Glazed with a sweet and tangy sauce, oven-baked chili lime chicken wings become crispy, sticky, and irresistible. This version includes a creamy sour cream dipping sauce that complements the bright lime and honey glaze.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Crispy baked wings finished in a bright, sticky chili-lime glaze.
How long it takes: 50 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, rimmed sheet pan with wire rack (or sheet pan), oven, small saucepan
Servings: 4 (about 3 lb wings)
Crisp baked wings are excellent on their own, but this chili-lime glaze makes them stand out. A simple sauce of butter, honey, lime, garlic powder and chili powder simmers briefly while the wings bake; then you coat the wings and finish under the broiler if you like a caramelized, sticky exterior. The included sour cream dipping sauce adds a cool, tangy contrast that’s perfect with the bright glaze.
These wings are great as an appetizer or as a main course for a casual dinner. They’re straightforward to prepare, can be made ahead, and are popular at gatherings. The recipe is forgiving: you can swap wing portions or drumsticks (allow longer cooking time for legs), and you can increase heat with cayenne or red pepper flakes if you prefer spicy wings.
If you want a side, a crisp cabbage salad with mandarin oranges and honey-lime dressing pairs well with the flavors here. Garnish the finished wings with chopped cilantro, green onions, or parsley and serve with plenty of napkins.
About these wings
These oven-baked wings use a two-step approach for the best texture: dry-season the skin with a light flour coating that contains baking powder and spices, then bake until crisp. The baking powder helps draw moisture from the skin, improving crispness; do not substitute baking soda. If you don’t have baking powder, the wings will still be tasty but may be slightly less crisp.
After baking, coat the wings in the warm chili-lime glaze. You can toss them in a large bowl to coat evenly or brush each wing individually. For a deeper caramelized finish, place the glazed wings under the broiler for a few minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning. If broiling, reserve about 1/4 cup of the sauce to brush on after broiling for extra shine and sticky goodness.
Serve the wings hot with the sour cream dipping sauce on the side. The sauce is also handy to refrigerate ahead of time; it keeps well for a few days. For presentation, scatter chopped green onions or fresh herbs over the wings.
What You’ll Need
Wings
- Wings: Use whole chicken wings with tips trimmed or wing portions. Drumsticks can be used but will need longer cooking time.
- Coating: All-purpose flour mixed with baking powder, garlic powder, chili powder, lime zest and salt for seasoning the skin and helping crispness.
Glaze
- Butter, honey, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, garlic powder and salt form a bright, sticky glaze.
- Add cayenne or red pepper flakes to increase heat if desired.
Dip
- Sour cream flavored with lime juice and zest, sliced green onions, garlic powder, paprika and a pinch of salt makes a cool, bright dip to balance the glaze.
Cooking Tip
Many ingredients overlap between the coating, glaze, and dip. Measure them all at once: a large bowl for the seasoned flour, a small saucepan for the glaze, and a small bowl for the dip. Prepare the dip and refrigerate until serving.
FAQs
Baking wings on a wire rack placed over a rimmed sheet pan allows hot air to circulate and crisps the skin without flipping. If you don’t have a wire rack, flip the wings halfway through baking so both sides crisp evenly.
Use an instant-read thermometer in the meatiest part of the wing; it should read at least 165°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, pierce the wing with a fork — the juices should run clear, not pink.
Sauce is typically applied after baking so it adheres to the crisp skin. After glazing, you can briefly broil the wings to caramelize the sauce if you like.
Make It Your Own
- Make them spicy by adding cayenne or red pepper flakes to the glaze.
- Air fryer option: cook wings at 400°F in batches for 9–10 minutes, flipping once, for extra crispness.
- Use drumsticks if preferred; increase bake time to about 40 minutes until cooked through.
- Swap toppings and garnishes—cilantro, parsley, or extra lime wedges brighten the plate.
Make-Ahead Ideas
Baked wings can be prepared ahead of time. Coat and bake as directed, toss with sauce, then cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month. Reheat in a hot oven to restore crispness. The sour cream dip keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days; stir well before serving.
Reheating Tips
Refrigerated leftovers: Reheat in the oven at 350–375°F for a few minutes until hot, or use the microwave for a quick option (texture may soften). Frozen cooked wings: Arrange frozen wings single-layer on a foil-lined baking pan and bake at 400°F for 13–16 minutes or until heated through.
More Finger-Licking Recipes
Some foods are just meant to be eaten with your hands. A few ideas to try alongside wings include air-fryer nuggets, loaded nachos, candied bacon, and bite-sized pinwheels. Serve with simple sides and extra napkins for a crowd-pleasing spread.
Chili Lime Chicken Wings
Ingredients
For the Wings / Coating
- 3 pounds chicken wings, tips trimmed or wing portions
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- Optional: cayenne or red pepper flakes, to taste
For the Dip
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat wings dry with paper towels.
- In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and lime zest. Add wings in batches and toss to coat evenly.
- Arrange coated wings on a wire rack placed in a rimmed sheet pan. Lightly spray the rack if desired.
- Bake 30–35 minutes, or until wings are crisp and an instant-read thermometer reads at least 165°F.
- While wings bake, combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until honey melts and the sauce begins to bubble and thicken slightly.
- Stir together dip ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until serving.
- When wings are done, place them in a large bowl and pour the sauce over; toss to coat. Alternatively, brush each wing with sauce and reserve about 1/4 cup to brush after broiling.
- To caramelize, place wings about 6 inches from the broiler and broil on high 2–3 minutes until the glaze browns—watch closely to avoid burning.
- Brush with reserved sauce if desired, garnish with green onions or parsley, and serve hot with sour cream dip.
Notes
- Nutrition information includes wings, sauce, and dip and is an approximation.
- Add cayenne or red pepper flakes to the sauce for more heat.
- Air fryer method: Preheat to 400°F. Cook wings in a single layer for 9–10 minutes, flipping once. Keep warm on a wire rack in a low oven so they stay crisp.
- Drumsticks are a suitable substitute but require longer baking time (about 40 minutes).
Nutrition
Serving: 4 wings | Calories: 657 kcal (approximate). Nutrition values are estimates and include wings, sauce, and dip.