Sticky BBQ Chicken Wings

5 from 36 votes

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer/Snack, Main

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

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