Sticky Baked Chicken Wings
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Sticky Baked Chicken Wings are brushed with a honey-Korean chili sauce and returned to the oven until they are properly glazed and sticky-good with perfectly crisp skin! Is your mouth watering just yet? Mine sure is!
These chicken wings marinate in a sesame-soy sauce and then bake at a high temperature to produce deliciously crisp skins. The basting sauce includes honey, soy sauce, and Korean chili paste for a sweet and spicy Asian twist!
I shouldn’t have to warn you, being that the name of this recipe is STICKY baked chicken wings. But be sure to have plenty of napkins or wet wipes on hand—You’re gonna need ’em!
These tasty baked chicken wings are excellent finger foods to share with friends and family. And what better way is there to enjoy them than during the upcoming football games?
So, gather around the TV with your loved ones and scream and shout for your teams while snacking on these saucy wings!
On that note, you’ll probably need a little more than just the wings at your super bowl party. Check out some fan-favorite appetizers, like this Baked Jalapeño Pimento Cheese, my Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip, or flavorful Supreme Veggie Nachos with Green Chili Cheese Sauce!
Key ingredients & substitutions for Baked Wings with Korean Chili Sauce
Wings
- Chicken wings | Grab about 2 pounds of fresh chicken wings, slit, and discard the tips for this recipe.
- Toasted sesame oil | Toasted sesame oil brings a smokey and nutty flavor to the chicken wings recipe. You may use regular sesame oil or toast it at home if preferred.
- Soy sauce | Marinate the wings in soy sauce to give them that signature Asian flair.
- Lime juice | Lime juice adds a burst of citrus flavor and enhances the savory notes in the chicken marinade.
Sauce
- Honey | Add sugary-sweet honey to the sauce to contrast the spicy and savory flavors. It also is what makes these chicken wings sticky! If preferred, use agave instead.
- Chili paste | Korean chili paste is the star of the show for this sauce recipe. It gives the wings a tangy and spicy taste—YUM!
- Soy sauce | Soy sauce acts as a rich and salty base for the wing sauce.
- Sesame oil | Add sesame oil or toasted sesame oil to the sauce recipe to give it extra smokey notes.
- Lime juice | Freshly squeezed lime juice enhances the complex flavors of this wing sauce and brings a citrus kick.
- Garlic | Peel and smash fresh garlic cloves as the final addition to this delicious sauce!
How to make Baked Chicken Wings with Chili Sauce
Baked chicken wings are very easy to make and far less messy than tossing them in the fryer. But don’t worry, the wings will still be just as crisp and tender as if you used a fryer! See for yourself…
Make the Chicken Wings
STEP 1 | Toss the wings in the sauce and marinate
First, you’ll need to get your chicken wings marinated. So, add the sesame oil, soy sauce, and freshly squeezed lime juice to a gallon-size Ziplock bag.
Next, add the chicken wings and seal the bag to mix the wings around until they are coated in the tangy marinade. Then, refrigerate the wings in the bag for 3 hours to marinate.
STEP 2 | Preheat and prep
After a couple of hours, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place the wings on a rimmed baking sheet.
Next, bake the saucy wings for about 20 minutes until they are nice and crispy on the outside. Then, they are ready to be smothered in your homemade chili sauce!
Make the Sauce
STEP 1 | Mix and cook the sauce
First, set a small saucepan over medium heat. Next, add and whisk the sweet honey, spicy chili paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, fresh lime juice, and smashed garlic clove.
Bring the ingredients to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Then, cook the chili sauce until it has thickened, which may take about 5 minutes.
tips
- Remember to turn the wings halfway through when they bake for the second time. This will help them to heat evenly and produce a crunch outside.
- To split the wings without making a mess, use your fingers to pinch at the joints. Where the bone slightly dips inwards is the spot to cut them at. Be careful not to cut through the bone—you’ll make a mess!
- If necessary, pat the wings dry when you remove the excess grease. The dryer the wings, the better the sauce will absorb and stick to the skin.
