Sweet, Smoky & Glazed to Perfection
Who doesn’t love sticky, flavorful barbecue chicken wings?! These homemade honey BBQ wings are seasoned with my favorite spices, air fried until golden and coated with honey barbecue sauce halfway through cooking for that delicious, glazed finish. The best part? You don’t need to deep fry them.
Ingredients
Chicken wings
Honey barbecue sauce
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Black pepper
Your favorite chicken seasonings
A little oil
Feel free to use your favorite seasonings and adjust the ingredients to your taste.
How to Make Them
Step 1: Clean and prepare the chicken
Prepare your chicken wings and pat them dry with paper towels. This helps remove excess moisture so the skin can crisp up in the air fryer.
Step 2: Season the wings
Place the wings in a bowl and add your favorite seasonings. I love using a combination of spices to give the chicken plenty of flavor. Toss everything together until the wings are evenly coated.
Step 3: Air fry the chicken
Arrange the wings in a single layer in your air fryer. Air-fry at 380°F for approximately 20–25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your wings and your air fryer.
Step 4: Add the honey BBQ glaze
About halfway through cooking, open the air fryer and brush the wings generously with honey barbecue sauce. Make sure they’re coated well so they can soak up all that delicious BBQ flavor as they continue cooking.
Step 5: Finish cooking
Return the wings to the air fryer and continue cooking until they’re golden, sticky, and fully cooked. The thickest part of the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F. If you want extra glaze, brush on a little more sauce during the final few minutes, watching carefully to prevent the sugars from burning.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy
Take your wings out of the air fryer and let them cool slightly before digging in. Enjoy those delicious honey BBQ flavors!
Don’t wait until the very end to add all your barbecue sauce! Brushing some onto the wings halfway through cooking helps the sauce cling to the chicken as it finishes cooking. Just keep an eye on them because barbecue sauce contains sugar and can burn if exposed to high heat for too long.
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I recently tried making these honey BBQ chicken wings at home using my air fryer, and I was impressed by how easy and delicious they turned out. One key tip I learned through experience is to make sure the wings are completely dry before seasoning—this really helps the skin crisp up nicely instead of steaming. I also experimented with different spice blends, adding a pinch of cayenne pepper for a subtle kick, which balanced beautifully with the sweetness of the honey BBQ glaze. When brushing the sauce halfway through cooking, I found that using a silicone basting brush helped evenly coat the wings without disturbing their crispness. To avoid burning the sugary barbecue sauce, I closely monitored the wings during the last few minutes of air frying and brushed on extra glaze at that point for an enhanced sticky finish. Serving them with a cool ranch dip also complemented the smoky, sweet flavors perfectly. Another great tip is to let the wings rest for a few minutes after air frying; this helps the juices redistribute and makes the wings even more flavorful. This air-fried version feels much lighter than traditional deep-fried wings but still delivers that irresistibly crispy exterior and succulent meat inside. Overall, the combination of savory garlic and onion powders, smoky paprika, and black pepper with the sweet honey BBQ sauce creates a perfect balance of flavors. Whether for game day, a casual dinner, or entertaining guests, these wings bring a delicious homemade touch that's sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
