Honey Soy Chicken Wings (蜂蜜烤翅)

Experimenting is a great thing. But sometimes sticking to tradition is even better.

Chicken wings are one of our favorite items for summer grilling. I’ve been testing out different ways to cook honey soy chicken wings since summer began, trying to find a faster way to get the wings ready without marinating them.

I tried different formulas to create a thick enough glaze to brush onto the wings during grilling.  My idea was that I could simply season the wings with salt and pepper, cook them until almost done, then brush on the sauce to finish them up. The result was good, but I found that it required a lot of work. The sauce would fall through the cooking grate and I had to brush multiple layers to impart enough flavor.

After many attempts, I went back to the good ol’ fashioned way – marinating the wings before cooking. The cooking process was reliably simple and the results were great. No matter whether you plan to fire up the grill or bake them in the oven, this recipe works.

You do need to be fairly organized during prep. It requires at least 2 hours of marinating. If possible, try to marinate the wings for a few hours or preferably overnight. The marinade will penetrate the wings thoroughly and the meat will be seasoned evenly, not just on the surface.

I saved the honey till the end. Adding honey into the marinade will cause the wing surface to burn quickly, so you should apply the honey glaze at the end of the cooking. If you’re cooking this dish in the oven, you can apply the honey glaze halfway through the baking. The wings will have a sticky, shiny, and beautifully charred surface in the end.

These wings are the perfect party snack, but we enjoy serving them on movie night, too. We usually throw some asparagus and eggplant onto the grill after cooking the wings, and serve everything with beer while watching TV shows. It is so much fun, and healthy too!

Craving more chicken wing recipes? Check out lemon chicken wings, oven fried wings with Korean BBQ sauce, easy baked wings, and Coca-cola chicken wings.

If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), take a picture, and tag it #omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

Honey Soy Chicken Wings (蜂蜜烤翅)

By Maggie Zhu

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 2 hours hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

0.5x1x2x3x

Save RecipeSaved Recipe Print

An easy snack that is perfect for your summer grilling party or weekend movie night!

Ingredients 

• 3 pounds chicken wings

Marinade

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine (or Japanese sake)
• 1 tablespoon ginger , minced
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Glaze

• 1/4 cup honey

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl.
• Add chicken wings into a large ziplock bag. Pour in the marinade. Massage the bag to evenly disperse the marinade. Let marinate for at least 2 hours, or in the fridge overnight.

To cook on the grill

• Light one chimney full of charcoal. When the charcoal at the top of the chimney is lit, put on heat resistant gloves, and pour the charcoal over one half of the coal grate to create a moderate two-zone fire. Set the cooking grate in place, cover the grill, and preheat for 5 minutes. Clean the cooking grate.
• Arrange wings over direct fire. You’ll probably need to cook in two batches. Cook until both sides turn golden. Flip twice and rearrange the wings if necessary. Move wings to indirect heat. Cook until cooked through.
• Brush a thin layer of honey over both sides of each wing. Return wings to direct heat. Cook briefly so that chicken skin caramelizes. Transfer to a serving tray immediately. Continue to cook the remaining batch.

To bake in the oven

• Preheat oven to 220 degrees C (430 F). Line a large baking tray with aluminum foil. Spray a thin layer of oil onto the foil.
• Arrange chicken wings on the tray, skin side down, one finger’s width apart. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Brush chicken wings with honey. Flip and brush the other side, as well.
• Return the tray to the oven and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the wings are cooked through and the color turns golden brown.
• Serve warm as appetizer or snack.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Have a question or feedback? Add a Comment

Did you make this? I want to see! Tag @OmnivoresCookbook on Instagram, and rate the recipe below.