Sticky Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
Oven-roasted chicken wings finished in a sticky honey garlic glaze built from the pan fond. A savory-sweet game night snack with crisp edges and a glossy coating.
- Total
- 60 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 45
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Deglazing
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Pat the 1200 g chicken wings completely dry with paper towels, then toss them in a large bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1.5 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper until evenly coated.
~10 min
Drying the skin removes surface moisture so it can crisp and brown in the oven instead of steaming.
-
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the wings in a single layer, skin side up, without crowding. Roast until the skin is golden and crisp and the thickest part of a wing reaches 74°C (165°F), about 40 minutes.
~40 min
High heat and single-layer spacing let moisture escape so the skin renders and crisps rather than steaming.
Dry the wings thoroughly before roasting: surface moisture steams the skin and prevents it from crisping, so blot them well and leave space between them on the sheet.
Roasting Arrange wings skin-side up in a single layer with space between them; crowding traps steam and leaves the skin pale and soft instead of crisp.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the wings roast, finely chop 6 cloves of garlic. Combine the garlic, 4 tbsp honey, 3 tbsp water and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes, then take it off the heat.
~5 min
Simmering the honey mixture reduces water content so the glaze thickens and will cling to the wings.
If the honey glaze thickens too much while the wings roast, stir in a teaspoon of warm water to loosen it before tossing.
-
Transfer the roasted wings to a plate. Pour the glaze into the hot baking sheet and scrape the browned bits (fond) with a wooden spoon until the glaze loosens and coats the sheet, about 1 minute.
~1 min
The hot pan's browned fond dissolves into the glaze, adding deep roasted flavor and helping it coat evenly.
Deglazing Pour liquid into the hot pan and scrape the browned bits with a wooden spoon; work quickly before the fond burns and turns bitter.
-
Return the wings to the baking sheet and toss with tongs until every wing is coated in the sticky glaze. Brush any remaining glaze over the tops and serve hot.
~3 min