Slow Cooker Honey BBQ Wings
Easy slow cooker BBQ wings recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. These tender, fall off the bone chicken wings are full of honey, bbq sauce, buffalo sauce.
Sweet, savory, and a little bit spicy is the perfect combination for today’s recipe. There is nothing better than a perfectly balanced bite of juicy, fall off the bone chicken especially when the slow cooker does all the hard work! Enjoy these as an appetizer for the next big game or party you host. Add these Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Wings and these Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs for an appetizer table fit for the hungriest fans and guests around.
How To Make Slow Cooker BBQ Wings Recipe From Scratch?
- Mix ingredients in crockpot– This includes chicken, bbq sauce, honey, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, liquid smoke, paprika, salt, pepper.
- Mix– Until combined.
- Cover- And cook.
- Remove wings– To a bowl.
- Make cornstarch slurry– And mix into the juices in cooker.
- Cook– Until sauce has thickened.
- Coat wings– With this sauce.
Easy Chicken Wing Sauce
Combine the following ingredients:
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 2 tbsp Buffalo sauce
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2-1 tsp Liquid smoke
- 1 tsp Paprika
- Salt, To taste
- Pepper, To taste
What To Serve With Easy Honey BBQ Chicken Wings?
They are typically served on their own or with ranch or blue cheese dipping sauce but you can make a meal by pairing with some of these side options below.
These wings pair nicely with potatoes:
- Slow Cooker Twice Baked Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Ranch Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
- French Fries
Casseroles also make a great companion:
- Slow Cooker Yellow Squash Casserole
- Slow Cooker Cauliflower Casserole
- Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
They can even be a great addition to pastas like these:
How To Make Crispy Chicken Wings?
Once they are cooked through in the crockpot, spread them onto a baking tray, lined with aluminum foil. Broil in the oven 2-3 minutes or until tops are caramelized and slightly charred. This step is required for crispiness!
Why Are My Chicken Wings Soggy?
If you do not broil them in oven at the end, they will be soggy.
How To Bake Chicken Wings? Do You Brush It With Sauce Before Baking Or after Baking?
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place an oven safe rack on top. Then, place the wings on the rack. Turn them every 20 minutes, for a total of 40 minutes, or until they are crispy and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. You can brush the sauce on them in the last 10 minutes, and add even more after removing from oven, if you like.
Variations For Crockpot Sticky Barbecue Chicken Wings
Fried Wings– Fry them in oil i and then brush with bbq sauce.
Air fryer wings– Fry them in an air fryer in one layer. This allows them to crisp and negates the need to broil them. Then, coat in sauce before serving.
Add a garnish– Such as fresh chives, sliced green onions, or fried garlic for even more flavor and a spot of color.
Add cheese– Top them with crumbled cheese such as blue cheese or gorgonzola.
Make it spicy– Add more hot sauce, red chili flakes, or cayenne pepper.
Add seasoning– Such as chili powder or ground mustard.
Top with citrus– Squeeze a little lime or lemon juice over them for a zesty finish.
Buffalo sauce substitute– Use Sriracha sauce, if you prefer.
Add soy sauce– For a subtle umami flavor.
Tips And Techniques
Don’t over-cook the wings in crockpot– Just focus on getting the internal temperature to 165 degrees F. Cooking them for too long causes the meat to become so soft that is starts to fall apart and become a mess.
How to thicken sauce? How to make sauce thinner? This can be done in the crockpot or on the stovetop with the addition of a cornstarch slurry. You can also cooking the sauce on stovetop, uncovered, until it’s reduced. The sauce can be thinned out by adding a little more water.
The baking step is NOT optional– This is what makes the tops so crispy. It is crucial to get the correct texture.
Serve immediately– This is when they are at their crispiest with the best texture!
What size crockpot to use? I recommend using a 6 quart or larger crockpot for this recipe so the chicken can be spread out properly and cook evenly.
Line and spray the baking sheet– Because this prevents the chicken from sticking, and also makes clean-up a breeze.
Do not overlap wings on the tray– Separate them so that they have space to brown and crisp properly. Overlapping them will cause them to remain soggy.
Adjust liquid smoke– Add more or less to your liking, or omit it altogether. It has a strong flavor and aroma.
Honey substitute- If necessary, you can use maple syrup in place of honey, but it will alter the overall flavor a little bit.
Storage
Refrigerate– These taste best when served immediately, but leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freeze- In a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month but it won’t be as crispy any more.
Reheat– In the microwave or oven.
More Slow Cooker Appetizer Recipes
- Slow Cooker Corn Dip
- Slow Cooker Garlic Mushrooms
- Crockpot Little Smokies {Cocktail Weenies}
- Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Drumsticks (Legs)
Slow Cooker BBQ Wings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Chicken wings
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 2 tbsp Buffalo sauce
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Onion powder
- 1/2-1 tsp Liquid smoke, Adjust according to your preference
- 1 tsp Paprika
- Salt, To taste
- Pepper, To taste
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Water
Instructions
- In a large crockpot (6 quart or larger), add chicken wings, bbq sauce, honey, buffalo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, liquid smoke, paprika, salt, pepper.
- Mix until combined.
- Cover and cook on High heat for 1.5- 2 hours or until the internal temperature of the meat reads 165 degrees F. Don't overcook or else the meat will fall apart, when being removed from the slow cooker.
- Remove wings from crockpot to a bowl.
- In a small mixing bowl, add cornstarch and water and mix until smooth.
- Pour this slurry in the mixture that remained in the slow cooker.
- Mix until combined.
- Cover and cook on high heat for about 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened. You can also thicken this sauce in a saucepan on stovetop.
- Pour this thickened sauce over the wings until fully coated. You don't have to add all the sauce. It's up to your preference. Enjoy!
- Optional step: For crispy wings, spread coated wings on a baking tray, lined with aluminum foil. Broil in oven 2-3 minutes or until tops are caramelized and slightly charred. Serve with remaining thickened sauce or ranch dip. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated in the microwave.Â
