Sticky Buffalo Honey Hot Wings coated in a flavorful rub then smothered in a perfect marriage of honey, molasses and Hot Wings Sauce. I’ve also included a recipe for the BEST traditional Hot Wings.
Usually I am a pretty decisive person. Whenever I was going on a date in college, my roommate would tease me “you’ll know tonight”- meaning I wouldn’t waste his or my time with a second date if I didn’t think it was going anywhere. I had a lot of first and last dates.
When it comes to food, I am also usually pretty decisive. But when it comes to which variation of hot sauce concoction to smother your wings with (traditional hot sauce, honey hot sauce, or a combo of the two) I am really indecisive. In this case of win-win-win sauces, I just couldn’t bring myself to pick which sauce I liked best – or thought you would like best – it would be like choosing your favorite child – they are all special and different. So I’ve included three variations of hot sauces that you can choose from depending on your mood and you can start with the Buffalo Honey Hot Wings if you are indecisive. But the great news is, you can’t go wrong with any of the sauces, especially when the wings themselves are to live for smothered in the tantalizing rub.
So I guess the real question is, not what sauce you will pick, but rather, Are you ready for the BEST Buffalo Wings – ever?!!! As in even better than any “wings” place you have ever been to? And easy enough that you will never be tempted to buy wings again? In fact, when Patrick and I went out on a double date to a wings joint, we both left feeling completely cheated. Cheated we had spent our hard earned money on wings that may be good by the world’s standards but mediocre compared to the standard of these Buffalo Hot Wings. Its a high standard.
These wings are layered in spices, crispy on the outside yet juicy on the inside and smothered in hot sauce or honey hot sauce. They are packed with flavor from a rub of chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, etc. and baking powder to make them crispy.
You won’t be able to taste the baking powder but in simplified terms it helps draw moisture to the surface of the skin where it evaporates, breaks down proteins within the skin and accelerates the browning process resulting in crispy, baked wings.
To achieve this finger licking goodness, all you do is line your pan (for easy clean up), add your wings to a bag to shake with the spices and bake until crispy.
Then you toss in your simple sauce of a little butter, honey, molasses and hot sauce.
So every crispy wing is smothered in tangy sweet hotness.
These wings are so good, I was eating them at every stage – baked with only the rub, baked with the rub and smothered in sauce and then baked with the rub, smothered in sauce then dipped in blue cheese sauce. If I didn’t have pictures I would have lost count of how many wings this recipe makes! In addition to their delish factor, these wings make the perfect appetizer for any occasion (like New Year’s coming up!) because all of the prep can be done beforehand and because everyone loves crispy smothered chicken that you get to dip and dip and dip…
Now for a little breakdown of the 3 sauces:
1. Traditional Buffalo Hot Wings Sauce tastes like traditional hot wings flavor by combining hot sauce, molasses and butter – traditional and amazing.
2. Buffalo Honey Hot Wings Sauce (pictured in this post) is a balance of honey and hot sauce for the sweet and spicy combination I adore. This sauce also uses molasses and butter but the primary ingredient is honey which is then spiced with hot WINGS sauce instead of regular hot sauce – which is much spicier than traditional hot sauce allowing you to use less of it and can keep honey as the main ingredient. You can adjust the heat to your liking.
3. Buffalo Mild Honey Hot Wings Sauce is a fusion of the above two recipes with a hint of sticky honey and a slightly milder heat due to the addition of honey and the use of original hot sauce (NOT hot wings sauce). If you still want a hint of honey but like hotter wings, add some Hot Wings Sauce to spice them up (but only add the hot wings sauce if you like HOT).
