These honey sriracha wings are a staple in my game-day food repertoire and a frequently requested favorite with my friends and family.
If I’m being honest, I do love me some deep-fried wings, with that crackling skin, but I can’t deal with the hassle of it all, or the thought of wasting all that oil, which isn’t exactly cheap these days. So, I make these wings in my trusty air fryer. And when I’ve got a big batch to prepare, I bake them instead.
My Favorite Way to Use Homemade Honey Sriracha Sauce
If you've been following along here, you know I’m obsessed with my homemade honey sriracha sauce. I pair it with a ton of things, but hands down, my favorite way to enjoy it is with these crispy wings. Oh and it's incredible on shrimp too, but more on that in another recipe.
You could absolutely use this homemade sauce on simple baked wings, but your girl here likes her chicken wings proper crispy and tasty.
So I had to figure out an air fryer method and recipe that would not only make them crispy but also maintain that crispiness longer after tossing them in the sauce.
Once I nailed that method, I also experimented with and perfected a baking technique that works almost as well and is more convenient when you’re making a larger batch and don’t want to keep going through the air fryer. I’m sharing both these methods so you can choose what works best for you.
While I personally love tossing the wings in the sauce right before serving, you can absolutely serve the honey sriracha on the side if you prefer.
One extra bit in my recipe is the use of lemon pepper seasoning. It’s a pantry staple that takes these wings to another level. Now the ingredient list of this entire recipe might seem long, but trust me, it’s not a lot of work, and the result is so so worth it. These saucy wings will leave you and your guests impressed!
Ingredient Notes
Before we move on to the method, I wanted to share handy notes on a few ingredients so you get the best results.
- I prefer using split wings as they cook slightly faster than whole wings and crisp up better too IMO.
- I’m not particular about the brand of lemon pepper seasoning. I’ve tried a few, and they all give more or less the same results, so use whatever you’ve got in your pantry or can find easily and cheaply.
- The recipe calls for garlic powder, not garlic salt. For those who aren’t familiar, these are two very different things, and garlic salt can throw off the salt balance in the recipe.
- You’ll also need baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), not baking powder. Make sure to get aluminum-free baking powder, or the wings might end up tasting a bit off. Baking powder dries out the chicken skin and makes it crispy, so don’t leave it out.
- Ground white pepper can be swapped with black pepper in a pinch.
- For the honey sriracha sauce, keep in mind that the taste and heat of sriracha can vary by brand, so each one will give a slightly different honey sriracha sauce.
Instructions
I know some people prefer visual guidance when following recipes, so I've included photo instructions to make it easier. The ingredient quantities and detailed steps are in the recipe card below.
Add white pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, paprika, baking powder, cornstarch, and lemon pepper seasoning to a bowl. Mix and set aside.
Put the wings in a large bowl, and then add olive oil.
Also, add lime or lemon juice.
Mix well to coat the wings with the wet ingredients.
Then add the mixture of the dry ingredients to these wings.
Mix again until all the wings are uniformly coated.
Spread the wings evenly in a preheated air fryer basket, skin-side down.
Air fry at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius) for 16 to 20 minutes. Flip the wings halfway through. See the baking method in the recipe card below.
Toss the cooked wings in honey sriracha sauce.
Sprinkle some sesame seeds and enjoy these better-than-pub wings.
Top Tips
- If you're using frozen wings, make sure to thaw them all the way before cooking so they cook and crisp up evenly.
- Pat your wings dry with paper towels before preparing them with the seasonings. It helps the seasoning stick and prevents it from getting watered down by any excess moisture.
- Always use the perforated tray, pan, or rack that comes with your air fryer so the hot air can circulate around the wings and crisp them up perfectly. When baking, use a wire rack or cooling rack for the same purpose.
- Don’t overcrowd the wings, whether in the air fryer or on the baking rack. Give them some space to crisp up evenly.
- When you scale up this recipe, don’t just increase the spicy ingredients like sriracha or red pepper flakes in direct proportion. The heat can intensify as you add more, so I recommend increasing them by half for each extra portion. If the honey sriracha sauce doesn't turn out spicy enough using this estimate, you can always adjust the heat by adding more sriracha before turning off the heat. Better safe than sorry!
Honey Sriracha Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (907 g) chicken wings - around 20 to 24 split wings
- 1 teaspoon olive oil - or any cooking oil you prefer
- 1 teaspoon lime juice - or lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper - or ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder - not garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 2 teaspoons baking powder - aluminum-free
- 2 teaspoons corn starch - aka corn flour
- some sesame seeds for garnish - optional
For Honey Sriracha Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ginger - grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic - grated or minced
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar - or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice - or lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lime zest - or lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare the Wings
- Mix all the dry ingredients – white pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, paprika, baking powder, cornstarch, and lemon pepper seasoning in a bowl and set aside.
- Pat dry the wings with a paper towel to get rid of any excess moisture, place in a large bowl and add olive oil and lime juice. Mix well to coat evenly.
- Then add all the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix with wings until nicely combined.
Preparing the Honey Sriracha Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add the grated ginger and garlic, stir for a couple of minutes or until they begin to gently bubble in the oil.
- Then add the rest of the sauce ingredients – honey, sriracha, ketchup, vinegar, lime juice, lime zest, crushed red pepper and salt.
- Give it a quick mix, simmer for a minute then turn the heat off. If you want the sauce to be thicker, simmer a couple minutes more while stirring constantly. Remember, the sauce thickens further when it cools down. Remove from heat and set aside.
Air Fryer Method for Wings
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F/200°C, then carefully place the prepared wings evenly in a single layer. Space them out just a little to allow the circulation of hot air. Cook 16 to 20 minutes and flip them halfway through.
- Remove from the air fryer, toss them in the honey sriracha sauce and serve right away.
Baking Method for Wings
- Adjust the oven rack to the center/middle position and preheat to 425˚F/220°C.
- Line a baking pan or baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up later. Then place an oven-proof wire rack or cooling rack on top with its legs resting on the pan so there's space between the rack and the pan.
- Put the wings on top of the rack in a single layer and space them out a bit so the hot air can circulate between them.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until the wings get nice and crispy. Turn them halfway through. Depending on your oven type and the size of your wings, the baking time may be different than mine, so keep a close eye after 50 minutes.
- Once done, remove from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes on the rack.
- Now toss the wings in the honey sriracha sauce. Sprinkle some sesame seeds if you like and eat like no one's watching!
Saman Maqsood says
So good! And easy to follow.
Imran Iftikhar says
I recently had these wings at a friends house and then tried out the recipe myself. They turned out to the some of the best wings I’ve ever had. The recipe is so simple that even a novice cook like myself can make it. And yet the wings turned out to be beautifully crisp on the outside, and tender and juicy on the outside. I’ve already forwarded this recipe to people I know and will continue doing so. Could not recommend it more!
Nelo says
Thank you so much for the amazing review and recommendation, Imran! It means so much that this recipe is being enjoyed and shared!
Mashal says
Such a good recipe and so easy to make!
Nelo says
Thanks, Mashal! So happy to hear 🙂
Hiba says
These wings are insanely delicious - and that’s still an understatement.
I’ve had guests asking for seconds and thirds and fourths and more!
Don’t think twice, or once - this recipe is a must try and sure to impress your guests.
Thank you, Nelo! Keep up the amazing work.
Nelo says
Woop woop! Thank you so much for the lovely review, Hiba 😃 It means so much!