Honey BBQ Wings are everything a wing should be, crispy and juicy with a sweet sticky sauce.

They’re easy to cook and even easier to eat. With a little BBQ sauce, some honey, and of course wings, this recipe has just a few simple ingredients.

Honey BBQ Wings on a plate

Best Honey BBQ Wings Recipe

  • Cook the wings in the oven or the air fryer (we prefer the air fryer).
  • The air fryer will cook food until crispy without the mess of oil, less mess, less grease.
  • Wings cooked in the air fryer take less time than traditional oven-baked wings. They’re ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes!
  • These homemade wings are smothered in a sweet & savory sauce. So simple yet so full of flavor! For those who like a little extra kick, use a spicier BBQ sauce.

ingredients to make Honey BBQ Wings with labels

Ingredients & Variations

WINGS Use fresh or frozen wings for this recipe. However, cooking from frozen may require adjusting the cooking time. Boneless or bone-in will both taste great, but bone-in wings will be a little more tender and juicy.

SAUCE There are only 2 simple ingredients for this homemade sauce! BBQ sauce and honey are all it takes, just mix them together and toss them with the wings when they are finished cooking.

VARIATIONS Switch up the BBQ sauce for a new twist every time! Smokey, sweet, tangy, or even homemade BBQ sauce or wing sauce will all taste great.

process of adding sauce to chicken to make Honey BBQ Wings

How to Make Honey BBQ Wings

Crispy and sticky – nothing more needs to be said!

  1. Toss wings with oil, pepper, & salt.
  2. Cook in an air fryer (as per the recipe below).
  3. Combine BBQ sauce & honey.
  4. Toss wings with sauce & cook until crispy.

process of cooking Honey BBQ Wings in the air fryer

Tips for Crispy Chicken Wings

  • Don’t crowd the wings in the basket, the air needs to circulate. If cooking a large amount, cook in batches & warm them all up together right before serving.
  • Add the sauce during the last 5-7 minutes of cooking. Adding it too early will cause the sauce to burn.
  • Use parchment paper in the air fryer to avoid making too much of a mess (be sure not to add parchment while preheating, you need to have food on the parchment paper so it will hold the paper in place).

Did you make these Honey BBQ Wings? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

Honey BBQ Wings on a plate
5 from 18 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Honey BBQ Wings

Honey BBQ Wings are perfect for game day. Air-fried and smothered in a honey BBQ sauce, these wings are ready in 30 minutes!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Equipment

Ingredients  

  • 2 pounds chicken wings
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup bbq sauce

Instructions 

In the Air Fryer

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
  • Toss wings with olive oil, salt, and pepper. And place in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook for 15 minutes.
  • While wings are cooking, mix honey & bbq sauce in a small bowl.
  • After 15 minutes, remove the wings from the air fryer and toss them with the sauce.
  • I recommend lining the air fryer basket with parchment paper when adding the sauced wings Place the wings back in the air fryer basket and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
  • Let rest a few minutes before serving (the sauce will be very hot right after cooking).

Notes

For Oven Baked Wings
  1. Toss the wings with 1 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and seasonings. Refrigerate 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours) uncovered.
  2. Toss the wings with olive oil and place on  rack that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook in a 425°F oven for 20 minutes, flip and bake an additional 15 minutes. 
  3. Toss with sauce and broil for a few minutes to crisp.
  • Optional additions to the bbq sauce: garlic, sriracha, fresh ginger, or hot pepper flakes
  • If using an air fryer, cook in a single layer and do not overcrowd the air fryer.
  • The sauce can be very sticky and difficult to clean from a baking pan or the air fryer basket. Line the baking pan or air fryer with parchment paper after adding the sauce to the wings.
  • Do not let the air fryer preheat or run with parchment without adding the wings to the fryer. The parchment can blow around and burn (the wings will hold it in place).
  • Cook in batches if needed. All batches can be reheated in the air fryer at 400°F for 2-3 minutes before serving.
5 from 18 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 398 | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 274mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course air fryer, Appetizer, Chicken
Cuisine American

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About the author

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Comments

  1. I’ve been trying to decide whether I want an air fryer or not. All the reviews keep mentioning frozen pizza and chicken tenders, things I don’t tend to eat. Now, looking at your recipes, I think that I’ve made up my mind about getting one. Now to pick which one….

  2. A very easy recipe and so tasty. I adjusted the time because my wings were on the small size. I really enjoyed this and will make again! Thanks, Holly!5 stars

  3. We love your recipes…BUT,,,you harp on this air fryer thing. We don’t have one..we’re in Europe and here they’ve never heard of it. How can we do your recipes WITHOUT that thing?

    1. While I do love my air fryer, the instructions for cooking without an air fryer are included in the notes of the recipe. Enjoy!

  4. If you want crispier wings when baking or air frying, toss them with some baking powder, NOT baking soda, before baking them, about 1 TBSP per pound of wings, and let them air dry, uncovered, on a baking rack in the fridge overnight. Cook them unsauced, then toss them with sauce for the last few minutes if you want.