Honey BBQ Wings
On October 06, 2021 (Updated June 05, 2024)
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Whether you’re making these for a party or simply looking for a tasty weeknight dinner, Honey BBQ Wings are always a major crowd-pleaser. They’re sweet and tangy and great for any occasion.
BBQ Chicken Wings
Hot and fast grilled chicken wings are a weeknight family staple in our household. While most of us prefer our wings smothered in Buffalo sauce, the remaining spice-intolerant family members prefer their wings with this honey bbq sauce. The sweet and tangy sauce gets sticky, caramelized, and crunchy when slathered on grilled chicken wings.
If you have a few friends or family members who are also not into spicy foods, these BBQ chicken wings are the perfect balance between sweet and savory.
Sauce for BBQ Wings
This sauce is a classic honey BBQ sauce that has been on my website for a while now. It’s become quite popular, due to its awesome sticky-good texture and ability to please even the pickiest eater. You can check out a full write-up on this sauce on this post for my Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe.
Honey BBQ sauce and BBQ chicken wings are kinda made for each other. BBQ wings are meant to be messy, with finger-licking goodness after each bite. This BBQ sauce fits the bill for these wings, with a ketchup and honey base combined with salt, pepper, and a handful of other ingredients to tie it all together.
How to Make BBQ Wings
Let’s talk about the process for getting these wings from the store to your belly, shall we? It’s a pretty simple process, so fire up the grill and let’s get started!
- Prep. I always start my BBQ process by firing up the grill so it has time to preheat while I prep the food. Get your grill going at 425 degrees F for this recipe. Once it’s on, go ahead and make the honey BBQ sauce so it’s ready to go.
- Season the wings. Pat the chicken wings dry and drizzle them with avocado oil. Season on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Grill. Place the chicken wings directly on the grill grates and grill for 15-20 minutes, flipping every 3-5 minutes. Keep the lid closed between flipping. The wings are done when they reach an internal temp of 165 degrees F.
- Add the sauce. Baste each wing with honey BBQ sauce and continue grilling for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken reaches 170-175 degrees F measured with an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Enjoy! Once your wings have reached their final temp and the sauce is night and tight, remove them to a serving platter. Serve immediately with extra sauce.
Cooking the wings to 170-175 degrees F instead of the needed 165 degrees for chicken gives this chicken an extra awesome pull-off-the-bone bite, so don’t be afraid of taking them to this higher temp.
Variations for BBQ Wings
As I mentioned earlier, my family is divided on how we like our BBQ wings. If you’re going for major approval at dinnertime, I have a few variations for these wings to help keep everyone happy.
- Add some heat. If you’re a fan of Buffalo sauce, mix 1/4 cup Buffalo sauce with 1/4 cup ranch dressing for an awesome sauce. Simply grill the chicken as specified (without saucing on the grill), and toss in the sauce after they come off the grill.
- Switch up the sauce. If honey BBQ sauce isn’t your favorite, try out a different sauce on these wings. You can glaze your favorite sauce on the wings, or create a bunch of dipping sauces (like ranch, Buffalo, etc.) and let folks go to town. Sometimes a little variety makes dinner even more successful.
- Try ’em smoked! These BBQ wings are cooked on the grill, but wings also taste incredible when smoked. I have a bunch of recipes here at Hey Grill Hey (like my recipe for Crispy Smoked Chicken Wings) that I think you’ll love.
More BBQ Chicken Wings Recipes
If you’re still on the hunt for your favorite BBQ chicken wing recipe, might I suggest these winners from the site? They’re some of our most favorite, especially around football season.
- Beer Brine Chicken Wings with Sticky Sweet Buffalo Sauce
- Grilled Chicken Wings
- Smoked Then Fried Chicken Wings
Honey BBQ Wings Recipe
You just can’t go wrong with some awesome honey BBQ wings. Whether you’re serving them up as an appetizer, main course, or side dish, I doubt they’ll last very long.
How do you like your wings prepared? Be sure to leave us a message below in the comments section!
Honey BBQ Wings
Video
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Honey BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the grill. Preheat your grill to 425 degrees F.
- Make the sauce. Combine all ingredients for Honey BBQ Sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and serve warm.
- Prep the wings. Pat the wings dry and spray or drizzle the chicken wings with avocado oil and then season on all sides with the salt and pepper.
- Grill the chicken wings. Place the chicken wings directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and grill them for 15-20 minutes, flipping every 3-5 minutes to prevent burning and to crisp the skin. Cook until the wings reach 165 degrees F.
- Add sauce. Baste each wing with some of the honey BBQ sauce and grill for an additional 2-3 minutes, turning the wings as needed to prevent burning. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F (this is a high temp for chicken, but it helps give you a clean, pull-off-the-bone bite).
- Enjoy! Remove the wings from the grill and serve with additional sauce on the side for those super saucy wing lovers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
