Snacks · American
Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
Oven-crisped wings, then a sticky honey, garlic and ginger glaze bubbled right on top. No frying.
- Hands-on
- 25 min
- Hands-off
- 55 min
- Oven preheat
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 h 20 min
- Makes
- 24 chicken wings, split (serves about 6 as a snack)
- Serves
- 6
The oven heats while you pat the wings dry. Then 35 to 45 minutes of baking (the sauce is made in the meantime) and 15 to 20 minutes more once the wings are glazed.
Oven 190 °C · 170 °C fan (375 °F)
Pan large rimmed baking sheet, then a large baking dish (US: large rimmed baking sheet, then a large baking dish)
- easy
- dairy-free
- game-day
- party-food
- baked
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? The wings must sit in one layer, both on the baking sheet and in the baking dish. For a bigger batch use two sheets and two dishes, and check the temperature of the wings in each one. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: large rimmed baking sheet · large baking dish that holds the wings in one layer · medium saucepan · small bowl and whisk · paper towels · tongs and a separate board for the raw chicken · instant-read thermometer · oven mitts
Contains: soy · wheat
Method
Heat the oven, dry the wings
Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, 375°F). Pat the 24 split wings dry with paper towels and spread them in one layer on the baking sheet. Wash your hands with soap after touching the raw chicken.
Ready when: The oven has fully reached temperature before the tray goes in.
First bake
Bake the wings for 35 to 45 minutes.
Ready when: The skin is golden and crisp. They will cook further under the glaze.
Boil the sauce
While the wings bake, put the 85 g (1/4 cup) honey, 160 g (3/4 cup) brown sugar, 5 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp minced ginger, 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) water and 60 ml (1/4 cup) soy sauce in the saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Ready when: Bubbling across the whole surface and the sugar has dissolved.
Thicken the sauce
Whisk the 21 g (3 tbsp) cornstarch into the 180 ml (3/4 cup) cold water in a small bowl. Stir it into the boiling sauce and keep stirring until it thickens.
Ready when: Glossy, slightly thick and coats the back of a spoon.
Otto tried this firstOtto tips the dry cornstarch straight into the bubbling pot and gets pale clumps. He mixes the next batch with the cold water first, then stirs it in.Glaze and bake again
Move the hot wings to the baking dish with tongs, pour the sauce over and turn them to coat. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes more.
Ready when: The sauce bubbles, the meat is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. A thermometer in the thickest wing, near but not touching the bone, reads at least 74°C / 165°F.
Serve
Let the wings sit for a few minutes before serving. The glaze stays very hot for a while.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 to 4 months.
- Reheat
- Reheat until the wings are 74°C / 165°F in the thickest part.
If something goes wrong
- Sauce is thin and runny Why: It wasn't boiling when the cornstarch went in, or it wasn't stirred long enough.
Bring it back to a boil and stir until it thickens and turns glossy. - Pale, soft skin Why: The wings were wet or crowded on the sheet.
Pat them very dry and keep them in one layer so the hot air can reach them.
Good to know
- Crisp the wings first and glaze them after: the skin browns before the sugary sauce goes on.
Safety
- Don't wash raw chicken: it spreads germs to the sink and counter. Use a separate board and tongs for the raw wings, and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap after touching them.
- Chicken must reach at least 74°C / 165°F. Check the thickest wing with a thermometer instead of going by colour.
- Don't give honey, or foods made with it, to babies under 1 year old: honey can contain the bacteria that cause infant botulism.
- Boiling sugar sauce sticks to skin and burns. Keep kids away from the saucepan and let an adult pour it and handle the oven.
- Most soy sauce contains wheat. Check the label, or look for one marked gluten-free if you need to.