Spicy Honey Garlic Wings

An all-time favourite ingredient combination, which is honey and garlic, is combined with spicy Korean gochujang and salty soy sauce. The result is a sweet, sticky, and slightly spicy chicken wing recipe that is absolutely phenomenal! If you are a wing lover, you just gotta try these!

I debated sharing this Spicy Honey Garlic Wings recipe so soon after the holidays. If you spend your Christmas downtime much like we do, you’re probably really tired of stuffing your face with heavy foods. Maybe I should be sharing wintery salad recipes or warming soup recipes instead! But, unfortunately, this recipe needed to be shared, because it’s just too good to keep it all to myself.

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!

HONEY AND GARLIC

I’ve shared this story before, but it fits well here, so I’m going to tell it again. I can still remember the first time I was introduced to the flavour combination of honey and garlic.  I was nineteen years old and I had just started a part-time job at Pizza Hut to help put myself through college.  If the staff worked more than a five-hour shift, they were entitled to a meal at a value of five dollars or less.

Now, I know that five dollars doesn’t sound like much, but this was in the early nineties, so that’s like fifteen bucks or so nowadays.  Anyway, I would always order half a dozen honey garlic wings.  They weren’t covered in a sticky sauce the way I like to eat them now, but more like a glaze.

It’s been many years since I’ve had wings from Pizza Hut, but it most certainly has not been that long since I’ve had my homemade chicken wings which are even better. Sorry, Pizza Hut! Without any further telling of tales on my behalf, let’s get into the recipe!

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.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce – Always use low-sodium soy sauce, because it’s better for you and allows you to control the seasoning yourself.
• 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:

• Vegetable Oil – This is only a suggestion. I use it because it has very little flavour and will not interfere much. Use any oil you like.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic will result in the best flavour every single time. 
• Gochujang – You can find it in many big chain grocery stores and most certainly in Asian markets. It’s also available on Amazon.
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce – I tried using regular, but it was too salty for my tastes. If you only have regular, do not add the full tablespoon. Cut it with half soy sauce and half water.
• Honey – Honey sweetens the sauce, but also helps to keep it smooth and sticky.
• Water

WHAT IS GOCHUJANG?

Gochujang is one of my new favourite ingredients.  Don’t worry; it’s not too spicy at all and you can totally control how much you’re adding to your recipes.  So, what is gochujang?   It’s basically a savoury, sweet, and spicy sauce made from red chilies, soybeans, barley, etc.  It’s spicy and sweet all at the same time.  Oh, and a little goes a long way!

Gochujang is also very easy to find.  It’s at every Asian supermarket and even some of the larger national grocers. If you can’t find it, you can substitute it by mixing together 1 tablespoon each of chili powder, ketchup, soy sauce, and sugar.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of dried red chili flakes and whisk together.  Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to marry together.

Gochujang cannot be completely replicated in substitute form, but that little recipe will give you a decent substitute without the depth and complexity of the original gochujang flavour.  Trust me, Dear Reader, it will still be delicious!

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.

HOW TO MAKE SPICY HONEY GARLIC WINGS

Baking the 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. Pat the wings dry with paper towels and transfer them to a mixing bowl with the salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Toss the wings well until coated. Add the cornstarch and toss until all of the wings are well 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.

Making the Sauce

While the wings are baking, measure out the vegetable oil and minced garlic. Get those into a large skillet. Now turn the heat on to medium. Stir and fry the garlic until fragrant. Do not brown the garlic! We are not browning; we are releasing the natural oils and flavour so that the sauce tastes even better. Once the oil starts to sizzle, only cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Next, add the remaining ingredients and whisk until everything is mixed well. Everything goes into that skillet and I whisk everything together until I’m left with a thick, sticky sauce. Add the wings and toss well to coat. Continue to toss over high heat until the sauce thickens even more and the wings are sticky. Plate, and garnish with parsley and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with celery and carrot sticks with your favourite veggie dip.

WANT EXTRA SAUCE FOR LATER? MAKE IT AND FREEZE IT!

A sauce that freezes well is always preferred.  And, I freeze just about every sauce I make.  The only sauces or dips that I refrain from freezing are hummus dips or avocado/guacamole-based dips.  They just do not hold up well after being thawed. 

The sauce used in this Spicy Honey Garlic Wings recipe can be frozen and thawed quite easily.  Now, I firmly believe that a saucy wing recipe needs to have an abundance of sauce, but not everyone feels the same way. You can make the batch as written in the recipe and save some for the freezer. You can even double the sauce recipe and remove half from the skillet before adding the wings. Let it cool and then freeze it for later.

For that matter, you can prepare the sauce on its own. Double it if you wish. Portion the sauce out into ice-cube trays and freeze them that way.  When completely frozen, pop them out and save them in a freezer-friendly resealable bag.  Take out one or two when you need them and keep the rest frozen for up to three months.

OTTAWA VALLEY MEATS

The Spicy Honey Garlic Wings you see in the photographs are from Ottawa Valley Meats. I used two packages, which is two pounds. Sourced from local generational family farms that organically feed and raise White Rock chickens in a free-range environment, all their chicken products are air-chilled. This process significantly limits water content and ensures a superior taste and texture.

You can find a complete list at Ottawa Valley Meats. If you are in Ontario, be sure to take a look at the website. Ottawa Valley Meats offers seafood, beef, poultry, pork, etc. And, they deliver right to your door! The product comes in a freezer-refrigerated truck, which means the box doesn’t need to be stuffed with ice packs or dry ice. And, the food doesn’t need to be packaged into those silver cooler bags. Do you know what that means for me? Less waste! Give them a try – you won’t be disappointed!

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, 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 – like steamed rice! That’s a great option with wings. I would also consider serving it with coleslaw. Anything spicy always pairs well with the cooling taste of a really good coleslaw!

Everyone seems to like carrots and celery sticks with wings. Veggies will certainly help to cool the tongue if these Spicy Honey Garlic 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!