezer. Once they’re frozen, remove them from the baking sheet and add them to an airtight container. They will stay fresh while frozen up to 3 months.

How to reheat leftover Honey Garlic Wings

I find that the best method for reheating chicken wings is by using the oven or air fryer.

To reheat chicken wings in the oven, place them on a baking sheet and cover them with foil. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes and then remove the foil and broil for about 1 minute to help them crisp up.

For the best results in the air fryer, pop them in at 360°F for 5 minutes, shake the basket, and put them back in for about 2 minutes.

Honey Garlic Wing Sauce FAQs

Is it better to sauce wings before or after baking?

It is best to sauce wings after baking. You can also sauce them lightly before baking. But for the best crispy chicken wings, you’ll want to bake them before saucing them and toss them in sauce once they are cooked.

What flavor is honey garlic?

Honey garlic flavor is a combination of honey, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes. It is an Asian-inspired flavor that’s sweet and salty with just a hint of spice.

What is honey garlic chicken made of?

Honey garlic chicken is a combination of chicken and a honey garlic sauce. The honey garlic sauce is made of honey, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.

What is the best method to cook chicken wings?

The best methods for cooking chicken wings are the air fryer and the oven. This will give you the best crispy results without deep frying.