Spicy Orange Glazed Baked Chicken Wings
Juicy baked chicken wings tossed in a vibrant spicy orange glaze made from fresh orange juice, honey, soy, garlic, ginger and cayenne for a perfect balance of sweet, tangy heat. These wings deliver sticky, citrus-kissed skin with tender, flavorful meat in every bite a bold, crowd-pleasing appetizer or snack that’s easy to make at home.
I’ve also included air-fryer cooking method for a little quickly but still juicy results.
Nothing beats chicken wings as a game day snack! Baked chicken wings are my go-to because, I believe, they are superior to fried in so many ways!
- baked chicken wings are much easier to make.
- it’s much easier to clean up afterwards and you don’t have to worry about the oil.
- baked and air fried chicken wings are also healthier, especially when not breaded.
- this recipe and my dry rub chicken wings are our two absolute favorites. The orange glaze is phenomenal on the chicken!
- the flavor of the orange glaze is everything, it’s sweet, salty, and spicy. It’s also quire aromatic from the addition of fresh ginger and garlic.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients and Notes
- Chicken wings: You can use whole wings of ones split into flats and drumettes. Pat them dry before seasoning for better browning. If using froze, make sure they are completely thawed.
- Fresh orange juice & zest: I recommend Naval oranges if available but others will work well. Fresh is key here because it gives the sauce bright citrus flavor without bitterness. Zest adds extra orange flavor and aroma.
- Honey: Balances the heat and helps create that sticky, glossy glaze as the sauce reduces.
- Soy sauce: Use low-sodium so the glaze is not overly salty.
- Garlic & ginger: use fresh garlic and ginger for the best flavor of the glaze.
- Cayenne pepper: add more or less to suit your spice tolerance.
- Cornstarch (optional): Helps thicken the sauce quickly for a clingy glaze that coats the wings beautifully.
How To Make Orange Glazed Baked Chicken Wings
- PRO TIP: If using frozen chicken wings, make sure they are completely thawed first! Use a couple of paper towels to pat them dry before adding the seasoning.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and fit a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Grease the wire rack before adding wings.
- Place chicken wings into a large mixing bowl and drizzle with some oil. Mix to coat them evenly.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper all over as you toss the wings. Make sure the seasoning is spread evenly on the wings.
- Bake chicken wings on the wire rack for 40-45 minutes. (You can always check for doneness by cutting into the center or check the internal temperature. Chicken should be cooked to 165°F internal temperature.)
- Prepare the glaze while the wings are baking!
- Squeeze the juice out of oranges and whisk it with remaining glaze ingredients.
- Add the mixture to a sauce pot and bring to boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and let it gently simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is reduced by about half and looks more like a glaze. Take the sauce pot off heat.
- Once the wings are done, toss them in the glaze and serve.
Tips For The Best Results
- If you’re using frozen wings, pull it the night before and let it completely thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. You will need to pat excess water off the wings if any.
- To minimize the clean up, line the rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil first and then place the wire rack inside the baking sheet.
- Make sure to grease the wire rack lightly so the wings don’t stick to it.
- Don’t over-crowd the wings on the baking sheet. This will help get the wings crispy all around.
- This recipe can be double or tripled as needed.
- If you want your glaze to be thicker, you can stir in a cornstarch slurry during the last couple of minutes of simmering. Mix 1/2 tsp of cornstarch with 1 tsp of cold water and whisk it into the glaze.
Make The Wings In The Air-Fryer
- Pat wings dry and season as directed.
- Arrange wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving space between them. Cook in batches if needed.
- Air fry at 400°F for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until wings are golden, crispy, and cooked through. For whole wings, it will take 25-30 minutes, for broken down wings, it will take 20-25 minutes.
- While wings cook, prepare the orange sauce on the stovetop and simmer until thickened and glossy.
- Toss hot wings with the sauce until evenly coated. Serve immediately.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- To store leftovers, transfer them into an airtight food storage container and keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Best way to reheat any chicken wings is in the air fryer at 380°F for 2-3 minutes. (Whole chicken wings though are better to reheat at 360°F for 3-4 minutes in the air-fryer.)
- If air fryer is not available, you can use an oven. Reheat it in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Are these wings gluten free?
These wings can be very easily made gluten free just by making sure that you use a gluten free soy sauce (or tamari). Normally, soy sauce is made with wheat but most grocery stores will also carry a gluten free soy sauce. It would be clearly labeled on the bottle.
What sides go well with these spicy orange wings?
