Oven baked honey teriyaki chicken wings are cooked to crispy, golden perfection and then smothered in a sweet and salty homemade teriyaki sauce. With just five minutes of prep time, they’re easy to prepare and are always a crowd-pleasing appetizer on game days!
These wings are inspired by a popular teriyaki chicken dish I used to make when I worked at a Chinese restaurant in California. I’ve since learned that teriyaki is a Japanese food, but that’s a story for a different day.
The secret to making wings even better than restaurant versions is preparing your own teriyaki sauce. That way, you can control the taste and texture, and it always turns out great.
Why you’ll love this recipe
With a five-star rating, I promise these baked teriyaki chicken wings never disappoint!
- Sweet and savory – Sweet, tangy, and salty, these wings have it all and leave you licking your fingers to get every last drop of flavor.
- Crispy wings without frying – I bake this recipe the same way I do my Jamaican jerk chicken wings, using a method I learned from Cook’s Illustrated. They turn out crispy on the outside with a juicy center every single time!
- Quick and easy weeknight dinner – Just five minutes of prep time is all you need. Then, the oven does all the heavy lifting, and all you have to do is finish the sauce. Don’t worry. The steps are simple!
Serve these wings alongside a game day snack board, and you’ll always be a winner, regardless of the score of the game.
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Pin ItKey Ingredient Notes
Chicken Wings
- Chicken wings – You’ll need two pounds of chicken wings for this recipe. I use wings that are split at the joints, and discard the wingtips.
- Baking powder – This is key to achieving a crisp, golden skin!
Teriyaki Sauce
- Soy sauce – I use regular Japanese soy sauce. You could probably also substitute tamari or coconut aminos, but I haven’t tried it personally.
- Mirin – A type of Japanese sweet rice wine, this is an essential ingredient in the sauce! On its own, it has a fairly mild taste, but it balances the sweet and salty flavors nicely. Find it in the Asian or vinegar sections of your local grocery store.
- Honey – Choose raw and unfiltered honey for the best flavor. I recommend starting with just a little bit and adding more to taste.
- Ginger – This adds a delicious, tangy taste. You can use fresh ginger or ginger paste.
- Cornstarch – This acts as a thickening agent, allowing us to achieve a smooth consistency that sticks to the wings without becoming too gloppy like store-bought sauces can be.
How to make honey teriyaki chicken wings
1. Bake the chicken wings
Preheat your oven to 450°F, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Then, place a wire rack on top.
- Pat the chicken wings dry using a clean paper towel.
- Toss the wings with the baking powder and salt, making sure to coat them completely.
- Arrange the wings on the prepared wire rack, shaking off any excess baking powder.
- Bake until golden and crispy, turning over halfway through cooking. This usually takes about 30 minutes!
- Broil the wings for 5 minutes for an extra crispy exterior. Then, remove them from the oven.
Use a meat thermometer
I always use an instant-read thermometer like a Thermapen to ensure my wings reach an internal temperature of 165°F, meaning they’re fully cooked and safe to eat.
2. Make the teriyaki sauce
I like to prepare the sauce while the wings are baking so that nothing gets cold. But you can also make this sauce a few days in advance.
- Combine all the ingredients except the cornstarch in a small saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally.
- Combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. This is called a cornstarch slurry!
- Pour the slurry into the boiling sauce.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness.
3. Toss and serve
- Transfer the baked wings to a large bowl.
- Pour half the sauce on top, and toss to coat.
- Enjoy warm with more sauce for dipping!
Save the sauce
You likely will not use all the sauce. Reserve leftovers to use with teriyaki salmon meatballs or as a condiment.
Tips for Success
- Pat the wings dry. Use a clean paper towel to pat the wings dry before adding the salt and cornstarch. This ensures the dry ingredients stick and helps achieve a crispy skin.
- Avoid overcrowding. It’s important to arrange the wings in a single layer on the wire rack, leaving space between each piece. This will help them cook evenly and allow all the sides to become nice and crisp.
- Flip the wings. Don’t forget to turn your wings over halfway through baking. This ensures that the wings crisp up on all sides.
- Adjust the sauce. Feel free to adjust the teriyaki sauce to suit your preferences. For instance, you can add more honey if you like it extra sweet. Or, stir in extra soy sauce for a stronger salty, umami taste. Then, cook it a little longer, or add more slurry if you prefer a thicker consistency.
