My family is obsessed with chicken wings. If there is a new wing place or a new wing sauce, be sure we have tried our hand at it. Hot honey sauce hits all the spots! It tastes great and has no prep work or cutting or chopping! It’s startling how simple it is! The wings are sticky, sweet, salty, tangy, and spicy! Cooking the wings in the air fryer has been a game changer. You no longer need buckets of oil, the patience of a saint, and the clean-up! There is just one air fryer basket to wash. All that hassle is behind us! We make BBQ chicken wings in the airfryer all the time! But if you do not have an air fryer, I have given deep frying and baking instructions in the recipe card.
Ingredients for hot honey chicken wings
Here are the simple ingredients you need to make this delicious recipe See the recipe card for quantities. Chicken wings- I like to buy pre-cut chicken wings divided into drums and flats. You can cut them yourself using a sharp knife. Baking Powder - This magically makes the chicken wings extra crispy. You can use rice flour or all-purpose flour instead, too. Make sure it’s not lumpy. Smoked Paprika - I love using smoked chilies. They always feel like a bonus to me- heat and smokiness in one. If you can’t find it, use chili powder like paprika, cayenne pepper, or black pepper. Honey - Any honey you have on hand. Chili flakes - I have used mild chili flakes to make my hot honey sauce. You can use spicier chili flakes or fresh peppers or Korean chili flakes, too. Garlic Powder- I have realized what a workhorse of an ingredient this is! It not only has a concentrated garlic flavor, but it also helps the sauce stick to the wings. Apple cider vinegar - You should adjust this as per your choice. I like my sauce a little more tangy, so use 1.5 tablespoons of vinegar instead.
How to make Hot honey wings
If chicken wings are your thing, try my foolproof air fryer BBQ chicken wings and Thai chili wings. Also! Here is a recipe to air fry chicken wings straight from the freezer.
Step 1: Hot honey wing sauce
Just add everything- butter, honey, chili flakes, vinegar and garlic powder to a pan and bring to a gentle simmer. The sauce gets spicier with time.A little bit of smoked chili really adds a depth of flavor to this sauce.
Step 2: Fry Chicken Wings
Always pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel. The drier they are, the crispier your wings will be. You can air fry, bake, or dep fry them. Truthfully, after discovering air fryer chicken wings, I rarely deep fry them. Toss the wings in salt, baking powder, and paprika. Preheat the air fryer. Add them to the air fryer. Spray oil. Air fry at 200 C for 15 minutes. If deep frying - Add oil to a stable pan. Heat it until a spec of flour bubbles and comes on top. Add the chicken wings and fry for 3-4 minutes till the wings are golden. If you have time, double fry- which means you fry the wings two times to get the maximum crispiness. The internal temperature of the chicken should register 165 C Lastly, you could bake them. The trick is to bake them on a wire rack at low temperature first and then at high temperature.
Step 3: Toss wings
The last step is to toss the wings in the sauce. Garnish with green onions or chopped cilantro stems.
Storage
Wings are best when eaten fresh. If you do refrigerate, use an airtight container. Air fry them again for a minute to reheat them. The hot honey sauce can be stored on the counter for 2-3 weeks. You can also keep it in the refrigerator.
Serving Chicken wings
Garnish the wings with cilantro or scallions. Serve the wings with ranch or homemade garlic yogurt sauce, a spicy sriracha garlic lime aioli, or our summer obsession chimichurri aioli.
Dips for chicken wings
