Honey Garlic Wings

These honey garlic wings are AMAZING. I can’t get enough and neither will you! They have a perfect sweet and salty balance from just a few ingredients. Tossed in a sweet, sticky, garlic sauce made from honey, garlic and coconut aminos and then baked in the oven, these come together in no time. Simply put, they are a must-make!

Can you make these wings another way?

Yes! You can make the honey garlic wings in an air fryer and on the grill. For the air fryer, season the wings with salt and pepper and bake in the air fryer at 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. While they cook make the sauce in a sauce pan to thicken. Once cooked, remove from the air fryer and toss in the sauce. Super easy!

For grill: First, grill the chicken and make the sauce on the stove. Then, toss the cooked chicken in the sauce. Easy peasy! 

Always cook your chicken to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s cooked through!

How to cut chicken wings

If you don’t have pre-cut wings or can’t find them for these honey garlic wings, you always have the option to cut your own from the full chicken wing. It’s not nearly as difficult as you think!

There are three parts of the chicken wing: the drums, the wingette and the wing tip. We usually only eat the drums and the wingettes and discard the wing tip, as there is little to no meat on it. 

Make sure to have a very sharp knife and a clean surface that is safe for raw meat.

To cut the whole chicken wing into drums and wingettes: flip the wing skin side down so you can see the joints. The joints are the easiest part to cut into. If you can see them clearly you will avoid cutting into the bone, which is hard to cut.

Locate the ridge that is between the drum and wingette. Using your sharp knife cut parallel to the drums, through the joint. It should cut very easily.

To seperate the wingette from the wing tip, locate the second ridge between the wingette and the wing tip. Cut through here at the joint to remove the tip. 

It’s that easy!

Ingredients and Substitutes:

These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for honey garlic wings.

Chicken: we’re using 3 lbs of chicken wings, 12 drums and 12 wingettes. 

Honey: adds that sticky sweetness to the sauce. You can substitute with maple syrup. 

Coconut aminos: can substitute for soy sauce, if desired. Coconut amino is less salty than soy sauce and adds a bit of sweetness to these wings. 

Apple cider vinegar: adds acidity and cuts the sweetness. 

Red pepper flakes: optional but recommended for some heat. 

Arrowroot powder: thickens the sauce, may use cornstarch instead in a 1:1 ratio. 

Step by step instructions for honey garlic wings

Preheat oven

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut wings into drums and wingettes (if needed)

If your wings are pre cut into winglettes and drumlettes move onto the next step. Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels. Flip the wing over so it is skin side down and you can easily see the joints. Use your fingers to locate the ridge between the drumette and the wingette portions. Use a sharp knife to cut between the ridge. Your knife should slide right through with very little resistance. Next, locate the second ridge between the wingette and the tip portion.  Cut all of the way through this joint to separate the two pieces and discard the tip.

Prep wings & brown

Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Next, heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken wings and cook until they are browned on all sides. This should take about 10 minutes.

Make sauce

While the chicken is cooking, mix the honey, garlic, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar and red pepper flakes together in a bowl, mixing well to combine.

Mix sauce with wings

Once the chicken wings are browned, pour the honey garlic sauce over them in an oven safe skillet or pan. Toss the wings in the sauce until they are well coated. The sauce will be thin, we will thicken it after baking. 

Bake in oven

Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Bake the chicken wings for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and mix the sauce with the wings again, while the wings are still in the pan. Return for another 5 minutes, or until the wings are fully cooked and the sauce is bubbling.

Remove wings and thicken sauce

Remove the chicken wings from the oven. Then, remove the wings from the skillet and set aside, leaving the sauce in the pan. Heat the skillet with the sauce over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Add the arrowroot and water mixture to the sauce and whisk until the sauce has thickened.

Mix wings and thickened sauce

Place the baked wings back into the pan with the sauce and thoroughly cover the wings with the thickened sauce. Remove the wings and pour any sauce left in the skillet over top. Top with chopped green onions, red pepper flakes and enjoy your honey garlic wings. 

What to serve with these wings

Serve honey garlic wings with celery and carrots for an appetizer or with fries or smashed potatoes for a meal. Add a side of ranch or blue cheese for dipping, however these wings are amazing without it!

Check out some of our other easy recipes!

• Crockpot French Onion Chicken
• 5 Minute Yogurt Bowls 4 Ways
• Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl
• S’mores Granola Protein Bars