These Honey Bourbon Wings are baked sticky chicken wings with a delicious sweet sauce. Perfect for any weeknight dinner, Game Day tailgating parties, and holiday parties!
This post was originally published on May 1, 2015. It was updated with new photos, more helpful cooking instructions, and recipe details and republished on January 20, 2024.
Baked or grilled, sweet or spicy, chicken wings always manage to make almost any meal a party.
We have loved wings here for a long time, if you haven't noticed. My family makes a lot of Air Fryer Crispy Chicken Wings and Salt and Pepper Wings when we're craving crispy skin. But we also love wings with sticky sauce, like these Baked Teriyaki Chicken Wings and Cilantro Lime Asian Chicken Wings.
We even like to make chicken wings a fancy main entree at times, like these Cranberry Pomegranate Sticky Wings.
This chicken wing recipe makes some of the best wings, because it features one of the most delicious flavor combinations on the planet: honey and bourbon.
It's a flavor combo that's delicious in everything from sweet Honey Bourbon Chocolate Truffles to savory Slow Cooker Honey Bourbon Meatballs. So it's no surprise that it's a winning combo for Honey Bourbon Chicken Wings, too!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
You're gonna love this honey bourbon wings recipe!
- Easy - This is an easy recipe that you can make with minimal prep work.
- Flavorful - The honey bourbon combination creates sweet, slightly sticky wings that have big flavors in every bite.
- Baked, not fried - Baking wings gives them that beautiful, yummy sticky skin while retaining super tender meat that's packed with flavors. And, it's healthier than fried chicken wings.
- Versatile - These wings can be served as a party appetizer, and would be great for any tailgating party or holiday soiree. These can also be paired with a salad and/or some rice to make a delectable meal any night of the week.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Chicken - You'll need two pounds of chicken wings, and you can use a mix of drums and flats, full chicken wings with the tips intact, or use all drums or all flats. It's up to you!
- Apple cider vinegar - This adds a little tanginess to the sauce.
- Honey - This is the sweetness
- Molasses - Molasses helps add richness to the sauce and also gives it the stickiness.
- Bourbon - Use whatever bourbon you have on hand.
- Garlic - You can increase or decrease the amount of garlic based on your personal preference, but I love using three cloves of minced garlic in this recipe. You can substitute ½ teaspoon to one teaspoon of garlic powder if you prefer.
- Lemon juice - A little fresh lemon juice adds some nice acidity and balance to the sauce.
- salt and pepper - Use kosher salt and ground black pepper to season the wings.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
A full list of ingredients with measurements, and the full recipe with more detailed instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. But here are some step-by-step instructions to help you make these delicious wings.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients.
- Season the chicken wings and add to the sweet bourbon sauce marinade.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. You can make these the day before and refrigerate over night as well.
- Preheat oven to 350° degrees.
- Cover a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
- Transfer wings from the bowl, setting aside the honey bourbon sauce marinade.
- Place chicken wings in a single layer on the foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- At 30 minutes, baste chicken with remaining sauce, and rotate the pan.
- Bake for another 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Allow the chicken wings to cool down, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
With the honey bourbon BBQ sauce that coats these wings, they are meant to be more sweet and sticky wings than a crispy wing. However, before seasoning, you can dry wings with a paper towel, season with salt and pepper, then coat with a little cornstarch before marinating. This will give wings a bit of a crispier texture while baking.
Chicken is done cooking and safe to eat when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads an internal temperature of 165°F.
🍽️ Serving ideas
During football season, serve these chicken wings on a Game Day platter next to your favorite hot sauce, Soft Pretzel Bites, Air Fryer Pigs in a Blanket, and Air Fryer Potato Skins.
For a weeknight dinner, serve these yummy wings with a simple salad. Try this tasty Asian Carrot Cucumber Salad, Thai Chicken Salad, or Arugula Quinoa Salad.
🍷 Wine pairings
Similar to the wine pairing for our Baked Teriyaki Wings, these honey bourbon wings would pair well with a Riesling. The high acidity of this white wine balances the sweetness of the honey bourbon flavors.
More chicken wing recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Honey Bourbon Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Combine all marinade ingredients (apple cider vinegar through garlic) into a large bowl.
- Add the chicken wings and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle all sides with salt and pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. You can make these the day before and refrigerate over night as well.
- Preheat oven to 350° degrees.
- Cover a baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
- Remove chicken wings from the bowl, setting aside the marinade.
- Place chicken wings, wing-side down, on the foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- At 30 minutes, baste chicken with reserve marinade, and rotate the pan.
- Bake for another 20-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
This post was originally published on May 1, 2015. It was updated with new photos, more helpful cooking instructions, and recipe details and republished on January 20, 2024.
Connie Andros Glentadakis says
Looking forward to make these children wings for my Grandchildren P.S saving this recipe TY
Susan says
I used the recipe with chicken breasts. I doubled the recipe, however I had to make it without molasses. (They don’t carry it in my local grocery store.)
Turned out really good!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
So happy they turned out well! Thank you for commenting, Susan!
Ryan says
Wow this is absolutely delicious! I love this favor, thanks for sharing!
Miss Marcy says
Sounds and looks delicious! Cannot wait to try these. Just 1 comment /question, have been always told to boil leftover marinades due to blood etc from marinating. I noticed your recipe uses marinade to brush on while cooking.
I will boil mine for a few minutes first.
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
It's never been a problem for us with this recipe since the meat cooks longer after the last time we brush on some marinade, but thanks for sharing, Marcy! If anyone is concerned about that, boiling the marinade is certainly a good option. :) Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Sarah says
Yum, these sticky wings are the best, and I totally support your desire to honeybourbonallthethings!!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Yay! Another supporter of #HoneyBourbonAllTheThings! Welcome to the club! :)
Barbara C says
You say bourbon and I'm in...these are FANTASTIC!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Love my fellow bourbon fans! Thanks, Barbara!
Monica Louie says
Wow! These are good. YUM!
Marlynn says
Thanks, Monica!
Barbara says
OMG! Love wings these are amazing.
Marlynn says
Thank you, Barbara!
Erin says
This is real good. I am not a huge wings fan but that marinade is delicious.
Jennifer S says
I am so excited about these wings!! I recently ordered some bourbon wings at the local sports bar and was disappointed- you couldn't taste the bourbon at all. But these honey bourbon wings have lots of flavor!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Great thing about making wings at home -- you can always add more bourbon! Cheers! :)
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
You can eat these with pomme frites, Bill! ;)
Danielle says
I've been dying to try some wings lately. I've never made them from scratch until now and this a great recipe. Thanks for sharing, cheers!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Oh, homemade wings are the BEST, Danielle! You can make them just how you like them. Thank you - so glad you like them!
Kira says
They sound amazing and I love that it's all ingredients I have on hand.
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Fabulous! I try to do recipes using ingredients you'd most likely have on hand, so that makes me happy. :) Thanks for stopping by, Kira!
Pech says
Um, so much yum! I want to eat my screen. Though I would never serve it with salad - rice to make sure no sauce goes to waste!
pam says
Always looking for new ways to use bourbon :)
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Oh SO many ways to use bourbon... :) This is a tried & true one for me!
Adriana Martin says
wow what a decadent recipe perfect for entertaining at home!
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
Thank you, Adriana! I appreciate you stopping by!