Baked to perfection with a crispy coating and a tender and juicy interior, these wings are drenched in a hot sauce comprised of cayenne, chili, garlic, onion, and melted butter, Baked Nashville Hot Wings also have an optionally sweet honey component! Plate these wings with sweet pickle slices for a cooling crunch!

I used to think that to get a perfectly browned and crispy chicken wing, I would have to fry it, but I later found out I was wrong. As in the case of these Baked Nashville Hot Wings, frying is not a must at all. In fact, these wings are first coated with cornstarch and then baked on a wire cooling rack. Once they’re baked, they are transferred to a large skillet with the sauce and finished over high heat until the sauce has generously coated each and every wing.
I have been preparing chicken wings for over twenty years. Every combination that you might think of, I’ve done it already, whether they be baked or fried, original or crispy, and saucy or plain too. Here’s the proof! These Japanese Chicken Wings are sweet and salty. Old Bay Chicken Wings are super flavourful and crispy. Balsamic Glazed Wings are smoky and vinegary. And, these Salt and Pepper Wings are proof that simple seasoning can sometimes be all that you need!
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NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN
Let me stress to you that this is my version of Nashville Hot. Authentically speaking, Nashville Hot Chicken is a type of fried chicken that is a local specialty of Nashville, United States. In its typical preparation, it is a portion of breast, thigh, or wing that has been marinated in a water-based blend of seasoning, floured, fried, and finally covered in a paste or sauce that has been spiced with cayenne pepper. Spice blends, preparation methods, and heat intensity vary from recipe to recipe or depending on the chef.
You can most often find the chicken served between two slices of white bread with pickle chips. It is both the application of a spicy sauce and the presentation that differentiates it from similar dishes, such as Buffalo wings. Many restaurants in Nashville serve a variant of the dish, and a citywide festival and competition celebrating it.

The term hot chicken might conjure up images of your tongue being on fire, but it isn’t that bad. And, if you’re certain that you can’t handle too much heat, you can cut back on the amount of cayenne pepper and chili powder. Unlike most versions of this Nashville chicken, my version includes the optional addition of honey. The honey will add sweetness to the sauce, which will help to balance out the heat. .
This sauce has everything I need to make me happy when it comes to hot and spicy food. It is spicy and sweet, it has heat and umami, and the garlic adds freshness. And, don’t get me started on dried red chili flakes! That stuff is wonderful! You see, Dear Reader, I absolutely love dried chili flakes. I’ve watched television chefs adding dried chili flakes to their dishes, and I always think the same thing – why bother!? If I’m only going to add a pinch, there’s no point. Add a lot – go for it!!!
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BAKING WINGS ON RACKS
Science comes into play when baking wings at high temperatures on a wire cooling rack. The wire rack keeps the wings elevated so that heat can get all the way around each and every wing. That, coupled with the high temperature, helps to render out the fat in the skin. This also helps to make the wings crispy without the need for frying.
When these chicken wings come out of the oven, you have two options. You can eat them just as they are because they really are that good. And, there is certainly nothing wrong with just plain Salt and Pepper Wings! Or you can toss them in the sauce. I personally love to add a dipping sauce as well, just in case the heat gets to be a little to much. In this case, I served my Baked Nashville Hot Wings with my Buttermilk Dill Ranch Dressing. Blue cheese dressing is also really good with these. It adds a blast of flavour to the already delicious wings.
Truth be told, Dear Reader, the best way to enjoy chicken wings is to eat them like nobody is watching. They are meant to get your hands dirty and sticky. If you’re eating them the right way, you’ll have sauce on your mouth and sometimes, in your beard – that’s if you have a beard! So, go ahead; enjoy yourself!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE
The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
For the Chicken Wings:
- Chicken Wings – This recipe is for 2 pounds of chicken wings. That should yield about 10-12 wings per pound. If you have whole wings, cut them so that the drumette and wingette are separate. I discarded the wing tip.
- Ground Black Pepper & Salt
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is the key to a light and crispy coating on the wings.
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
To Make the Sauce:
- Unsalted Butter – I very rarely use unsalted butter, but because this sauce is prepared with a whole half cup of it, unsalted is best to prevent the sauce from becoming too salty.
- Spices and Seasonings – These are quite simple and need no explanation – cayenne pepper, dried red chili flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and salt.
- Brown Sugar – Just a little bit of brown sugar helps to make a syrupy sauce.
- Honey – Honey sweetens the sauce, but also helps to keep it smooth and sticky. The addition of honey is optional.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED NASHVILLE HOT WINGS
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a cooling rack on it. Set that aside. Transfer the wings to a mixing bowl with the salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Toss the wings well until coated. Next, coat the cooling rack with cooking spray and transfer the wings to it. It’s imperative to lay the wings out so that they are not overlapping or even touching for that matter. The space between the wings will encourage faster cooking and more browning.
Bake the wings for 40 minutes. Remove them from the oven and use tongs to turn each wing over. Place them back into the oven to bake for 10 more minutes. Once done, remove from oven and set aside.

