These Honey Garlic Chicken Wings are drizzled in a decadent, homemade sauce made with soy sauce, paprika, ginger, honey, and garlic for the perfect balance of flavor. You can bake or air-fry these crispy, breaded wings.
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Looking for easy dinner ideas? Chicken wings can be so easy to whip up for a weeknight meal. Though they are amazing as an appetizer for a Game Day spread, consider switching up your breadings and sauce for diverse meals!
What Type of Wings to Use
I love to use party wings that are already split as opposed to whole chicken wings. Party wings will cook at a more even and consistent temperature. Feel free to use whole chicken wings if you like.
What Does Honey Garlic Sauce Taste Like?
The sauce for these wings is made with honey, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and smoked paprika for added flavor. You can substitute regular paprika if you wish, but the smoked paprika definitely takes these to the next level.
How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Pat the chicken dry and place it on a large bowl or plastic bag.
- Add flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste to the chicken.
- Bake or air fry the wings.
- Heat a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, and smoked paprika.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is incorporated.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and drizzle the wings in the honey garlic sauce.
How to Substitute Flour
You can use 1-2 tablespoons of baking powder (enough to fully coat the chicken). You can also omit flour completely and make naked chicken wings.
How to Make Them Spicy
You can add Sriracha or cayenne pepper to the sauce mixture for additional heat and kick!
How to Make them Naked Without Breading
You make naked wings by simply omitting the flour. The cook time of the chicken will remain the same. Simply toss the wings in the sauce when finished.
How to Reheat the Wings
The best way to reheat wings is in the oven or in the air fryer. I wouldn’t microwave them. You can reheat them on 350 degrees until warm.
Can You Use Other Types of Chicken?
Absolutely! Chicken tenders, chicken breasts, or chicken thighs will work. Click the links to check out my other recipes for cook time.
Freezer Tips
I love to freeze these ahead of time to have on deck for quick and easy meals. Defrost the wings overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the air fryer or in the oven on 350 degrees until warm.
How to Thicken the Sauce
I found the sauce to be thick enough on it’s own. If you need to thicken yours, you can combine a tablespoon of cornstarch and water and add that to the sauce mixture to thicken.
Substitutions and More Ways to Season the Wings
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning and Rub
Homemade Ranch Seasoning
Homemade Blackened Seasoning
Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Cajun Seasoning
Pair With These Recipes
Southern Coleslaw Recipe
Air Fryer Hush Puppies
Southern Potato Salad
Easy Spaghetti Salad
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Slow Cooker Crockpot Chicken and Rice
Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
More Dry Rub Wings Recipes
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
How to Grill Chicken Wings
Cajun Chicken Wings
Crispy Ranch Chicken Wing
Air Fryer Turkey Wings
Air Fryer Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Naked Chicken Wings
Flavored Wings Recipes
Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
Hot Lemon Pepper Wings
Teriyaki Chicken Wings
Mango Habanero Chicken Wings
Sweet Chili Chicken Wings
Air Fryer Buffalo Wings
Garlic Parmesan Wings
Honey Hot Wings
Honey BBQ Wings
Keto Low Carb Chicken Wings (Maple BBQ)
Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings I use drummettes/split wings.
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Use enough to fully coat the wings.
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking oil spray I use olive oil.
Honey Garlic Sauce
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 4 garlic cloves Minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger Substitute 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
Oven and Baking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Pat the chicken dry and place it in a large bowl or plastic bag.
- Add the flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste to the chicken. Ensure the chicken is fully coated.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and add the wings. Spritz the chicken wings with cooking oil.
- Bake the wings for 20 minutes and then open and flip the wings. Spritz with cooking oil. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is crisp and cooked through.
- Heat a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the honey, garlic, smoked paprika, ginger, and soy sauce.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is incorporated and thickens. Taste the sauce repeatedly to ensure the taste suits your needs. Adjust the ingredients if necessary. If you like more garlic, additional garlic or garlic powder.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and drizzle the wings in the honey garlic sauce.
Air Fryer Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and place it on a large bowl or plastic bag.
- Add the flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste to the chicken. Ensure the chicken is fully coated.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Spritz the chicken with cooking oil.
- Air fry for 15 minutes on 400 degrees.
- Open the air fryer and flip the chicken. Spritz the chicken with cooking oil. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the chicken is crispy and cooked through.
- Heat a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the honey, garlic, smoked paprika, ginger, and soy sauce.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is incorporated and thickens. Taste the sauce repeatedly to ensure the taste suits your needs. Adjust the ingredients if necessary. If you like more garlic, additional garlic or garlic powder.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer and drizzle the wings in the honey garlic sauce.
Video
Notes
- You can substitute regular paprika if you wish, but the smoked paprika definitely takes these to the next level.
- When using fresh ginger ensure it’s finely minced or if you use large chunks (I often do) you can remove the large chunks after the flavor of the ginger has penetrated the sauce.
- As written, the recipe results in sticky wings. You can bake the flavor of the sauce into the wings by removing the wings from the oven 5 minutes before they have finished baking or air frying. Coat the wings in the sauce and return them to the oven or air fryer for 5 minutes.
- You can swap the all-purpose flour for baking powder. You can use 1-2 tablespoons of baking powder (enough to fully coat the chicken). You can also omit flour completely and make naked chicken wings.
- You can use actual wings (instead of drums and flats) if you wish, you may need to adjust the number of ingredients needed to fully coat your wings.
- Salt is key for adding additional flavor to the wings. I typically use 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon for this recipe. I generally allow readers to salt to taste and their preference, considering what their diet allows. Keep in mind, the spices alone will provide flavor, but it needs to be amplified with salt.
- Start with 1/4 cup of flour and add additional flour if necessary. The chicken should be fully coated.
- If you see white areas of flour on the wings, spritz the areas with oil.
- Foil can be substituted for parchment paper while baking. Your cook time may change, so keep an eye out on the wings while they bake. They will need to reach a minimum temperature of 165 degrees.
- Want to make them spicy? Add Srirarcha, cayenne pepper or Cajun Seasoning. So good! I typically add 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Michelle
Tuesday 24th of September 2024
I want to take these to my work, but I want to air fry them there so that they are fresh, can I pour the sauce on them and leave them overnight and then put them in the air fryer the next day?
staysnatched
Wednesday 25th of September 2024
Sure. Doing that won't produce saucy wings.
Jena
Sunday 30th of June 2024
I made these once, they were a hit! However, I bought frozen wings and thought I defrosted them but they needed more cooking time. Maybe add that to the recipe? Thank you so much for this!
staysnatched
Sunday 30th of June 2024
Glad you enjoyed them!
Nancy
Tuesday 16th of January 2024
Can they be reheated
staysnatched
Tuesday 23rd of January 2024
Yep, there is a section of this post titled: How to Reheat the Wings.
Caitlin
Wednesday 17th of May 2023
Absolutely delicious! Super easy to make and came out so crispy.
staysnatched
Wednesday 17th of May 2023
Gotta love crispy!
Danielle
Thursday 4th of May 2023
I was looking for a Honey Garlic Chicken recipe and of course I searched Stay Snatched first! I found this but didn’t have any wings so I used chicken thighs instead. I love how Stay Snatched recipes are so versatile! The flavor of the sauce was delicious! Perfect amount of sweet and garlic! It was a hit at dinner! Everyone loved it! Thanks for another great recipe!
staysnatched
Saturday 6th of May 2023
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!