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This honey garlic chicken wings recipe is crispy on the outside and coated in a sticky sweet and savory honey garlic glaze. Cooking the wings in the air fryer helps the skin turn golden and crisp while keeping this recipe simple enough for weeknights or gatherings.
If you’ve made my Air Fryer Fried Chicken Wings, this recipe builds on that same technique. Once the wings finish cooking, they’re tossed in a quick honey garlic sauce made with honey, garlic, ginger, butter, and soy sauce for a glossy, flavor-packed finish.
Why You’ll Love These Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
- Crispy air fryer wings: The air fryer creates golden, crisp skin without deep frying or flour.
- Sticky honey garlic glaze: Honey, garlic, soy sauce, and ginger simmer together into a sweet and savory sauce that coats every wing.
- Simple technique: The recipe starts with crispy wings and finishes with a quick sauce.
- Great for dinners or gatherings: Easy enough for weeknights but perfect for parties or game day.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These ingredients help you make crispy wings with a sticky honey garlic glaze. Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
Chicken Wings
- Chicken wings (flats and drums): Use raw wings with the tips removed so they cook evenly.
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Baking powder: Helps dry the skin so the wings crisp better.
- Olive oil
Honey Garlic Sauce
- Honey: Regular liquid honey creates the signature sticky glaze.
- Soy sauce or coconut aminos: Coconut aminos work well if you want a soy-free option.
- Unsalted butter
- Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the sauce its bold flavor.
- Fresh ginger: Adds warmth and depth.
- Cornstarch and water (optional): Helps thicken the sauce if you prefer a thicker glaze.
How to Make Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
Season the Wings
Pat the wings very dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Toss the wings with the seasoning blend and baking powder until evenly coated. Be sure to use all of the seasoning blend since it helps to crisp the wings and give the wings flavor.
Air Fry the Wings
Arrange the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Air fry until the wings are golden and crisp, flipping halfway through so they cook evenly.
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Make the Honey Garlic Sauce
While the wings cook, combine honey, soy sauce, butter, vinegar, garlic, and ginger in a small saucepan. Heat until the butter melts and the sauce begins to simmer. If you prefer a thicker glaze, stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until slightly thickened.
Toss and Serve
Toss the hot wings in the honey garlic sauce or brush the sauce over them. Serve immediately while the wings are hot, glossy, and crispy.
Tips for Crispy Wings
- Pat the wings very dry: Removing moisture helps the skin crisp.
- Cook in a single layer: Air circulation helps the wings brown evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket: Cooking in batches allows the wings to crisp properly.
- Add the sauce after cooking: Tossing wings after cooking keeps the skin crisp.
- Use all of the seasoning blend since it helps to crisp the wings and give the wings flavor.
- Crisp the wings in the oven: if you want to make these wings in the oven, use my crispy baked chicken wings recipe. Then, toss the wings in the sauce once they are crisped.
What to Serve With Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
These wings pair well with simple sides and classic wing sauces.
- Celery sticks
- Carrot sticks
- Homemade Ranch dressing
- Blue cheese dressing
- Coleslaw
They also pair well with vegetable sides like Instant Pot green beans or Instant Pot cabbage.
More Honey Garlic Recipes
If you enjoy the flavor in these wings, you might also these recipes that use the same honey garlic sauce with different proteins, making it easy to switch up dinner:
Frequently Asked Questions
For honey garlic wings, it’s best to add the sauce after the wings finish cooking. Cooking the wings first keeps the skin crisp, and tossing them afterward gives them a sticky glaze without making them soggy.
Yes. Bake crispy wings at 425°F until the skin is crisp and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Once cooked, toss the wings in the honey garlic sauce just before serving.
You can cook wings from frozen, but they won’t start out crispy. Frozen wings release moisture as they thaw, so the first part of cooking helps evaporate that water. For the best results, start with fully thawed wings and pat them dry before seasoning. If you want to cook wings directly from frozen, follow my Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings method first, then toss the cooked wings in the honey garlic sauce.
Baking powder helps draw moisture out of the skin while the wings cook. This helps create the crisp texture that holds the honey garlic sauce.
Storage and Reheating
- Store: Keep leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in the air fryer at 375°F for about 4–5 minutes until hot and crispy again. Microwave reheating works but will soften the skin.
Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
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Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 1 ½ lbs Chicken Wings, flats and drums (wing tips removed)
- ¼ tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- 1½ tbsp Baking Powder
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil, for drizzling
Honey Garlic Sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce, or coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp Butter, unsalted
- 1 tbsp Unseasoned Rice Vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- ½ tsp cornstarch, optional for thickening
- 1 tbsp Water, to mix with the cornstarch to make a slurry
Instructions
- Pat the wings very dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Dry skin helps the wings crisp in the air fryer.
- In a small bowl, mix salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and baking powder.
- Toss the wings with the seasoning until evenly coated.
- Place wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Air fry at 400°F for 12–15 minutes, flip, then cook another 12–15 minutes until golden brown and crispy. For extra crispiness, cook an additional 2–3 minutes if desired.
- While the wings cook, add honey, soy sauce, butter, vinegar, ginger and garlic to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sauce begins to simmer. If thickening, mix cornstarch with water and whisk it into the sauce. Simmer 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Toss the hot wings in the sauce or brush the sauce over them. Serve immediately.
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Recipe Notes
- Pat the wings very dry: Removing moisture helps the skin crisp.
- Cook in a single layer: Air circulation helps the wings brown evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket: Cooking in batches allows the wings to crisp properly.
- Add the sauce after cooking: Tossing wings after cooking keeps the skin crisp.
- Use all of the seasoning blend since it helps to crisp the wings and give the wings flavor.
- Crisp the wings in the oven: if you want to make these wings in the oven, use my crispy baked chicken wings recipe. Then, toss the wings in the sauce once they are crisped.
Nutrition Details
The nutrition facts come from entering the recipe ingredients into Spoonacular API, a database of food ingredients. They may vary for any recipe based on the exact product used.
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