While the wings are baking, add all of the sauce ingredients to a large skillet and set aside. Once the wings are fully cooked, turn the heat to high on the skillet with the sauce ingredients already in it. Melt the butter and whisk the seasonings into it until they have been incorporated. At this point, go ahead and stir the honey into the sauce. This step is optional and you can leave it out completely. The honey will add stickiness and sweetness to the sauce but it is not needed.
Add the fully cooked wings to the skillet. Toss the wings well to coat in the sauce. Continue to toss over high heat until the sauce really coats and sticks to the wings. Plate and garnish with parsley. Serve with sweet pickles.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS
If you’re much like me, you can be easily satisfied with just a plate of chicken wings and a few napkins. That’s how I enjoyed these Baked Nashville Hot Wings, but if I were serving it as a meal, I would want to serve it with a few sides. Keep in mind that in the case of these wings, they’re sweet and spicy. So, serve it with something light, refreshing, crisp, and plain.
Plain!? I can’t think of another word! What I mean is something with a subtle flavour. I would also consider serving it with a coleslaw. Anything spicy always pairs well with the cooling taste of a really good coleslaw! Everyone seems to like carrot and celery sticks with wings. Veggies will certainly help to cool the tongue if these wings are too hot for you. At the end of the day, you can serve it with whatever you want. I completely support serving whatever works for you – what about just a plate of well-seasoned fries? Yes!

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Baked Nashville Hot Wings
Ingredients
For the Chicken Wings:
- 2 pounds chicken wings, mix of drumettes and wingettes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup cornstarch
- nonstick cooking spray
For the Sauce:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder optional
- 1/4 teaspoon salt finely minced
- 1/4 cup honey, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a cooling rack on it. Set that aside. Transfer wings to a mixing bowl with the salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Toss the wings well until coated.
- Next, coat the cooling rack with cooking spray and transfer the wings to it. It’s imperative to lay the wings out so that they are not overlapping or even touching for that matter. The space between the wings will encourage faster cooking and more browning.
- Bake the wings for 40 minutes. Remove them from the oven and use tongs to turn each wing over. Place them back into the oven to bake for 10 more minutes. Once done, remove from oven and set aside.
- While the wings are baking, add all of the sauce ingredients to a large skillet and set aside.
- Once the wings are fully cooked, turn the heat to high on the skillet with the sauce ingredients already in it. Melt the butter and whisk the seasonings into it until they have been incorporated.
- At this point, go ahead and stir the honey into the sauce. This step is optional and you can leave it out completely. The honey will add stickiness and sweetness to the sauce but it is not needed.
- Add the fully cooked wings to the skillet. Toss the wings well to coat in the sauce. Continue to toss over high heat until the sauce really coats and sticks to the wings.
- Plate and garnish with parsley. Serve with sweet pickles.
Nutrition
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