17 of Our Best Sauces for Chicken Wings

Huli Huli Chicken Wings
Photo: Greg DuPree

Chicken wings are the ultimate messy finger food, whether you love them with classic buttery Buffalo flavors, a sticky fruit glaze, or a sweet-and-sour sauce that will make your mouth tingle. Chicken wings (and drummettes) are ideal for the grill, oven, or deep fryer because the meat stays juicy as the skin crisps in the high heat, ready to take on whatever flavors strike your fancy. We've got plenty of recipes for sauces and glazes to slather onto chicken wings. Try a fun twist on classic Buffalo wings with Spicy Sriracha Chicken Wings, get your hands on Sticky Baked Chicken Wings for a perfect game day snack, or tuck into Sheldon Simeon's hot and tangy Huli Huli Chicken Wings. Read on for more of our best chicken wing recipes before your next snack attack or backyard cookout.

01 of 17

Green Jalapeño Hot Wings

Green Jalapeño Hot Wings
© Rick Poon

Skip the deep fryer and roast these Buffalo-style chicken wings, then smother them in a spicy green jalapeño sauce, pureed with additional pickled jalapeños for an extra hit of puckery pleasure.

02 of 17

Spicy Sriracha Chicken Wings

Spicy Sriracha Chicken Wings
© Maura McEvoy

These crispy chicken wings get their heat from sriracha, the Thai hot sauce favored by plenty of chefs, including Michael Symon (F&W Best New Chef '98). For a fun twist on classic Buffalo wings, blend sriracha with butter, lime zest, and cilantro and toss with fried or roasted wings.

03 of 17

Maple-Chipotle Hot Wings

Maple-Chipotle Hot Wings
© Tina Rupp

Add canned chipotle in adobo sauce and some maple syrup to the hot-sauce butter for smoky wings with a sweet heat. Dried sage adds an extra level of wow.

04 of 17

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings with Hot Honey Glaze

Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

These hot, sweet, crisp, and buttery wings from recipe developer Jasmine Smith will become your next go-to recipe for parties, games, or any time you want a hearty snack. The wings are tossed with lemon pepper seasoning and then cooked until crispy in an air fryer. Next, they're coated with a buttery hot honey glaze and served with more of the glaze for dipping. A garnish of cilantro adds color and brightness to the dish.

05 of 17

Sticky Miso Chicken Wings

Sticky Miso Chicken Wings
© Line Klein

Miso, lime juice, ginger, and fish sauce make for a spectacularly funky, sweet-sour glaze for crispy baked chicken wings. Brush the glaze over the wings during the last 10 minutes of roasting for maximum flavor.

06 of 17

Lampe's Chicken Wings with Sweet-and-Spicy Pantry Sauce

Lampe's Chicken Wings with Sweet-and-Spicy Pantry Sauce
© Reed Davis

National barbecue champion and restaurateur Ray Lampe, a.k.a. Dr. BBQ, bumps up the flavors in these sweet and sticky wings, by slashing the inside of the joints so they cook through, and basting them with the reserved marinade as they cook.

07 of 17

Sticky Baked Chicken Wings

Sticky Baked Chicken Wings
© Marcus Nilsson

Chef Matt Jennings tosses baked chicken wings in a spicy glaze he makes with savory, sweet, spicy gochujang. Thinly sliced scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and chopped cilantro crown the dish as a garnish alongside lime wedges.

08 of 17

Pineapple-Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Pineapple-Teriyaki Glazed Chicken Wings
© Todd Porter & Diane Cu

Make your wings sweet and savory with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, pineapple juice, sugar, and vinegar to toss with fried or roasted wings. Extra glaze pulls double-duty as a dipping sauce.

09 of 17

One-Pot Sticky Chicken Wings

One-Pot Sticky Chicken Wings
© Stephanie Meyer

Chef and TV host Andrew Zimmern calls this homage to his favorite Penang food stall wings "a schmaltz version of beurre monté," as the chicken fat emulsifies into the soy sauce, sake, oyster sauce, mirin, star anise, and dried chile glaze.

10 of 17

Huli Huli Chicken Wings

Huli Huli Chicken Wings
Greg DuPree

Chef and cookbook author Sheldon Simeon uses fresh ginger and pineapple juice to add bright heat and tang to the sweet, teriyaki-like homemade huli huli sauce that coats the chicken wings and pineapple slices in this recipe.

11 of 17

Limoncello-Marinated Chicken Wings with Pepperoni Sauce

Limoncello Marinated Chicken Wings with Pepperoni Sauce Recipe
Victor Protasio

Tart limoncello flavors and tenderizes these standout wings from chef Jeffery Russell. The complex pepperoni sauce is also great on pizzas, sandwiches, or used as a dip for the wings.

12 of 17

Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings

Vietnamese Lemongrass Meatballs
Abby Hocking

For some seriously savory and sophisticated wings, marinate the chicken in fish sauce, sugar, and garlic before frying them. Then heat and reduce the marinade to a syrup to toss with the crispy cooked wings.

13 of 17

Chicken Wings with Fragrant Herb Sauce

Chicken Wings with Fragrant Herb Sauce
© Con Poulos

Make a spectacular sauce with tons of herbs and scallions, along with jalapeño and habanero peppers — plus a little honey to counter the heat. Toss it with baked wings for a vibrant, spicy snack, appetizer, or party platter.

14 of 17

Smokin' Sweet Chicken Wings with Cherry Barbecue Glaze

Smokin' Sweet Chicken Wings with Cherry Barbecue Glaze
© Lucy Schaeffer

Sour cherry preserves, lime juice, and habanero make for a sweet, sour, and fiery glaze for grilled wings. Glaze them just before serving so the sugars don't burn.

15 of 17

Maple-Bacon Chicken Wings

Maple-Bacon Chicken Wings
© Todd Porter & Diane Cu

Bacon, maple syrup, ketchup, applesauce, soy, and more come together in this sticky, sumptuous, finger-licking glaze.

16 of 17

Soy Sauce Chicken Wings

Soy Sauce Chicken Wings
© Todd Porter & Diane Cu

Soy sauce, oyster sauce, ketchup, and brown sugar combine in a salty and sweet wing sauce. Toss whole deep-fried chicken wings with the sauce and garnish with green onions to make these wings sing.

17 of 17

Chicken Wings with Angry Sauce

Chicken Wings with Angry Sauce
© Con Poulos

Co-owner Lisa Shin of Wing Wings in San Francisco uses this versatile, ginger-kissed gochujang and gochugaru sauce as a marinade for pork and as a dip for cucumber spears.

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