Hot Honey Chicken Wings

(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)

Chicken wings ​or party wings – I purchased my wings with the drums and flats already separated, however, if you’re using whole chicken wings, just be sure to the wings in half and remove the wing tip.

For the dry rub, you’ll need cajun seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and kosher salt. We’re also gonna use sazon in the flour dredge. You can find this at any grocery store.

Baking powder yields the crispiest chicken wings! It draws out moisture and raises the pH of the chicken skin. When fried, this gives the wings a golden, crispy skin! Who doesn’t love extra crispy wings?! I did this with my garlic parmesan wings too! So good.

Cornstarch helps create an extra crispy, light, and crunchy coating on hot wings by absorbing moisture and forming a delicate, crackly crust.

Vegetable oil helps hot wings cook evenly, develop a crispy exterior, and enhances flavor by carrying seasonings while preventing them from drying out. You can use any high smoke point oil. 

Homemade Hot Honey Sauce Ingredients 

Honey use a quality honey. It the base of the sauce so you want it to be the good stuff! Use leftover honey and make my bang bang salmon bites next.

Frank’s Hot Sauce is my favorite, but you can use any hot wing sauce you prefer. 

Butter adds richness and mellows out the heat. 

Lemon Juice brightens the sauce! You can also use apple cider vinegar if you don’t have any lemon juice. 

How to make Hot Honey Chicken Wings 

Step 1: Pat wings dry with a paper towel and place into a large bowl. Add lemon pepper seasoning, cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper. Toss together to ensure that all of the wings are coated in the seasoning, then add hot sauce, oil, baking powder, and cornstarch. Cover with plastic wrap and let them marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to overnight in the refrigerator. 

Step 2: While the wings are marinating, place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add butter. Once melted, add honey and hot sauce and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for about 3-5 minutes, until it begins to thicken slightly. Remove from the heat and add lemon juice, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes. Set aside. 

Step 3: In a separate large mixing bowl, combine all purpose flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, sazon, and cajun seasoning. Whisk together. Dip the wings into the flour mixture, really submerging each wing to ensure it’s completely coated.

Step 4: Tap off any excess flour and place onto a wire rack. Let the wings sit for about 10-15 minutes, while the oil preheats.

Step 5: Preheat the oil to 350 degrees F. Fry about 4-5 wings at a time for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Place onto a paper towel lined plate. Add all of the wings to a large bowl and toss in that delicious hot honey glaze. Use any extra sauce as a dip! Top with fresh parsley and chopped green onions. 

Tips For Making Hot Wings

• Toss the wings in sauce after they’re cooked and crispy—adding sauce too soon can make them soggy.

• Crispy wings are best enjoyed fresh—don’t let them sit too long or they’ll lose their crunch!

• Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels before seasoning or coating.

• For extra crispy skin, let them air-dry on a rack in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) before cooking.

What to Eat with Hot Honey Wings

The flavors of these wings are BOLD. (And I love that!) That being said, I like to keep the sides pretty simple.

Serve these up with a simple salad, crispy sweet potato fries,

For the ultimate game day spread, make these wings with my elotes fries, buffalo chicken dip with blue cheese, roast beef sliders, poke nachos. It’ll be a flavor party!