Made from scratch, these air fryer hot honey chicken wings are a must have appetizer for your next game day! Sweet and spicy, these are a real crowd pleaser, and the sauce is finger licking good!
Honey Hot Wings
There is never a bad time for wings, I repeat, NEVER!
These air fryer chicken wings are tossed in a homemade hot honey sauce that is seriously addictive. It’s sweet and spicy, and you’ll be making it to pour over everything!
Perfect for a delicious game day appetizer, you are going to fall hard for these!
Be sure to try my Oven Baked Hot Honey Wings and Chicken Sandwiches with Hot Honey too!
Why You’ll Love this Honey Hot Wings Recipe:
- So tender: I love using my air fryer for wings. They cook perfectly and stay wonderfully juicy and tender.
- Easy recipe: Despite the sauce being made from scratch, this is a really simple recipe. You can make the sauce while the wings are cooking.
- Easy to adapt: Because the hot honey sauce is made from scratch it’s easy to adjust the spice level, from mild all the way to super hot.
Sticky and loaded with flavor, these air fryer hot honey wings are not to be missed. You might want to make a double batch because they will disappear from plates quickly!
How to Make Air Fryer Hot Honey Chicken Wings
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Season the wings.
- Cook the wings in the air fryer til cooked through.
- Boil the guajillo chilies and place in a blender.
- Add the other sauce ingredients to a blender and blend til smooth.
- Heat the sauce in a pot to thicken it and stir in the honey.
- Toss the cooked wings in the sauce and serve.
Guajillo chili peppers are dried peppers commonly used in Mexican cuisine. They are slightly fruity and sweet and are considered medium-hot peppers (2,500-5,000 Scoville). For reference, they are milder than jalapeño peppers.
Yes, to make these wings in the oven, set the oven to 400°F and bake the wings for 40 minutes.
Yes, chicken wings can be air fried or baked from frozen. To air fry these wings from frozen, set the air fryer to 400°F and cook for 25 minutes, or until 165°F internally. To bake from frozen, set the oven to 400°F and bake for 1 hour.
To make these wings spicier, leave the guajillo chilis with the seeds and veins or add a tablespoon or 2 of sriracha to the sauce.
This sweet, spicy and sticky wings are a sure fire hit. The air fryer results in super juicy chicken wings and when tossed in the chili and honey sauce they really come alive!
Make Ahead Instructions
The components of these wings can be prepped up to 1 day in advance. Season the chicken wings, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Make the sauce, then place in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. On the day of, you’ll simply need to fry the wings and toss them in the sauce!
Storage Instructions
Store leftover hot honey wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Guajillo Chili Substitutes
If you’re unable to find guajillo chilis, ancho chilis are the best substitute, followed by pasilla peppers, cascabel peppers, and chili peppers. Chili peppers are generally the easiest to find, though.
Make It A Meal
To make these hot wings into a meal, serve with french fries, avocado fries, a hearty salad, or spicy mac and cheese.
These air fryer hot honey chicken wings have become a favorite in our house on game day. Super easy to make, the sauce is so tangy and flavorful and it’s easy to scale up and down the heat depending on your tastes. I just know that you are going to love this one!
If you’ve made this recipe, please be sure to let us know by leaving a star rating or a comment below. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Hot Honey Chicken Wings Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 6 guajillo chilis seeded and deveined (see note)
- ½ cup water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons ground paprika
- ½ cup orange juice
- 3 limes juiced
- 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
Optional
- Blue cheese dressing for serving
- Carrots and celery for serving
- Cilantro for garnish
Equipment
- Instant-Read Thermometer Optional
Instructions
- Place the chicken wings in a medium bowl. Season them with salt and pepper and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix until evenly combined.2 pounds chicken wings, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Preheat air fryer to 390°F. Place the wings in one layer on the air fryer rack and cook, working in batches if needed, for 20-25 minutes, or until crispy and 165°F internally.
- While the chicken cooks, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, add the guajillo chilis with the water and let boil for 6 minutes.6 guajillo chilis, ½ cup water
- Pour the chiliis and water left in the saucepan into a blender. Add the garlic, onion, paprika, orange juice, lime juice, and vinegar. Blend until smooth. Use a strainer to make sure you remove any pieces of chili so it is completely smooth.2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, 2 tablespoons ground paprika, ½ cup orange juice, 3 limes, 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- In a medium saucepan, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Let it heat up and pour the sauce into the pan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens a bit, about 10 minutes. While it’s heating up, add in the honey and additional salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined.2 tablespoons honey
- Remove the chicken wings from the air fryer and place them into a large mixing bowl. Pour the sauce on top and toss until evenly covered. Serve immediately with blue cheese dressing, carrots and celery, and garnished with cilantro, if desired.Cilantro, Blue cheese dressing, Carrots and celery
Notes
- Guajillo Chili: If you want the wings very spicy, leave the guajillo chilis with the seeds and veins. If you want them mild, leave them in only two of the chilis.
- Another ingredient you can use to make it spicier is to add a tablespoon or 2 of sriracha to the sauce.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
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