Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings

Crispy Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings is seasoned breaded chicken wings, deep fried or baked, with crispy skin and moist, tender meat in sweet and spicy sauce. It is a popular appetizer or a meal on its own served with carrots, celery and blue cheese dressing.

This breaded chicken wings is flavorsome even without the sauce.

This Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings has a perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness that adds a kick to each crispy wings.

If you are still scrambling what to make for the holidays, consider making this hot wings that everyone will love. If you have an air fryer, you can try my Marinated Air Fryer Chicken Wings recipe.

This years celebration will be different for most household. As much as possible, spend it with your immediate family to be safe.

This situation is temporary and it doesn’t hurt to skip our traditional holiday celebration with family and friends. Keep indoor gathering small.

If we cooperate, we can be hopeful that next year we can go back to normal and enjoy our holidays like we used to.

Some might not consider the traditional turkey, ham or ribeye roast for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner this year and this Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings will hit the spot.

It is easy to make and everyone can enjoy it.

Note: This crispy chicken wings is tasty even without the sauce. If you have kids who cannot handle something spicy, this fried breaded chicken wings is flavorsome on its own or make the sauce less spicy.

When I was working, crispy chicken wings was one of my staple dish after work. Buffalo Wild Wings was on my way home and it is less than a mile from my house.

They offered different sauces to cater to everyone’s liking.

Anyway, now I have all the time to make homemade chicken wings even better than restaurant wings. I can adjust the amount of sweetness or spiciness of my sauce and the wings doneness.

It is not hard to make plus I get more wings for the money.

How to Make Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings

Again as I have said earlier, these chicken wings are easy to make and the sauce is very versatile. Use less butter or less hot sauce and vice versa. The good thing with homemade chicken wings is you are able to adjust your ingredients.

You have the option of deep fry or bake your wings.

(1) Sorry to some, but I do wash my chicken. I know FDA recommends not to wash chicken but I do especially with the situation we are in. Pat dry wings with paper towel.

Note: I’ve never had any issue washing chicken. I remove the sink grill and strainer or anything chicken will come in contact with. The only thing I have in the sink is the bowl of chicken.

Once I’m done washing the chicken, I brush and disinfect the sink right away. I feel better when my meat are wash.

(2) Chicken wings has three parts and to imitate restaurant style wings I cut these parts into individual pieces.

But if this is too much work, you can always cook it whole. When deep frying whole wings, you will need more oil so it is immersed in oil to evenly cook. Baking will be much easier too when these portions are cut.

But again, do what suits you best.

Stretch out the chicken wings and cut the wing tips (end part) also called the flapper. Now, you are left with the portions served in restaurants. The drumette which is the meatiest part and the flap is the middle portion.

Tips: It is easier to cut the drumette and flap if you break the joint with your hands then slice it with a knife.

Don’t discard your wing tips, store it back in the freezer and use it to make stock.

(3) Combine garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Season chicken wings with ½ of seasonings. Reserve the other ½ for breading.

(4) Make chicken wings breading. Combine all-purpose flour and remaining seasonings.

Evenly coat wings with breading. Cover bowl with saran wrap (plastic) or seal zip lock bag and refrigerate for 90 minutes.

Tip: When refrigerated, breading will get sticky and will yield crispy chicken wings similar to restaurant style wings. Don’t skip this process!

(5) Before deep frying or baking, prepare sweet and spicy sauce. In a small sauce pan over low heat, combine hot sauce, butter,  honey, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and ground black pepper.

Stir until butter is melted and mixture well blended. Turn off heat and set aside.

Note: For spicier sauce, add more hot sauce and decrease butter and vice versa.

(6) Deep Frying Chicken Wings - Heat oil in a pan or deep fryer to 375 degrees F. Pour enough oil to cover wings about 1 inch or so. Fry wings for 10 to 15 minutes or until wings turn brown or depending on your cooking preference.

