These Sticky Honey Sesame Chicken Wings are Lick-Your-Fingers Goodness!
If you’ve been around PWWB for a while, you know we’re pretty obsessed with chicken wings. Grilled buffalo wings have been a favorite ever since our Milwaukee days, but my love of wings actually was born from an oven-baked recipe. Specifically, my mom’s honey sesame wings. They’re the BEST.
These baked sesame chicken wings are a snack my mom often prepares when we visit. They start with a savory-sweet marinade similar to Mom’s famous teriyaki sauce. It’s made with just a handful of seriously flavorful ingredients (& you probably have most of them on hand already!) so it offers maximum flavor with minimal effort. Savvy Mom cooking at its finest! 😎
My favorite thing about this honey sesame chicken wings recipe, though, is that it’s almost entirely hands-off. The oven takes over once the wings are marinated. As the honey sesame wings bake, the marinade reduces into a built-in wing sauce at the bottom of the pan. They’re sticky, sweet, & SO good – very little effort for a big reward!
Baked Sesame Chicken Wings Recipe Highlights
You’ll be obsessed over this easy sesame chicken wings recipe because it’s…
- TOTALLY HANDS-OFF. The only prep you have to do is make a simple honey sesame marinade with a handful of pantry staples. From there, marinate the wings & let the oven do the rest of the work! Easy!
- BEAUTIFULLY SAVORY-SWEET. The teriyaki-inspired marinade infuses the honey sesame chicken wings with a balanced savory-sweet flavor. The wings bake right in the marinade for ease, which reduces into a sticky-sweet glaze as it cooks to create a built-in wing sauce. So good!
- THE BEST STICKY SHAREABLE. Whether you serve them as a game day snack, party appetizer, or as a simple weeknight dinner, everyone loves these sticky sesame wings. Just make sure you bring plenty of napkins! 😉
Wings are ALWAYS a win! 🏈 ♡ Read on to learn more about how to make Honey Sesame Chicken Wings, or jump straight to the recipe & get cooking!
The Easiest Honey Sesame Wings Marinade
Note: Full ingredients list & measurements provided in the Recipe Card, below.
This simple sesame chicken wings marinade makes ALL the difference for these baked wings. To make it, you need 9 simple ingredients, most of which are probably already in your pantry. Together they create a teriyaki-inspired explosion of flavor that’s the perfect blend of sweet, savory, & aromatic. To make it, you need…
- Chicken wings – Feel free to use fresh or frozen chicken wings, & whatever combination of drumettes & flats you love most.
- Soy sauce – The key savory component of the marinade, though you can substitute with tamari to keep your sesame wings gluten-free.
- Honey & dark brown sugar – This combination plays double duty: it adds a balanced of sweetness to the marinade & gives the honey sesame chicken wings a beautiful glaze as they bake.
- Sesame – This sesame chicken wing marinade uses sesame oil for the ultimate flavor bomb & sesame seeds for an added pop of texture. (The seeds are also great as a garnish for serving!)
- Aromatics – Finish the marinade with punchy garlic, zingy ginger, aromatic green onions, & a bit of cayenne pepper for a delicious kick of heat.
Note: Full ingredients list & measurements provided in the Recipe Card, below.
Tips for Marinating Honey Sesame Chicken Wings
How to marinate the wings? ⇢ Simply whisk everything together & you’re good to go! Place the chicken wings in a plastic bag or airtight container & pour the honey sesame marinade over top. The wings should be evenly coated so the marinade really soaks into them.
Suggested marinating time. ⇢ The honey sesame wings should marinate for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days. The longer the better! I love to marinate honey sesame wings the night before I want to make them. About an hour before I want to serve, it’s easy to take them right out of the fridge & transfer them to a baking sheet for the oven. Simple!
Easy meal prep. ⇢ Feel free to whisk everything up ahead of time & store the marinade in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. Simply pour it over the wings the day before or the morning of the big game. Easy!
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Of course, fried chicken wings are always incredible (& grilled wings are our go-to!), but baked wings are so EASY that you gotta love them too! These quick-baked wings take just 30 minutes to cook. The result is juicy & sticky-sweet perfection.
Full Recipe Directions, including step-by-step photos, are included in the Recipe Card, below.
Prep the sesame wings on a baking sheet. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup because things are about to get messy! 😉 Place the wings in a single, even layer on the baking sheet & pour the rest of the marinade onto the pan too. Why? ⇢ As the honey sesame wings bake the savory-sweet marinade turns into a sticky glaze. It’s like a built-in wing sauce & it’s the BEST part!
Bake the honey sesame wings. For best results, bake the honey sesame chicken wings at 425 degrees F. After about 30 minutes, use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temp of the wings & confirm they’re cooked through.
