The Best Saucy, Sticky BBQ Wings

5 from 5 votes

The Best Saucy, Sticky BBQ Wings

The BEST BBQ wings you will have - air fried or oven baked. Sticky, saucy, perfect. They serve 2-3 people as a meal and 4-6 people as an appetizer.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Servings: people

Author: Sam Maccini

Equipment

Air Fryer or Oven
Basting Brush

Ingredients

The Chicken

2 lb chicken wings (whole or pieces)*
salt
2 tbs cornstarch
½ tsp garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Avocado oil or spray

The Sauce

1 cup Sweet Baby Rays Barbecue Sauce
¼ cup ketchup
2 tbs dark brown sugar packed
1 tbs honey
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
pinch salt

Instructions

Prep Chicken: Remove tips, pat dry with a paper towel & salt both sides well. Set aside. In a small bowl mix together cornstarch, black pepper & garlic powder. In a large bowl or on a board, coat the chicken in cornstarch mix. Use your hands to gather excess and rub onto chicken. Set aside.
Make Sauce: Add all sauce ingredients (sweet baby rays, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, garlic powder and salt) to a small sauce pan and whisk until mostly no clumps remain. Place on medium-high heat and let simmer & bubble for at least 20 mins, scraping sides & bottom often with rubber spatula. The sauce will be thick & sticky. If it is very thick, add a splash of water.
a. Preheat Air Fryer to 450°: Lightly spray or oil the air fryer grates. Add chicken in one layer, not overly crowding, into air fryer basket. Let cook skin side down for 5 minutes. Flip & cook skin side up for 5 minutes. By now, the sauce should be ready. Flip the chicken skin side down and baste with reserved ½ cup sauce. Cover the chicken & dry cornstarch bits. Cook again for 5 minutes. Flip & repeat the basting for 5-7 more minutes until sauce fully sticks and coats the skin, is sticky and charred. Remove & set aside.
b. Preheat Oven to 450°: Lightly spray or line a baking sheet. Add chicken in one layer, not overly crowding. Let chicken cook skin side down for 5 minutes. Flip & cook skin side up for 5 minutes. By now, the sauce should be ready. Flip the chicken skin side down and baste with reserved ½ cup sauce. Cover the chicken & dry cornstarch bits. Cook again for 5 minutes. Flip & repeat the basting for 5-7 more minutes until sauce fully sticks and coats the skin, is sticky and charred. If sauce is not charred, broil 2-4 more minutes until there is as little (or as much) char as you would like.
4. Extra Sauce: Add sticky, charry chicken wings to a large bowl and pour any extra sauce from the sauce pan over the chicken tossing to coat. Serve immediately with lots of wet napkins & enjoy.

Notes

*I prefer whole wings, but many like wing pieces and that works too! Make sure to remove tips by cutting them off at the joint with a sharp knife.

*be sure to salt the chicken on both sides before starting any of the cooking. I don't have a measurement, but a sprinkling on each side will do.

*I absolutely think you should make these in the air fryer, the char is so good and perfect. The oven method is awesome, but I vote air fryer in this instance.

Nutrition