Can you see my indecisiveness? I just had to share all the sauces because they are each lip smacking delicious depending on what you are looking for. And I’m sure you will find what you are looking for. And more, much more. With one bite, you’ll “know tonight” these wings were meant for you.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 60 minutes |
| Servings | chicken wings |
- 24 chicken wings with skin rinsed and patted dry (approx 3 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground celery seed
- (Hot sauce unites with a touch of molasses for the traditional hot wings flavor)
- 2/3 cup Frank's ORIGINAL Hot Sauce (NOT hot wings sauce) mixed with 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon butter
- (Honey is the dominant ingredient in this sauce for sticky hot wings while still being hot by using Hot WINGS sauce)
- 2-3 tablespoons Frank's Hot WINGS Sauce (NOT original hot sauce like above) mixed with 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoons molasses
- 2/3 cup Frank's ORIGINAL Hot Sauce (NOT hot wings sauce) mixed with 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1-3 teaspoons Hot Wings Sauce (Optional for hotter wings)
Ingredients
Rub
Traditional Buffalo Hot Wings Sauce
Buffalo Honey Hot Wings Sauce
Buffalo Mild Honey Hot Wings
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- Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. Top baking sheet with baking rack/oven proof cooling rack and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together Rub Ingredients. Add half of the Rub to a large freezer bag. Add half of the wings and shake until coated evenly. Line wings on prepared baking rack so they are not touching. Add remaining Rub ingredients and wings to freezer bag and repeat.
- Bake on upper middle rack for 45-50 minutes. Move oven rack approximately 6-8" from broiler and broil to desired crispiness, watching closely so they don't burn. Flip chicken wings over and broil the other side until crispy.
- The prep for all of the sauces is the same. **While wings are cooling, melt butter over medium heat. Add remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer until slightly thickened, approximately 3-5 minutes. Taste and add additional hot sauce for spicier sauces/more honey for sweeter.
- When chicken is done, add to a large bowl and pour over sauce. Gently toss wings with a spatula until evenly coated.
- Serve with desired Blue Cheese/ Ranch Dip, etc. dip
- Dig in!
Start with the Buffalo Honey Hot Wings if you aren't sure what to try first 🙂
**You don't want to make the sauce in advance or it will become too thick.
***See BELOW for more delicious recipes to use up your bottle of Frank's Hot WINGS sauce.
Carlsbad Cravings Original
Other delicious uses for your bottle of Frank’s Hot Wing’s Sauce:
Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Meatballs (Slow Cooker)
Baked Buffalo Popcorn Chicken with Creamy Honey Buffalo Dip
Smothered Buffalo Chicken Burritos
Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Salsa Chicken (Slow Cooker)
15 Minute Beefy Buffalo Mac & Cheese
Never miss a Carlsbad Cravings Creation:
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SEE MORE RECIPES HERE
You might also like:
Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Meatballs
Buffalo Chicken Dip Stuffed French Bread
Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with BBQ Sauce
35 Minute No Rise No Wait Stromboli
Follow Carlsbad Cravings (Jen)’s board Carlsbad Cravings Recipes on Pinterest.
Ria says
i just finished eating these! They came out so good. The dry rub is also good…so good that i almost didn’t use the hot sauce!!! But I did and they came out good, I love that it’s baked and I am deff saving your recipe! Hubby loved them too!
Jen says
Awesome, so happy you both loved them so much Ria! Hope you find more recipes to love here!
Erin says
Has anyone tried to make this in the crockpot? I came to Pinterest looking for the best way to make wings in the crockpot and I stumbled upon this post with all different sorts of sauces, just the kind of sauces I like for that matter. Would the proportions change if it’s in the crockpot rather than baking?
Erin says
*** UPDATE ***
I tried it in the crockpot tonight and it was just as amazing! I put the wings in the crockpot with the mild honey buffalo wing sauce and let it cook for 2.5 hours then stirred and cooked another 2.5 hours stirring occasionally. After 5 hours I took the wings out and put them on a baking sheet lined with foil and broiled for 5 ish minutes with some extra sauce on top. They were perfect! Fall off the bone wings! Will use this sauce again.. Might not do it in the crockpot again though.
Jen says
Hi Erin, I am thrilled this turned out delicious in the crockpot and that you loved the sauce! Thank you so much for trying them and for sharing your slow cooker method!