Optional but encouraged: Broil! Finish the honey sesame chicken wings under the broiler for an amazing charred & glaze-y finish. They only need a few minutes under the broiler for awesome results, so stay close by & keep an eye on them. Why? ⇢ The sweetness in the marinade quickly gets extra gooey & caramelized under the high heat of a broiler. It’s the perfect finishing touch!
Serving Savory-Sweet Honey Sesame Wings (Tip: Bring Plenty of Napkins!)
Baked chicken wings dinner. ⇢ For a fun & easy weeknight dinner, I like serving these honey sesame wings just like Mom – plate lunch style, alongside a scoop of white rice & Hawaiian Mac Salad. They’re also perfect when paired with fried rice or a quick noodle stir fry like our favorite Pork Chow Fun.
Serving honey sesame wings as a game day shareable. ⇢ Pile the wings on a big platter & be sure not to leave any of the sticky-sweet glaze on the bottom of the pan behind! Garnish with some freshly sliced green onion & an extra sprinkle of sesame seeds for an extra pretty touch.
As far as I’m concerned, game day snacks honestly don’t get better than a platter of wings, but if you’d like to make a bigger spread, try rounding things out with a few crowd-pleasing appetizers like…
I can’t wait for you to try these Honey Sesame Chicken Wings! They’re a longtime favorite amongst my family – you seriously can’t beat their simplicity & savory-sweet flavor. I am pretty sure that you’re going to be obsessed, too!
If you do give them a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your PWWB creations!
More Recipes Like This:
Asian-Inspired Flavors
- Homemade Char Siu (Roasted Chinese BBQ Pork)
- Soy-Glazed Seared Salmon Rice Bowls with Namasu
- Best-Ever Spam Musubi
- Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken
- Hawaii-Style Kalbi (Grilled Korean Beef Short Ribs)
- Grilled Chicken Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps with Gochujang Aioli
- Mom’s Pork Egg Rolls
- Chicken Wontons with Spicy Chili Oil
Baked Honey Sesame Chicken Wings
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinating Time: 12 – 72 hours
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Dishes, Snacks, Appetizers
- Method: Baked, Sheet Pan
- Cuisine: American, Asian-Inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Baked Honey Sesame Chicken Wings are a snack my mom often makes for us whenever we visit. Mom is one of the most savvy cooks I know; her recipes are so simple to prepare but always pack the biggest punch of flavor. These sesame wings are no exception – they’re made with 10 simple ingredients, the process is nearly entirely hands-off, & they’re perfectly sticky & savory-sweet!
What makes them so special is the honey sesame marinade. Similar to Mom’s famous teriyaki sauce, this marinade is equally savory, sweet, & aromatic, & it plays double duty in this recipe to keep prep streamlined & simple. First, you’ll marinate the chicken (the longer the better!), then you’ll bake the wings right in the marinade. It reduces & caramelizes as it cooks, creating a built-in wing sauce that’s sticky & finger licking-good!
We love to enjoy these honey sesame wings as a great weeknight dinner (served alongside rice & mac salad for a plate lunch-inspired meal, of course!), but they’re also a great crowd-pleasing party appetizer & game day sharable. Be sure to check out the blog post, above, for more serving suggestions!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds fresh chicken wing sections
- 1/2 cup soy sauce, can sub tamari if gluten-free
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, can sub light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Prepare the honey sesame marinade & marinate the chicken wings: To a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, add the soy sauce, honey, dark brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, cayenne pepper, & garlic. Whisk to combine well. Place the chicken wings in a large airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Pour the honey sesame marinade over top. Toss to combine well, ensuring all the of the chicken wings are coated. Cover/seal & transfer to the refrigerator to brine for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days. The longer you’re able to brine, the juicier & more flavorful your baked chicken wings will be.
- Baked honey sesame wings prep: At dinnertime, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the top 1/3 of the oven. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Place the chicken wings & marinade on the baking sheet, arranging the chicken wings in a single, even layer. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top.
- Bake the honey sesame chicken wings: Transfer the chicken wings to the oven. Bake 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through to promote even browning, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of a chicken wing drumette registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Optional: Finish under the broiler: For a charred & glazey finish, transfer the baking sheet to the oven rack under the broiler. Turn the broiler on high & broil 2-3 minutes, or until the chicken is as browned as you’d like – be sure to keep a close eye on the chicken wings as they broil to prevent burning!
- Serve: Carefully remove the honey sesame chicken wings from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then garnish with green onions & serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for these baked honey sesame chicken wings come from marinating the wings. Up to 3 days before you’d like to bake the wings, marinate the chicken wings according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions, above. At dinnertime, all you have to do is preheat the oven – easy! (10 minutes active prep)
Recipe by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by KJ & Company, Kate Poskochil
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