Baked Firecracker Chicken Wings Recipe

Love spicy & sticky chicken wings? Look no further, this Baked Firecracker Chicken Wings recipe is the perfect spicy Asian wing for any occasion!

Game days our sacred in our house, and we love gathering together to watch and enjoy football together. This Firecracker Chicken Wing Recipe is the best game day appetizer for a crowd, or makes a great main for dinner.

The sauce is inspired by Chinese cuisine and packs a lot of spice and pepper punch. My husband and I love spicy food, making these wings perfect for us. The chicken wings are baked in the over for the perfect combination of crispy wing and sticky sauce.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken Wings: You can use a mix of chicken wingette's and drumette's or a combination of both like I did. Either way try and make sure all the wings are a similar size so that they cook evenly.
• Honey: Brown sugar can be used in place of honey if you wish.
• Chili Garlic Sauce: This sauce can be found in the Asian food section of most grocery stores. Note that this sauce and Chili Sauce are completely different, so make sure you use the correct one for these Firecracker Wings.

Why You'll Love These Wings
The Perfect Combination of Crispy, Sticky & Spicy
Can be Baked, Grilled or Air Fried
Perfect for a Party Appetizer or Weeknight Dinner

Step By Step

Prepare the Wings

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F and prepare a large baking sheet with cooking spray and wire rack.
2. Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels, then add all your chicken wings to a large ziplock bag or prep bowl. Add in all the spices and baking powder over top of the wings. Close the bag, removing all the air and shake to evenly coat the wings. Alternatively, you could toss the wings and spices in a large prep bowl.
3. Spray the wire rack with cooking spray then add the chicken wing on the top of the rack evenly spaced apart.
4. Bake the wings on the center rack of you oven for 40 minutes (flipping halfway through) or until internal temperature reads 165 degrees F.

Prefer Your Grill or Air Fryer?
Check out my Air Fryer Wings or Grilled Chicken Wings recipes for detailed instructions on how to grill or air fry these Chinese Firecracker Wings. The sauce instructions, and broiling stay the same, but the wing prep and cook will be different depending on which method you choose.

Make the Firecracker Sauce

1. Add all of the Firecracker sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and whisk to combine.
2. Heat on medium heat until lightly boiling then reduced heat to low and let sauce simmer until reduced, about 7 minutes. The sauce should be sorta thick, jam-like and sticky.
3. Once the sauce has reduced remove from heat and keep warm until chicken wings are finished baking.

Finishing Touches

1. Once the chicken wings have finished baking, remove from the baking sheet and let cool in a bowl for 5 minutes.
2. Add half the sauce over top of the wings and toss gently to combine. You can stop here and enjoy them, OR broil them. I like to broil them to get that "sticky" effect but it is optional. To broil, place the sauce chicken wings back on the baking tray and broil for 3-5 minutes on high until sticky. Be sure to not burn them. Once finish removed from the baking tray and prepare to serve.
3. Top the finished chicken wings with toasted garlic flakes, sesame seeds, and chopped green onions then serve with reserved firecracker sauce, or siracha ranch dip.

FAQS

How Should Leftover Wings be Stored?
Store leftover baked chicken wings in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Rewarm in the microwave or oven before enjoying.

Pro Tips

Pat them Dry
Be sure to pat the wings dry with paper towels before tossing them in the coating mixture. Patting them dry helps the breading stick, making the wings crispy. It also will help the sauce stick later on.

Let them Cool
After the chicken wings have baked in the oven I like to let mine chill in a large prep bowl for 5-10 minutes before saucing them. I feel like this helps the sauce stick better and yields a better "sticky" wing type sauce.

Don't Overbake
Yes, you can absolutely overbake chicken wings. Be sure to monitor them with a meat thermometer to ensure they do not bake for too long. Start checking the firecracker baked wings once they have baked for 30 minutes. Depending on the size of your chicken wings they could take anywhere from 30-45 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

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Happy Eating!