Baked Chicken Wings with a Sticky Honey and Hot Sauce Marinade

Baked chicken wings done properly — marinated overnight in honey, hot sauce, cider vinegar, and celery salt, then baked in two stages until glazed, sticky, and almost all of the marinade has gone. This is a recipe that rewards patience: the longer the wings sit in the marinade, the better the result. Split the wings at the joint, keep the tips for stock, and let the oven do the rest. A sprinkling of fresh herbs at the end is all they need.

Glazed, sticky, demolished – Casa Adora

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg chicken wings, halved at the joint (keep the wing tips for stock)

Marinade:

• 1½ tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed, and finely chopped
• 1½ tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce of your choice
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée
• 3 tablespoons runny honey
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

To serve:

• Fresh coriander, parsley, or basil

METHOD

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wings and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for as long as possible — overnight is ideal.

When ready to cook, bring the wings up to room temperature. Line a baking tray with foil and arrange the wings with half the marinade. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (160°C fan) for 30 minutes.

Drain off any excess oil, then add the remaining marinade. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan) and bake for a further 15 minutes.

The wings should be deeply glazed and sticky, with most of the marinade reduced to a dark, caramelised coating.

Scatter with fresh coriander, parsley, or basil and serve immediately.

BAKED CHICKEN WINGS – THE FLEXIBLE CHEF'S NOTES

The two-stage baking method here — lower temperature first to cook through, higher heat second with the remaining marinade — is what gives these baked chicken wings their properly sticky finish. Don't skip draining the excess oil before the second stage; it makes the difference between glazed and greasy. Any decent hot sauce works in the marinade — go hotter or milder depending on preference. The wing tips are worth keeping in a freezer bag for the next time you make chicken stock.

If you enjoy wings, the collection is growing — Football, Beer & Chicken Wings, Easy Buffalo Wings, Crispy Sesame Chicken Wings, and Crispy Garlic Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings.

FOOTNOTE

This recipe is part of the Chicken Hub — browse the full collection for more easy chicken dinner ideas.
It also features in my Chicken Wings Recipes collection — every wings recipe on TFC, from oven baked to van life one-burner.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef