Honey garlic chicken wings make for an incredibly delicious party appetizer! They combine crispy baked chicken wings with a sweet, sticky, and super flavorful soy honey garlic glaze. Trust me, these chicken wings will disappear quickly once they are served!

Chicken wings are probably one of the foods I can’t get enough of! And if you have landed here, you might be just like me. So let me introduce you to one of my favorite chicken wings recipes: honey garlic chicken wings!
These chicken wings are perfect for you if you love crispy and tender chicken wings, sweet and sticky soy honey marinades, and aromatic garlic. If this is you, then read on to find out how to make these tasty soy honey garlic chicken wings.
Ingredients
To prepare the crispy baked chicken wings for this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Chicken wings: If your chicken wings don’t come pre-cut, cut them into their three different parts. Discard the wingtip and use the drumette and wingette for this recipe.
- Baking powder: Baking powder is the secret ingredient that makes the chicken wings crispy and delicious. Make sure you use baking powder with no aluminum so it doesn’t alter the taste of the chicken wings.
- Seasonings: Although the chicken wings are marinated later, seasoning them before baking gives them some extra flavor. You’ll need paprika powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. But if you don’t have garlic powder or paprika powder, feel free to omit them or use spices you already have in your kitchen!
To make the best honey garlic marinade for the chicken wings, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil and butter: These ingredients are a delicious combination to use when you cook with medium heat. In this recipe, you’ll need them to sauté the garlic.
- Garlic: You can’t make honey garlic chicken wings without garlic! Use fresh garlic cloves for the sauce.
- Low sodium soy sauce: Low sodium soy sauce is one of my favorite ingredients to use for making chicken marinades. I recommend sticking to the low sodium soy sauce, but you can use regular soy sauce if you can’t find it. Just make sure you use less soy sauce and dilute it with water. Otherwise, the marinade becomes too salty and strong.
- Honey: Honey is another key ingredient in this recipe! It gives the marinade its sweet flavor.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce.
How to prepare crispy chicken wings
The first step for making honey garlic chicken wings is to prepare crispy chicken wings. There are two methods you can use. Both work equally great, so just go with what you prefer.
- Air fryer: If you own an air fryer, you can definitely use it for this recipe! Simply prepare the chicken wings with baking powder and the seasonings. Then use your air fryer to cook them. You can use the settings you would usually choose for making chicken wings. I find that 380 °F and 18 minutes are perfect for preparing crispy and juicy chicken wings! And make sure you spray the basket with some oil to prevent the chicken wings from sticking to it.
- Oven: Another method is baking the chicken wings in your oven. Simply season your chicken wings and coat them in baking powder. Then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake them at 450 °F for 25-35 minutes. This is the method you’ll find in the recipe card at the end of this recipe post.
How to make honey garlic chicken wings
The other steps for making honey garlic chicken wings are super easy and simple, too! If you’ve decided on one of the two methods, simply follow these steps:
- Cook the chicken wings: Add the chicken wings ingredients to a bowl and toss until the chicken wings are coated evenly. Then bake or air fry the chicken wings as explained above.
- Make the sauce: While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare the sauce. First, sauté the garlic in olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Then add the honey, soy sauce, and water. Let the sauce simmer while continuously stirring everything. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry until the sauce has thickened.
- Toss: Add the chicken wings to the pan. Toss until they are coated with the sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Cooking tips
This recipe is very easy, but there are some things to keep in mind to make the best honey garlic chicken wings.
- Baking powder: Please don’t try to substitute baking powder with baking soda! The wings will taste horrible if you do. So please make sure that you are actually using aluminum-free baking powder and not baking soda.
- Pat the wings dry: When you prepare chicken wings, always pat them dry before you season them! You want to get rid of any excess moisture so they can crisp up beautifully.
- Gluten-free and soy-free: To make this recipe gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce. Make sure you use the low sodium options. And if you want to make this recipe soy-free, use coconut aminos.
Storing and reheating chicken wings
You can store these honey garlic chicken wings in a sealed container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you are ready to enjoy them, reheat them in the oven to get them crispy and hot.
More delicious party appetizer recipes
If you are looking for more tasty appetizers and snacks, try the following recipes. They are super easy and taste incredibly amazing!
Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 1 pound chicken wings patted dry
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Honey Garlic Marinade
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce gluten-free alternatives: tamari or coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon water
- cornstarch slurry
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 °F (230 °C).
- Add the chicken wing ingredients to a bowl. Toss until everything is well combined. Then bake the chicken wings for 25-30 minutes until they are crispy.
- Next, preheat the olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the garlic for 1 minute. Then add the soy sauce, honey, and water. Stir until everything is combined.
- Adjust the heat as needed to bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Then slowly stir in some cornstarch slurry and let the sauce simmer until it thickens.
- When the sauce has thickened, transfer the chicken wings to the pan and toss until they are coated with the sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free & soy-free: To make the honey garlic chicken wings gluten-free, use low sodium tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- Baking powder: Don't substitute the baking powder with baking soda! It changes the flavor of the dish and definitely doesn't taste good.
- Air fryer method: You can use an air fryer instead of your oven to bake the chicken wings. You can find more information in the post.
- Cornstarch slurry: Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to make the cornstarch slurry.
Michelle
Amazing recipe. So crispy! Just like deep fried. A family favourite! Double the recipe - they’re that good.
Beri
I'm very happy that your family loves them! 😊
Ellen
Hello! Can you bake the seasoned wings and then store them after the first step, and 2 days later, reheat the wings, make the honey garlic sauce, toss and serve?
Beri
I think that should work. I recommend reheating them in the oven or air fryer. 😊
Ellen
Second question: Do the wings get coated in the spices and baking powder separately, or does the baking powder get mixed in with the paprika and garlic powder etc.?
Beri
You can mix the baking powder with the spices. 😊
Joe
the beast honey garlic chicken wings
Thank you and merry christmas
Beri
Thank you, Joe. Merry Christmas! 😊
GelaciO
This was awesome. I am making them for the second time.
Beri
That's really great to hear! I'm happy that you like the wings. 😊
P.T.
These wings are a big hit with my family! They are delicious!
Beri
I'm so happy to hear that your family loves these wings! ❤️