With crispy skin and a sweet and savory sauce, these baked chicken wings are a delicious alternative to the traditional buffalo wing. While you can serve them with a side of rice, fried noodles, or even salad, these wings are so delicious that you may want them all on their own. Here's a simple recipe to turn your plain wingettes into a saucy and savory dish.
Sweet and Savory Garlic-Ginger Baked Chicken Wings Recipe
This recipe yields 1 pound of chicken wings, which is about 7 or 8 wings or 2 to 4 servings, depending on whether you are serving them as an appetizer or a meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of chicken wings, defrosted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 red jalapeño and 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional - for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
- Trim the top half of the wingette from the drumettes. Trim the small wing tips from the wingettes and discard or save in the freezer to make stock.
- Place the drumettes and wingettes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- While the wings bake, in a small bowl, whisk together the honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.
- After 45 minutes, brush half of the mixture on the partially cooked chicken wings. Return them to the oven for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, brush the remaining sauce over the wings. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more until the wings are well cooked and the juices run clear.
- Serve garnished with the thinly sliced jalapeño, if desired.
The trick for making the wings is to bake them partially and then brush them with the sauce towards the end of cooking to give them a saucy, sticky texture without burning them.
Flavor Variations
The best thing about this recipe is that you can tailor it to your taste buds without changing the base flavor. Make it sweeter or spicier. Try some of our tasty variations.
Zesty Orange
Replace the honey with an equal amount of pure maple syrup and replace the grated ginger root with 1 teaspoon of freshly grated orange zest. Replace the sesame oil with ½ teaspoon of fish sauce. Omit the garnish or garnish with 1 tablespoon of chopped, fresh tarragon.
Cilantro
Replace the ginger root with 1 teaspoon of dried coriander and the sesame oil with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of freshly grated lime zest. Omit the sesame seeds. Garnish with the jalapeno, a thinly chopped scallion, and 1 tablespoon of chopped, fresh cilantro.
Chili Oil
Replace the honey with an equal amount of molasses. Replace the sesame oil with ½ teaspoon of chili oil. Omit the sesame seeds and garnish with a thinly sliced scallion.
Baked Chicken Wing Appetizer for Everyone
This recipe is worth trying if you want an appetizer that's different from your standard flavor selection. These baked chicken wings have a balance of spicy, savory, and sweet, making them a winning appetizer at any gathering. Get those napkins ready because they're gone once the tray hits the table.
