These Sticky BBQ Chicken Wings are to die for! They’re crispy, saucy, smoky, sweet, and utterly delicious. Created with a homemade sauce, flavorful sauce, these BBQ chicken wings are quite addictive. Serve them as an appetizer or side for game day or get-togethers!
These sticky BBQ chicken wings are a fantastic option for picky eaters, as they’re uber-flavorful! Using cornstarch in this dish helps make the chicken skin on these easy, sticky BBQ chicken wings perfectly crispy every time. It’s one of the best wing recipes, as you can easily adjust the flavors to meet your taste preferences.
If you’re still craving BBQ after making these BBQ wings, you can satisfy your cravings with these tasty recipes: Easy Dutch Oven BBQ Chicken, BBQ St. Louis Ribs in the Oven, or Instant Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Shallow fried – This sticky BBQ chicken wings recipe is shallow-fried, so it uses much less oil than a deep fryer.
- Smoky – I recommend smoky (or fiery) BBQ sauce to create a delicious, complex flavor in these sticky BBQ chicken wings.
- Saucy – With a homemade sauce, you can bet these barbecue wings are anything but boring.
- Sweet – The honey and brown sugar balance the salty, smoky, umami flavors.
- Umami-rich – Adding soy sauce to this easy, sticky chicken wings recipe means each bite has a yummy umami flavor.
- Garlicky – Fresh garlic helps create a bolder taste in this recipe.
- Crispy – The key to creating these crispy wings is the addition of cornstarch!
- Perfect for sharing – You can easily double or triple this wing recipe and use it as party food for larger groups.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sauce: Opt for a spicy or smoky BBQ sauce for this recipe, as it helps balance out the sweetness from the brown sugar and the honey.
- Cornstarch: Using cornstarch to make sticky BBQ chicken wings makes them crispier as they fry in the pan. If you don’t have cornstarch, you can sub 1/4 more of flour.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Sticky Chicken Wings
Quick Overview
- Make sauce.
- Season wings.
- Fry wings.
- Toss with sauce.
Step by Step Instructions
Pre-measure ingredients for the sauce before heating the pan to avoid burnt ingredients.
Step 1: In a medium saucepan, add the barbecue sauce, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and chili flakes (if using). Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat.
Step 2: Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and line it with paper towels. Set aside. Fill a deep pan with about 1 inch (or so) of oil. Heat the oil to about 375 degrees over medium heat.
Step 3: While the oil heats, in a large bowl, toss the wings, flour, cornstarch, salt, paprika, garlic, onion, chili powder, mustard powder, cayenne, and black pepper.
Step 4: Place about 6-7 wings in the hot oil so they are not touching. Fry more or less at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
Use a meat thermometer to test the internal temp of each chicken wing.
Step 5: Flip and fry for another 3-4 minutes or until the wings are golden and the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees.
Step 6: Remove and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wings. Check the temperature of the oil occasionally and adjust the stove temperature if needed.
Step 7: Quickly, bring the sauce back to a boil just to warm it up. Toss the wings and sauce together in a large bowl until well combined. Serve hot.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish these delicious sticky BBQ chicken wings with chopped parsley, freshly grated parmesan cheese, or hot honey.
I love serving these crispy BBQ chicken wings with comforting sides and mains for a more casual meal. Here are a few ideas:
Expert Tips
- Keep wings warm in the oven. Put any finished sticky BBQ chicken wings in the oven at 200 degrees while the remaining wings are frying to help keep them warm. You can also keep the entire batch in the oven while waiting for guests to arrive so the wings stay warm. Don’t leave them in the oven too long, or they can dry out.
- Check the temperature of each wing. Since wings can vary in size, it’s best to check each wing’s internal temp. When the wings are 165F, they’re done and ready to go in the sauce.
- Warm the sauce for easier application. Sauces that have honey and brown sugar tend to thicken as they cool, which makes it challenging to toss or brush the sauce onto wings. Ensure you heat the sauce before tossing the wings in so it’s easier to coat them.
- Double the sauce. If you prefer your wings to be really saucy, you can make extra sauce. Simply double each of the sauce ingredients, then follow the recipe as noted.
Additions & Variations
- Oven (baked): Turn these pan-fried wings into sticky BBQ chicken wings (oven-cooked) in a few easy steps. Preheat the oven to 375F. Then, follow the above steps for creating the sauce and seasoning the chicken wings. Place them on a baking sheet in a single layer and cook for about 30 minutes. Then, add a greased cooling rack to the baking sheet and place the wings on the rack. Cook for another 15 minutes. These sticky BBQ chicken wings (baked, not fried) are ready when they have an internal temp of 165F.