- Rest the wings. Don’t toss the wings in the sauce immediately after baking. Instead, let them cool slightly and then toss them with the sauce to prevent them from becoming soggy. This also allows the natural juices to redistribute, keeping the meat tender and juicy.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can prepare the honey teriyaki chicken wing sauce up to a week in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, when you’re ready to serve, simply warm it in a saucepan over medium heat or in 20-second intervals in the microwave.
Storing Tips
- Store leftover honey teriyaki chicken wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze leftover wings for up to 3 months. To do so, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and transfer them to the freezer for a few hours or until solid. Then, transfer them to a sealable bag. Thaw the wings in the refrigerator overnight when you’re ready to serve.
- Reheat your wings in the oven or air fryer at 400°F just until warmed through. Avoid using the microwave, or they’re likely to become soggy!
FAQs
For these wings, I always add the teriyaki sauce after cooking. Otherwise, they’re not likely to turn out crispy. However, for other recipes, you can add teriyaki sauce before cooking or even use it as a marinade.
I often serve this recipe as part of an appetizer platter alongside options like jalapeño poppers, hot honey chicken wings, and savory puff pastry twists.
However, they’re also great to serve as a weeknight meal with sides such as vegetable fried rice, sushi rice, or baked steak fries.
Yes, you absolutely can! However, I may be biased, but my homemade sauce is much tastier and easy to adjust to the perfect consistency.
More Chicken Recipes
Honey Terriyaki Chicken Wings
Ingredients
For wings:
- 2 lbs (1 kg) chicken wings split at the joints and wingtips discarded
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
For teriyaki sauce:
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- 3 tablespoons regular Japanese soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons Mirin sweet rice wine
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) raw honey
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or fresh ginger paste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
To bake the chicken wings
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
- Thoroughly dry the chicken wings with a paper towel.
- In a large bowl, toss the wings with baking powder and salt until they are evenly coated.
- Arrange on a prepared wire rack, shaking off the excess baking powder.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F, turning once halfway.
- Broil the wings for 5 minutes for extra crispness, before removing from oven.
To make the teriyaki sauce
- Meanwhile, prepare the teriyaki sauce. In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients, except for cornstarch.
- Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking it occasionally.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir until smooth.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the boiling sauce and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until it reaches the desired thickness.
To finish the chicken wings
- Place the wings in a large bowl. Pour half of the sauce over them and toss well. (You will most likely not use all the sauce. Reserve the leftovers for another use.)
⭐️ Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a review and let us know how you liked it!
Tips & Notes
– Store leftover honey teriyaki chicken wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
– Freeze leftover wings for up to 3 months. To do so, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and transfer them to the freezer for a few hours or until solid. Then, transfer them to a sealable bag. Thaw the wings in the refrigerator overnight when you’re ready to serve.
– Reheat your wings in the oven or air fryer at 400°F just until warmed through. Avoid using the microwave, or they’re likely to become soggy!
Nutrition
Shinee, this is great. I would love you to stop by Food on Friday: Chicken over at Carole’s Chatter to add this to the recipe collection! Cheers!
Thanks, Carole!!
These wings look amazing. I have never heard of adding baking powder. I have heard of adding corn starch to make chicken crisp. I can’t wait to try these
.
Bev
Thanks, Bev!
This recipe looks DELISH! We are from WNY so we love our wings, especially grilling them outside when the weather is nice WHICH it is supposed to be this week. I’ll have to try baking with your method – thanks for sharing this, pinned!
Katie, grilled wings sound amazing! Too bad it’s pretty cold here up north! Definitely trying that next summer. Thanks for stopping by.
I love chicken wings, but not the really hot, spicy kind. These sound like they’re calling my name, so I’ve already printed it out. Stopping by from Tatertots and Jello.
Awesome, hope you enjoy them as much as we did. Thanks, Carol!
Hi Shinee, these chicken wings look soooo delicious! I prefer the Asian flavors instead of the regular Buffalo style, too. I guess it’s the sweet and hot together. My family will love these!
Thank you, Sandra!
I can’t wait to try these wings. I don’t do tailgating, but I love wings – and with a sweet and spicy sauce – yum! Your photos are always so appetizing, and in this case, they make me want to run down to the freezer, pull out the wings I have there and start cooking!
Haha yeah, I don’t necessarily wait for tailgating to whip some tasty wings! So go for it, girl! Thanks, Laura!
This looks like perfect game day eats!
Thanks, Medha!