Jen says
Hi Erin, I am thrilled this turned out delicious in the crockpot and that you loved the sauce! Thank you so much for trying them and for sharing your slow cooker method!
Zeenat says
Hi
Is it molasses sugar you use or the syrup?
Thanks
Jen says
Hi there, it is the unsulphered molasses that usually comes in a jar. It looks like this click HERE
Ginny says
I stumbled upon your blog through Incredible Recipes on FB. What wonderful recipes. For a neighborhood get-together, I combined two of your recipes. I used the rub from the Buffalo Honey Hot Wings recipe and the sauce from the Buffalo Meatballs recipe. Instead of baking, I browned the wings lightly in coconut oil. From there, they bathed in a slow cooker with the sauce. Incredible! Even one of my “sons” who is a very picky eater wanted to know how to make them. Score!
Jen says
Hi Ginny, Welcome to my blog – I am so happy you found my through IC! And oh my goodness, I am salivating over the method/combination you used – I cannot wait to try that myself! So happy it was a hit! I hope you have fun exploring and trying new recipes!
Ciara says
Is there something instead of molasses
Jen says
Hi Ciara, it won’t be quite the same but you could substitute honey. Enjoy!
Holly says
Jen,
The Buffalo Mild Honey Hot Wings were AMAZING!!! My whole entire family enjoyed them…they were all over them. Thanks so much for the recipe. I can not wait to try your others <3
Jen says
YAY! Thank you so much Holly! I love hearing your entire family loved them and I that you were able to use the “mild” version to suit everyone 🙂 I hope you have fun trying my other recipes!
Samantha says
This was great!! Made it for my husband and 6 year old son..they loved it! It’s so hard to find something that my son will actually eat so this will definitely be a keeper. They made me do half and half.half with just the dry rub and the other half with the honey buffalo sauce. Thanks for the recipe!
Jen says
Hi Samantha, I am so happy this was a winner with everyone! It sounds like your son has quite the palate – I ‘m glad he knows what good hot wings taste like 🙂 I hope you find some recipes here you all will love!
Eusenia says
If I cook it with frozen wings how much longer should I cook it ?
Jen says
Hi Eusenia, I wouldn’t recommend using frozen wings unless you thaw them first otherwise the rub won’t work. In any case, I am not sure as I have only used thawed wings- sorry!
linda says
These looks so good I cant wait to try these out ,My favorite food are wings I could eat them everyday !!!I am glad I came across this recipe and I love that we can change the serving sizes as well , I m not that good with larger measurements , what would 1.25 teaspoons= ,0.50tablespoons=,2.50tablespoons=??
Jen says
Thank you Linda, I could eat wings every day too! I am not sure I understand your question regarding the measurements? What are you trying to convert to?
linda says
I’m trying to convert to make 30 wings its said 5 servings makes 30 wings and the measurements that I don’t know how to covert to make 30 wings is 2.50 teaspoons,2.50 tablespoons,1.25tablespoons,1.25teaspoons & 5/8cup??
Jen says
Hi Linda, the recipe as written makes 24 wings so I think its close enough to just follow the same measurements – maybe making the measurements “heaping” – that would be the easiest and still taste great!
tara says
How come I see this now?? ( 2 yrs later) but perfect for watching the upcoming Rose bowl game with my PSU! GO LIONS! Yes these will be delicious I’m already thinking of doing a trial run around Christmas…just to make sure 🙂
Jen says
It is easy to miss recipes that are a couple years old when there are new ones all the time but this is definitely a classic – SO so good! I hope you do do the trial run around Christmas and love them – you can never have too many reasons to make Buffalo Hot Wings! Thanks and Merry Christmas Tara!
Brooke R says
Oh my gosh!!! This rub is amazing!! I couldn’t make the hot sauces because my husband is a baby, but I used the rub along with a BBQ/buffalo sauce and the wings turned out incredible. I will definitely be saving this recipe.
