If your idea of the perfect game day snack includes spicy chicken wings, I want to assure you that you are in the right place. My hot honey wings are oven-baked and have the crispiest skin. They are then glazed with a sweet and spicy honey buffalo sauce. Your team might not win, but your taste buds will.
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You do not need to buy a special hot honey for this recipe. Regular honey works fine because we add cayenne pepper to the coating, red pepper flakes for extra heat at the end, and of course, a classic Buffalo-style sauce.
The crispy skin is all about technique. No special equipment or frying required. But you can grill them if you like.
Serve with buttermilk ranch for dipping, and you are ready to go. These wings pair perfectly with ground beef nachos and my famous cold onion dip for a game day spread.
📖Why My Recipe Works
- This recipe uses three levels of heat, so it builds rather than landing with a rush. This balances out the honey so it tastes interesting rather than sweet.
- I suggest you brine the chicken for at least an hour and then dry the wings overnight.
- Baking them on a rack allows moisture to escape instead of steaming the skin.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Chicken- Use drumettes or wings, both cook the same
- Baking Powder- If you are grilling the wings, skip the baking powder. Otherwise, a small amount of aluminum-free baking powder will help crisp the skin. There is no substitute, so if you don't have any on hand you can skip it.
- Honey- You can use regular or garlic infused honey. If you use a hot honey (i.e. a store-bought honey infused with cayenne pepper) I suggest skipping the chili flakes.
- Hot Sauce- I suggest a hot sauce like Frank's rather than Tabasco for this recipe.
- Chili Flakes- I like things bold and spicy, so adding extra red pepper flakes is the way to go. To keep things mild you can skip the extra pepper and add more butter to the wing sauce.
⏲️How to Make Hot Honey Wings
- Drying the wings on a wire rack set in a baking pan helps create a crispy skin. If you don't have time to fully dry the wings, dry them with a paper towel.
- A little baking powder goes a long way. Use aluminum-free so there isn't a metallic taste. Evenly coat the wings with the seasoning.
- Line a rimmed baking tray with aluminum foil or parchment paper; this will make cleaning up a breeze. Place a wire rack on the pan. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Space out the chicken wings evenly. You may need to use two baking sheets.
- Warm the hot sauce, honey, butter, and red pepper flakes together just until smooth and glossy. Toss the wings while they're hot so the sauce clings without soaking in.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tip
If you're short on time, even 2-3 hours of uncovered drying in the fridge makes a noticeable difference. Overnight is best, but partial prep still beats skipping it altogether.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Hot Honey Buffalo Wings (Baked)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Homemade Hot Honey Wing Sauce
- ½ cup Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional for extra heat
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 F degrees.
- Using a paper towel, blot chicken wings dry. Combine baking powder, salt, and cayenne in a ziploc bag or large bowl. Toss chicken wings in spice mixture to coat evenly.2 pounds chicken wings, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Prepare a large sheet pan by covering with foil and spraying with cooking spray. Place chicken on a sheet pan and bake 25-35 minutes turning halfway through. The chicken should reach 165 degrees and be crispy on the outside.
- Toss the wings in the hot honey sauce and serve.
Homemade Hot Honey Wing Sauce
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the remaining ingredients. Add more red pepper as needed.½ cup Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce, ¼ cup honey, ¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Notes
- While not required, I recommend soaking the chicken in brine for at least one hour and then drying the wings overnight on a baking sheet, uncovered, in the refrigerator.
- Leftover wings will keep 2 to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. They reheat best in the oven.
- Skip the baking powder. Preheat gas grill to medium-high heat
- Place chicken on grill and turn down to medium.
- Cook chicken, flipping halfway through until chicken reaches 165 degrees (about 12-14 minutes).
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