STEP 2 | Coat the wings and serve!
Once the wings are thoroughly baked, remove them from the oven and carefully pour off any excess grease. Next, brush the wings with the delicious chili sauce.
Gently toss the wings in the sauce with a metal spatula until they are completely coated. Now, place the sauce-coated wings back in the oven and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
Turn each wing once about halfway through the cooking time. Once they are glazed and cooked through, remove the baking sheet from the oven.
Finally, toss the baked chicken wings one more time. Serve while they are toasty hot! YUM!
Frequently asked questions
For this recipe, you continuously toss the wings in the sauce to ensure they are thoroughly covered. But if you’re still having difficulty making the sauce stick to the chicken wings, don’t worry—This is normal! Try lightly coating the wings in flour, add the sauce, and bake for the second time. The flour should help the sauce stick to the wings and distribute evenly.
Not quite! First, you’ll want to swap the soy sauce out for a certified gluten-free product. Most typical soy sauces contain gluten in the ingredients. Also, chili paste is considered naturally gluten-free, but many brands use additives with gluten in their products. So, be sure to find a gluten-free labeled chili paste if you are serving those with celiac or gluten intolerance.
Absolutely! In fact, the sauce should keep in the fridge for up to one week as long as it is stored in an airtight container. The baked wings won’t last as long in the refrigerator, but they’ll last for a few days.
You could also add the wings to the marinade and let it sit overnight. Remove them from the marinade in the morning and continue with the recipe as directed.
On the other hand, leftovers of your sticky chicken wings will last in the refrigerator for about three or four days.
Serving suggestions
If you like chicken wings with an Asian twist, you need this recipe for your next football party. What makes this different from other chicken wing recipes is that you can achieve crispiness without FRYING!
That means less clean-up! I am all about keeping it simple and easy. With this recipe, you won’t have to sacrifice the divine flavor!
Here are some perfect dishes to accompany your sticky baked wings- Grilled French Fries with Spicy Ketchup, Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower, Sweet Potato Skins, and Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips.
Behind the recipe: What’s the Deal with Chicken Wings?
Truthfully, chicken wings have become so popular in the south over the last few years. Our kids have no idea that chicken wings were once the most undesirable part of the bird and were often discarded.
When I grew up, no one was fighting over the wing on our platter of Sunday fried chicken!
Now, you can find chicken wings of all varieties at your favorite restaurants — hot, mild, sweet, tangy, spicy — and no football party is complete without them!
The original chicken wings — Buffalo wings, crispy fried and tossed in hot sauce — were first served in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York (hence the name!).
For many years, buffalo wings were a regional food found only in New York and surrounding areas. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that wings spread across the country and became the signature food at tailgates and football parties. Who knew?
Sticky Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Wings
- 2 lbs. chicken wings split and tips discarded
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Korean chili paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 clove garlic peeled and smashed
Instructions
For the wings:
- Place sesame oil, soy sauce and lime juice in a gallon-size ziplock bag. Add the chicken wings and seal the bag. Mix the wings around until all are coated in the marinade. Refrigerate for 3 hours to marinate.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the wings on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy.
For the sauce:
- Whisk together honey, chili paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the wings from the oven and carefully pour off any grease. Brush the wings with sauce and toss gently with a metal spatula to coat well. Return to oven and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes, turning once, until glazed and cooked through. Toss the cooked wings once more to coat well. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Remember to turn the wings halfway through when they bake for the second time. This will help them to heat evenly and produce a crunch outside.
- To split the wings without making a mess, use your fingers to pinch at the joints. Where the bone slightly dips inwards is the spot to cut them at. Be careful not to cut through the bone—you’ll make a mess!
- If necessary, pat the wings dry when you remove the excess grease. The dryer the wings, the better the sauce will absorb and stick to the skin.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
About Sheila Thigpen
Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer
Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.
Yes, very disappointing. Didn’t glaze as expected, needed to put broiler on and still overall lacking flavor
Hi
What brand of asian chili sauce did you use in this recipe.