Transfer cooked wings in wire rack while waiting for others to cook.

Baking Chicken Wings – Preheat oven at 350 degrees F and place wings in a row separated from each in greased baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes and turn over to the other side after 20 minutes.

After 45 minutes, spray wings with olive oil and raise temperature to 375 degrees F for 10 minutes then broil at 375 for 2 to 3 minutes or depending on your preference.

Deep fried or baked chicken wings are equally delicious, but I prefer deep frying for crispier wings.

Note: I usually use my deep fryer when making wings but this time I wanted to show on my video deep frying on stove top.

Don’t make the same mistake, I used a non-stick pan. I waited overnight to transfer oil and ooey gooey where sticking at the upper area of my pan. Washing doesn’t easily take out this sticky flour mixture. I boiled water in pan and pushing this gunk with a spatula.

Aside from oil splattered around the stove even though I used a splatter, more work to wash my non-stick pan.

I don’t know what I was thinking, I should use my aluminum pan when deep frying. Anyway, I love my deep fryer, one of the best investment in my kitchen. No fuss, no mess.

(7) Place wings in a bowl and pour sweet and spicy sauce. Stir until wings are fully coated with sauce. Another option is to serve the sauce on the side.

Note: If you have kids, set aside some pieces of wings without sauce. Sauce might be too hot for them.

Warm leftover wings in the microwave or in the oven. But for a crispier wings, deep fry quickly.

Try Other Breaded Chicken Dish

Fried Chicken Tenders
Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings

Seasoned breaded chicken wings, deep fried or baked with crispy skin and moist, tender meat coated with sweet and spicy sauce.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 1741kcal

Ingredients

• 4 pounds chicken wings about 10 wings
• oil for frying

Chicken Wings & Breading Seasonings

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Chicken Wings Breading

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

Sweet and Spicy Sauce

• ½ cup hot sauce some hot sauce are hotter than others
• ¼ cup butter
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup honey
• 3 – 4 tablespoons brown sugar adjust the amount to your preference

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cut wings. Discard wing tips.
• Combine garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Use ½ of seasonings to season chicken wings. Reserve the remaining half for the breading.
• In a bowl or zip lock bag, combine flour and the remaining ½ of seasonings. Place wings and coat with flour mixture.
• Cover bowl or seal zip lock bag and refrigerate for 90 minutes. This will make flour coating sticky and will yield crispy chicken wings.
• In a small sauce pan over low heat, combine butter, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, honey, brown sugar and ground black pepper. Stir until butter is melted and mixture well blended. Turn off heat and set aside.
• Heat oil in pan or deep fryer to 375 degrees F. Pour just enough oil to cover wings about 1 inch or so. Don’t overcrowd wings, do it in batches to maintain oil temperature. Fry for 10 to 15 minutes or until wings turns brown or depending on your cooking preference.
• While waiting for the rest of wings to cook, place cooked wings in a wire rack to keep it crispy, not on paper towel.
• Place wings in a bowl and pour sweet and spicy sauce. Stir until wings are fully coated with sauce.
• Serve with a side of carrots, celery and blue cheese dressing.

Video

Notes

1. If you like it spicier, add more hot sauce then reduce butter and vice versa.
2. Discard the wing tips or put it back in freezer to make stock.
3. Baking Chicken Wings Instruction – Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Place wings in a row separated from each in a greased baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes and turn over to the other side after 20 minutes. After 45 minutes, spray wings with olive oil and raise temperature to 375 degrees F for 10 minutes then broil at 375 for 2 to 3 minutes or depending on your preference.
4. Deep fried or baked chicken wings are equally delicious, but I prefer deep frying for crispier wings.

Nutrition

Calories: 1741kcal | Carbohydrates: 110g | Protein: 96g | Fat: 102g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Cholesterol: 438mg | Sodium: 2879mg | Potassium: 945mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 72g | Vitamin A: 1981IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 8mg

Adapted from AllRecipes.