- Other sauces: If BBQ sauce is not your favorite, or if you’re short on time, you can use other pre-made sauces for these wings. For example, garlic parmesan or teriyaki sauces will also work with these sticky BBQ chicken wings. Simply follow the steps to season and cook the wings. Then, toss them in the sauce of your choosing.
- Vegetarian: This delicious BBQ sauce will also work well on vegetarian dishes. Instead of using chicken wings, consider using a meat-free chicken tender or tofu cubes. If using tofu, follow the same steps to season (including cornstarch) and pan-fry the tofu. Then, toss it in the sauce. With meat-free chicken tenders, you can skip the cornstarch as they already have a coating. Simply season them, toss them into the hot oil, and coat them in the sauce.
Recipe FAQs
The key to getting BBQ sauce (or any sauce) to stick to chicken wings is to ensure they have a dry rub, seasoning mixture, or flour coating on them first. This way, the sauce has something to cling to after the chicken wings are cooked. Additionally, adding the sauce after the wings are cooked helps the sauce stick to the wings. As the wings cook, they release moisture, making the sauce drip off.
Sticky BBQ chicken wings typically include a sweet, salty, savory, spicy sauce that varies from recipe to recipe. In my version, the sauce is made from BBQ sauce, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic cloves.
There is no specific brand of BBQ sauce that’s better than another. However, I recommend using one that is spicy or smoky for this recipe so that it’s not overly sweet.
More Chicken Recipes
Soup & Chili
Chicken Tortilla Soup with Rotisserie Chicken
Back To School
Creamy Chicken and Orzo Bake (Tuscan Style)
Soup & Chili
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
Shop my Amazon Storefront!
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or comment! I always appreciate your feedback. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook & Instagram.
Sticky BBQ Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Sticky Sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce*
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 8-10 cloves garlic, minced
Chicken Wings
- 2 pounds chicken wings, halved at joints (wingettes)
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch*
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon EACH smoked paprika, granulated garlic, onion powder, chili powder, & mustard powder
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- freshly ground black pepper
- red chili flakes, optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add the barbecue sauce, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, and chili flakes (if using). Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat.1 cup barbecue sauce*, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 8-10 cloves garlic, minced, red chili flakes, optional
- Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and line it with paper towels. Set aside. Fill a deep pan with about 1 inch (or so) of oil. Heat the oil to about 375 degrees over medium heat.
- While the oil heats, in a large bowl, toss the wings, flour, cornstarch, salt, paprika, garlic, onion, chili powder, mustard powder, cayenne, and black pepper.2 pounds chicken wings, halved at joints (wingettes), 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch*, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon EACH smoked paprika, granulated garlic, onion powder, chili powder, & mustard powder, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, freshly ground black pepper
- Place about 6-7 wings in the hot oil so they are not touching. Fry more or less at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Flip and fry for another 3-4 minutes or until the wings are golden and the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees.
- Remove and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wings. Check the temperature of the oil occasionally and adjust the stove temperature if needed.
- Quickly, bring the sauce back to a boil just to warm it up. Toss the wings and sauce together in a large bowl until well combined. Serve hot.
Notes
- Sauce: Opt for a spicy or smoky BBQ sauce for this recipe, as it helps balance out the sweetness from the brown sugar and the honey.
- Cornstarch: Using cornstarch to make sticky BBQ chicken wings makes them crispier as they fry in the pan. If you don’t have cornstarch, you can sub 1/4 more of flour.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Keep wings warm in the oven. Put any finished sticky BBQ chicken wings in the oven at 200 degrees while the remaining wings are frying to help keep them warm. You can also keep the entire batch in the oven while waiting for guests to arrive so the wings stay warm. Don’t leave them in the oven too long, or they can dry out.
- Check the temperature of each wing. Since wings can vary in size, it’s best to check each wing’s internal temp. When the wings are 165F, they’re done and ready to go in the sauce.
- Warm the sauce for easier application. Sauces that have honey and brown sugar tend to thicken as they cool, which makes it challenging to toss or brush the sauce onto wings. Ensure you heat the sauce before tossing the wings in so it’s easier to coat them.
- Double the sauce. If you prefer your wings to be really saucy, you can make extra sauce. Simply double each of the sauce ingredients, then follow the recipe as noted.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