BBQ/buffalo sauce:
– 1 cup BBQ sauce
– 1/2 cup honey
– 2 tablespoons ketchup
– 2 tablespoons hot sauce
– 4 tablespoons butter
– 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Jen says
Hi Brooke, I’m so happy you loved the rub and so glad you were able to use your own delicious BBQ sauce – sounds amazing!!
Carla says
Oh my goodness. I made these last night. After they were done my husband walked in the door and I asked him to try one, afraid he was not going to like them because he only likes “breaded wings”.Well…….. He loved them!!!!
Thank you so much, they were delicious! I left some without the sauce for my daughter who does not eat anything spicy and she loved them too. Because they are already delicious before the sauce goes on them!!!
And I love the fact that not deep frying is needed. 🙂
I cannot wait to try some other of your recipes!!
Jen says
Hi Carla, I am so thrilled this was a hit with your entire family – even your breaded wing lover! I hope you have fun exploring my site and trying new recipes! I hope you find some more new favorites!
Andrew Upton says
Hello !
I am in England and I just found your website on Facebook !
I am going to make your Buffalo Honey Hot wings and Traditional Buffalo Hot wings, but I can’t find a recipe for your Blue Cheese Dip 🙁
Do you have a link please ?
Thank you
Jen says
Andrew, welcome to my site! I don’t have a blue cheese dip recipe – sorry about that! I hope you love the wings though!
Amanda says
Hi these look great but is one spicier than the other ? I would like to do these for my sons bday but not sure if it will be too spicy for the kids
Jen says
Hi Amanda, as described in the post the Buffalo Mild Honey Hot Wings are the least spicy – you can add more or less hot sauce to taste to make them kid friendly. Happy birthday to your son!
Susan says
I just want to make this sticky buffalo wings..Instead of baking can i just fry the wings instead? Cos my oven is not working right now. Thanks
Jen says
HI Susan, I don’t see why not!
Paula Phillips says
I bumped into your site after trying to find sticky wings. I am going to try your recipe but I am unable to find Frank’s hot sauce as I live in Jamaica. Could you suggest a substitute?
Jen says
Hi Paula, I would substitute your favorite hot sauce. As heat varies, I would start with less and add more to taste. Enjoy!
Virginia Graves says
Your site is the greatest. I love the 1 page recipes, saves me paper. I am going to try some of these scrumptious recipes at a church pot luck I love your site. I see you prefer small chicken pieces, so do I they get more sauce on them. thank you so much for sharing.
Jen says
You are so sweet, thank you for your awesome comment Virginia! I hope these wings are a big hit!
Ryan Kendrick says
I’m making 7lbs of wings for super bowl, how much longer do I have to bake the wings? Also, I already made my sauce in advance.is that a big deal? Thanks
Jen says
Hi Ryan, You shouldn’t have to cook your wings much longer because the wing size is the same. I would just check one of the larger wings before you broil to make sure they are done. As far as the wings sauce, it will definitely thicken if made in advance- not a big deal just something to be aware of you. You will need to reheat it over the stove and add a little water to thin it out while stirring. You can also add some butter to help thin it out. Hope that helps, enjoy!
Abi says
Hi Jen! Love all your recipes that I’ve tried so far! Keep ’em coming!
Question – if i wanted to use the rub as a marinade for boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs, I would omit the baking powder and add some olive oil? Your recommendation if using these bigger pieces- baked or pan-fried?
Jen says
I love hearing that, thanks Abi! You are exactly right, you would skip the baking powder and add in some olive oil. If using bigger pieces I would sear on the stove then transfer to the oven to finish baking. I hope that helps!
DJ says
Delicious! I cooked wings last night using this recipe. The rub was great – even though I didn’t have celery salt. I will be using this recipe from now on for my chicken and will – in the future – switch up the sauce as the rub is everything. PS: I added BBQ sauce. ❤
Jen says
Thanks DJ, I’m thrilled you loved the rub! What a great idea to use the rub and switch up the sauces – I am going to have to try that!