Crispy baked chicken wings flavored with honey mustard
Honey mustard chicken wings are a beloved classic: sticky and sweet, with a tangy mustard bite and a hint of heat from chili flakes. They make an ideal snack for game day or a casual gathering. While frozen, pre-made wings are convenient, they often contain excess fat and sodium. Making wings at home is straightforward, and the results are fresher, crispier, and far more satisfying.
Chicken wings are perfect finger food and pair especially well with watching sports. A basket of wings, plenty of napkins and a cold drink — whether beer, soda, or a refreshing cocktail — are all you need for a winning spread. These honey mustard wings deliver a great balance of sweet and sharp flavors that please both kids and adults, and they travel well to parties or potlucks.
What are chicken wings?
Chicken wings consist of three sections. The drumette, which is the meatiest piece attached to the bird’s body, resembles a small drumstick. The middle section, often called the wingette or flat, connects the drumette to the tip. The tip is thin and contains little meat and is frequently discarded or reserved for stocks. Most recipes use the drumette and wingette for the best eating experience.
How to separate chicken wings
Wings can be bought already separated into drumettes and wingettes, but whole wings are often less expensive. To separate them yourself, use a sharp knife to cut through the joint between each section. The thin tip can be discarded or saved for making stock. Cutting wings makes them easier to eat and to season evenly.
The secret to crispy chicken wings
Frying produces a familiar crunch, but baking can deliver excellent crispiness with less oil if you use a simple trick: baking powder. Pat wings thoroughly dry, then toss them in a mixture of baking powder, salt and seasonings. The baking powder helps the skin dry and crisp in the oven without deep-frying. Place wings on a rack over a drip tray when possible so hot air circulates around them and excess fat drains away. If you prefer, drying wings in the refrigerator overnight helps further, but patting them dry well with paper towels works fine for a quick method.
How to make honey mustard sauce
Homemade honey mustard sauce takes only minutes to make and uses pantry staples. A basic version combines honey, brown sugar and yellow mustard for sweetness and tang. Add mustard seeds and dry mustard for texture and depth, a pinch of chili flakes for heat, and season with salt and pepper. Adjust the mustard type to taste — yellow mustard for bright tang or Dijon for a smoother, sharper profile. This sauce both bastes and coats the wings for a sticky, flavorful finish.
More great finger food ideas
White bean stuffed artichoke hearts
Greek-style nachos
Bruschetta
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Honey mustard chicken wings
Equipment
- Baking rack with drip tray (ideal) — see notes
- Baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken wings
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
For the sauce
- ½ cup (125 mL) honey
- ⅓ cup (80 mL) yellow mustard (or Dijon if preferred)
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- Cooking spray or vegetable oil for baking
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare the wings by cutting through the joint that connects the drumette, wingette and tip. Discard or reserve tips for stock. You will be cooking the drumettes and wingettes.
- Pat the wings dry with paper towels.
- In a medium bowl, mix baking powder, dry mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Add the wings to the bowl and toss with your hands to coat them evenly in the baking powder mixture.
- Arrange the wings on a greased rack set over a baking tray, or directly on a lightly oiled baking tray. Ensure wings are not touching so air can circulate.
- Bake in the lower third of the oven for about 20 minutes, flipping once after 10 minutes.
- While wings bake, whisk together all sauce ingredients in a large bowl: honey, yellow mustard, brown sugar, mustard seeds, chili flakes, dry mustard, salt and pepper.
- Remove the wings from the oven and transfer a few at a time into the bowl with sauce. Toss to coat, then place the sauced wings onto a greased baking pan for the final bake.
- Return the wings to the oven for another 10 minutes, stirring once at the 5-minute mark so the glaze sets evenly.
- Serve hot and enjoy.
Notes
For maximum crispiness, first bake the wings on a rack over a drip tray so fat drains away. When you toss them with sauce and finish baking, you can use a regular baking pan. If you don’t have a rack, using a single baking tray for all steps still produces great results—just leave space between pieces for airflow.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 51 g |
Protein: 26 g |
Fat: 23 g |
Sodium: 1248 mg