These spicy chicken wings with honey are very easy to make and finger-licking good. The only downside is that they are so damn addictive! Although they are generally considered as an appetizer or party food, they can be served as a main dish with a bowl of Spicy Egg Fried Rice, cajun potato wedges, or just fries. My favorite dip to serve these sticky chicken wings is homemade Chili Jam or sweet chili sauce.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works?
- It is an easy recipe to follow and very quick to prepare which makes it an ideal dinner for a busy weekday.
- You don't have to fry the chicken wings for crispness or flavor. Oven-baked chicken wings are much easier, healthier, and less messy than the fried versions.
- These delicious wings freeze beautifully.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Chicken wings - I usually buy them fresh wings with the tips removed and I split them into flats and drumettes. You can use frozen chicken wings for this recipe. Simply defrost it overnight before marinating them and make sure to pat them dry really well. You don’t want that extra water content.
- Tomato paste - It is a great ingredient for marinating chicken and it is commonly used in Turkish cuisine. A spoonful of tomato paste gives a red bright color and a tanginess to the chicken.
- Garlic Ginger Paste - This is the magic ingredient for marinating the wings. It adds an incredible spicy flavor and amazing color to the chicken wings.
- Soy Sauce - I use Kikkoman all-purpose soy sauce for this recipe.
- Mirin - It is a rice wine used as a flavoring in Japanese cooking. You can substitute mirin with dry sherry or sweet marsala wine.
- Rice wine - It is made by the fermentation of rice starch, traditionally used in Asian cooking. You can substitute rice wine with Shaoxing wine or sake.
- Sesame oil - It adds a distinctively nutty taste to the marinade. You can substitute it with walnut oil or leave it out.
- Honey - I use honey to add a little sweetness and stickiness to the wings.
- Spices - Adjust the amount to your taste.
How to Make Spicy Chicken Wings?
This is a very simple, straightforward recipe and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
- Prepare the chicken wings - Remove the tips of the chicken wings and cut the wings in between two joints so you have the drumettes and the flat piece containing two long bones separated.
- Prepare the marinade - Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and mix well.
- Marinate the chicken wings - Add the chicken wings to the bowl with the marinade and mix well until the wings are nicely coated. Cover the bowl and let the wings marinate for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- Cook them until sticky and crispy - Preheat the oven to 180 °C - 356° F. Spread the chicken wings in a single layer on a baking tray. Cook for 50 to 60 minutes until the wings are nicely caramelized and started to crisp on the edges. While cooking, rotate the chicken wings and glaze them with the marinade every 15 minutes. Garnish them with sliced spring onions and/or thinly sliced red chili.
Related Recipes
For more delicious chicken recipes why not try:
Yes, this recipe works perfectly on the BBQ or grill. Make sure your grill is piping hot before putting the chicken wings on to avoid them sticking. 
Yes, oven-baked or grilled chicken wings are much healthier than fried versions as they contain fewer calories, fat, and sodium.
I usually bake my chicken wings at 180° C - 356° F (fan oven) for 45 to 50 minutes and on medium heat BBQ or grill for 20 to 25 minutes.
Top Tip From the Chef
Use medium to large-sized chicken wings and let them marinate ideally overnight. When cooking, make sure they are nicely layered on a tray and keep turning them regularly to avoid them getting burnt.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these crispy oven-baked Spicy Chicken Wings as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Spicy Chicken Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic&ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon rice wine
- ½ tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- sliced fresh chilies and spring onion to garnish
Instructions
- Remove the tips of the chicken wings and cut the wings in between two joints so you have the drumettes and the flat piece containing two long bones separated.
- Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and mix well.
- Add the chicken wings and mix well until the wings are nicely coated with the marinade.
- Cover the bowl and let the wings marinate for a minimum of 2 hours, ideally overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (fan oven).
- Spread the chicken wings in a single layer on a baking tray.
- Cook for 50 to 60 minutes until the wings are nicely caramelized and start to crisp on the edges.
- During the cooking period, rotate the chicken wings and glaze them with the marinade every 15 minutes making sure all sides are covered evenly.
- Garnish with some sliced spring onions and sliced red chili.
Video
Nutrition
FOOD SAFETY
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
Maria
They look super delicious!
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Chris
Hi. Is this using rice wine or rice wine vinegar
Thanks
Ayla Clulee
Hi Chris
It is rice wine. You can substitute it with Shaoxing wine or cooking sake.
Hope that helps.
Best wishes
Ayla
Chris
That's perfect. Thank you for your speedy reply Ayla