These spicy chicken wings will become your favorite appetizer. They are easy to make, hot, and incredibly delicious; they are the perfect snack, a great recipe for Super Bowl Sunday or any party.
Make some fantastic spicy baked chicken wings for game day, the Super Bowl, or any other gathering. Or make them on a Friday evening and enjoy them in front of the telly. They are so good you won’t stop eating them and licking your fingers. Sticky, hot, spicy, and utterly addictive.
And what is the best thing about this spicy wings recipe? The wings are baked and not deep-fried! So they are a bit healthier, lower in fat, less hassle, and budget-friendlier. On top of that: there will be less mess, and your house will not stink of fried food.
For more hot and spicy chicken wings recipes, check out the Korean Chicken Wings with Gochujang Sauce or the Sweet and Spicy Wings. Or try more great appetizers like the Feta and Spinach Triangles or the Spicy Peri Peri Dip.
Recipe ingredients
Chicken wings: Either whole wings, which you should divide at the joint, or already separated party wings (wingettes and drumettes).
- About 2 ½ lbs (1.2 kg) would be about 12 whole wings or about 24 wingettes and drumettes (depending on their size).
Marinade ingredients:
- Hot: Sriracha or another hot sauce. Sambal oelek is a good substitute.
- Cayenne pepper: Use to taste; the more you use, the hotter the wings. About ¼ for mildly hot chicken wings, ½ a teaspoon for hot ones, and about 1 teaspoon for fiery, super-hot chicken wings.
- Ground black pepper.
- Sweet: A little honey and granulated sugar (brown sugar is also great).
- Salty: Fine sea salt (or Kosher salt) and soy sauce.
- More flavors: Garlic and freshly squeezed lemon juice. And a bit of vegetable oil or olive oil.
How to bake spicy chicken wings?
- Marinade chicken: Whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl (1). Or you can mix everything directly in the container you intend to use for marinating the chicken (a large non-metallic bowl or baking dish).
- Dry the pieces with a paper towel, add them to the bowl and toss them well with the sauce (2). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate the wings for 20 to 60 minutes (See Expert Tips).
- Bake spicy wings: Preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a lightly oiled rack on top. Arrange the pieces on the rack (reserve the marinade) in a single layer and bake them for 40 minutes (3).
- Sauce: Pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan. Add a little water and simmer on low heat until the sticky sauce thickens slightly. Serve the hot wings with the sauce or toss them with the spicy sauce if desired.
Expert Tips
How to divide whole wings into wingettes and drumettes?
- Hold the drumette, stretching the joint open. The other part should still be on the cutting board. Cut through the wing joints with a sharp chef’s knife; you should not encounter much resistance. If there is any, it means you didn’t hit the right spot between the two parts.
- Move the knife a bit to the right or left until you find the right place where the blade can quickly go through the skin and between the bones.
Marinating time: If you marinade the wings for only 20 minutes, you can leave them on the counter (unless the weather or your kitchen is hot). Otherwise, marinate them in the refrigerator but remove them from the fridge about 15 minutes before baking them (while the oven preheats).
Don’t forget to reserve the marinade. Lift the wings from the bowl using tongs and let the excess marinade drip off before you place the chicken pieces onto the rack.
Wire rack: Using it is optional but recommendable. If you use it, the air will circulate better, and you will not have to turn the wings on the other side. Also, flip the pieces after about 20 minutes if you don’t use it.
Recipe FAQ
No. According to USDA, washing will spread the bacteria all over your sink without destroying it. This will only happen during the cooking process.
Sure, if you don’t want to spend time cutting them, you can definitely bake them whole. However, you should increase the baking time slightly and check the internal temperature to ensure the meat is cooked through.
An instant-read thermometer is the best when it comes to checking for doneness. The internal temperature should be 165°F/74°C (Amazon affiliate link). If you don’t have one tear wing near the bone, the flesh should be white.
Refrigerate leftover spicy chicken wings in an airtight container as soon as they reach room temperature. They will be ok for about 3 days.
Freeze them for about 3-4 months. Defrost them in the fridge and reheat them before serving.
Reheat in the oven at 350°F/180°C on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper for 10-20 minutes or until heated through.
Reheat in the air fryer at 370°F/190°C for about 5 minutes or until heated through. Shake or flip halfway through.
How to serve?
- Appetizer: Serve these delicious wings with the sauce. You can toss them directly with the warm sauce before serving or serve the sauce separately for dipping. When making them for a party, I often arrange them on a platter together with some celery, cucumber, or carrot sticks.
- Main dish: Serve them with oven-baked potato wedges, fries, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, Roasted Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, a salad with Yogurt Dressing or vinaigrette, and roasted or sauteed vegetables.
More chicken wing recipes
Baked Spicy Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Wire rack optional
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs chicken wings 1.2 kg, Note 1
- 2 tablespoons sriracha or another hot sauce, Note 2
- ¼ – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Note 3
- 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey clear
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher, more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix marinade ingredients: Whisk them all in a small bowl or directly into a large bowl or baking dish (not metal).2 tablespoons sriracha + ¼ – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper + 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce + 1 tablespoon olive oil + 2 tablespoons honey + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar + 3 grated garlic cloves + 3 tablespoons lemon juice + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Marinade chicken wings: If necessary, divide the chicken wings into wingettes and drumettes (See blog post for instructions). Dry them with a paper towel, add them to the bowl, and toss them with the sauce. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate the wings for 20 to 60 minutes (Note 4).
- Bake spicy wings: Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a lightly oiled rack on top. Lift the wings from the marinade using tongs and let the excess drop off. Reserve the marinade. Arrange chicken wings on the rack and bake them for 40 minutes (Note 5).
- Sauce: Pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of water and simmer the sauce on low heat until it thickens slightly. Serve the hot wings with the sauce or toss them with the sauce if desired.
Notes
- Chicken wings: About 2 ½ lbs (1.2 kg) would be about 12 whole wings or about 24 wingettes and drumettes (depending on their size). Either whole wings, which you should divide at the joint, or already separated party wings (wingettes and drumettes).
- Hot sauce: Sambal oelek is great too.
- Cayenne pepper: Use to taste; the more you use, the hotter the wings. About ¼ teaspoon for mildly hot chicken wings, ½ a teaspoon for hot ones, and about 1 teaspoon for fiery, super-hot chicken wings.
- Marinating time: If you marinade the wings for only 20 minutes, you can leave them on the counter (unless the weather or your kitchen is hot). Otherwise, let them come to room temperature while the oven preheats.
- Check that the wings are cooked through with an instant-read thermometer; the internal temperature should be 165°F/74°C (Amazon affiliate link). Otherwise, tear a wing near the bone; the flesh should be white.