Readers love pairing them with loaded baked potato salad, corn on the cob, coconut rice, or a simple green vegetable to balance the bold citrus and heat.
How can I adjust the spice level?
Reduce or increase the cayenne to per your personal taste, start with the lower amount if you prefer mild heat.
Some More Game Day Recipes
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Orange Glazed Chicken Wings Recipe
Juicy baked chicken wings tossed in a vibrant spicy orange glaze made from fresh orange juice, honey, soy, garlic, ginger and cayenne for a perfect balance of sweet, tangy heat. These wings deliver sticky, citrus-kissed skin with tender, flavorful meat in every bite a bold, crowd-pleasing appetizer or snack that’s easy to make at home.
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Servings: 8 8-10 wings
Calories: 219kcal
Ingredients
Wings:
- 8-10 whole chicken wings* about 1.75-2 lbs.
- 2-3 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
- Salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Spicy Orange Glaze:
- 2 large Naval oranges – juice only
- 4 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce**
- 4-6 garlic cloves pressed
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper adjust to your personal spice tolerance
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Place a wire rack inside a baking sheet and grease it.
- In a medium mixing bowl, toss chicken wings with oil until evenly covered. Sprinkle salt, and pepper and toss to coat evenly.
- Lay chicken wings out on the wire rack in one single layer. Try not to crowd them.
- Bake wings for 40-45 minutes.(You can always check for doneness by cutting into the center or check the internal temperature. Chicken should be cooked to 165°F internal temperature.)
Orange Glaze:
- Note: There is enough glaze for 8-12 whole wings (try to pick bigger oranges for a little more juice).
- Squeeze the juice out of oranges and whisk it with soy sauce and honey. Press in garlic and add grated ginger and cayenne pepper. Whisk well.
- Add the mixture to a sauce pot and bring to boil over medium heat.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and let it gently simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is reduced by about half and looks more like a glaze. Take the sauce pot off heat.
- PRO TIP: If you want your glaze to be thicker, you can stir in a cornstarch slurry during the last couple of minutes of simmering. Mix 1/2 tsp of cornstarch with 1 tsp of cold water and whisk it into the glaze.
- Once the wings are done, toss them in the glaze and serve.
Video
Notes
- *You can use whole chicken wings or broken down into flats and drumettes.
- **Use gluten free soy sauce if you need to keep the recipe gluten free!
- Storing: transfer them into an airtight food storage container and keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Best way to reheat any chicken wings is in the air fryer at 380°F for 2-3 minutes. (Whole chicken wings though are better to reheat at 360°F for 3-4 minutes in the air-fryer.) If air fryer is not available, you can use an oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
- Air-Fryer instructions: spread seasoned wings in the air-fryer in one even layer. Cook at 400°F for 20-30 minutes, flipping half way through. (Note that whole wings will take 25-30 minutes and broken down wings for 20-25 minutes.)
Nutrition
Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
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Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in January 2017.
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Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Soooooo delish!!!! Love this recipe. Mouth watering!
Do these reheat well within a short time of making them? I want to make them to travel and then reheat when I get to where they are being served. They look amazing. Thank you.
Like with most chicken wings they won’t be as good as freshly made but if you don’t overheat them they should be fine, they are not crunchy since they are heated in the sauce. So that will help.
Wanted to bake wings so I used two of your recipes. One fry and one bake. Wow, really good.
for glaze, I didn’t have orange juice so I used more of marmalade, added honey, soy and ginger and glazed. Then I baked a few more minutes to set the glaze. I grew up substituting from my mom. We never seemed to have what she needed for a recipe.
So glad you liked it!!! 🙂
These were easy to make and absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Martha! So glad you liked them! 🙂
I LOVED THiS! All the spices blended so well togather ,delicious.
This is yummy mouth watery…
wow
its always delicious. love to eat..ymmy
it looks delicious
Can’t wait to try these!! What do you suggest as sides? I was thinking corn on the cob and potato salad but I’m totally open to more ideas.
Hi Mickey!
If you want to make these wings as a main meal, you can rice will go nicely. You can do a vegetable mix and add some of the orange sauce to it to carry the flavors.
I hope you enjoy your meal!
We love our wings!! Yours look amazing and we do fudge and bake them if the temp is too cold to grill. Aldi’s not too long ago had wings for $1.49 — can you believe that? Well, we did purchase several packages 🙂 This would make a great Super Bowl snack. Great shots! Have a great weekend.
Thank you, Marisa. That sounds incredible!