These baked barbecue chicken wings are crispy chicken wings coated in a sweet and tangy homemade Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce. A unique party snack or main course!
These may look like ordinary chicken wings, but they get rave reviews – the secret is in the sauce!
Whenever I’m entertaining, these baked barbecue chicken wings are always on the menu. They’re saucy, filling and super fun to eat.
Sometimes it’s hard for my husband to be the only male in the house. Although we provide our three girls with plenty of gender-neutral toys they definitely gravitate towards all things pink and princess. That being said, one of our daughters took an interest in football early on and my husband has turned it into a fun father-daughter activity. Of course once one girl got interested the others decided to join in, and Saturdays during college football games have turned into party time at our house. We are definitely one of a kind fans, everyone of all ages gets involved in the action! We typically invite some friends over to gather around the TV and watch the game. But of course it’s not a real party until there are some great snacks involved!
How do you make baked barbecue chicken wings?
Everyone around here loves chicken wings and they’re a quintessential game day food. I love my chicken wings extra crispy, but I do NOT love frying. In fact, I avoid frying at all costs. When I make oven baked wings I employ my special trick: a flavorful brine. Brining the wings not only adds flavor but the salt and honey in the brine actually helps to crisp up the skin. The wings get almost caramelized in the oven; I dare you to eat just one.
But what’s even better than crispy oven baked wings? Oven baked wings with a special homemade barbecue sauce. It’s actually really easy to make your own barbecue sauce; it’s a handful of ingredients you probably already have and about 10 minutes of cook time. A lot of barbecue sauces use sugar or honey as a sweetener, which is fine and all, but I much prefer the more complex flavor of Dr Pepper.
I tested the barbecue sauce with both regular and Diet Dr Pepper varieties. I think it tastes best with regular Dr Pepper but the diet version will work too.
After your Dr Pepper barbecue sauce has simmered for a few minutes it’s time to coat the wings. You can pour the sauce on top of your pile of wings or brush it on, depending on how saucy you like them.
These sweet and tangy baked wings are truly the ultimate game day snack. You can toss the wings in the brine the night before and bake up a whole tray of them while you’re waiting for the game to start. They’re also perfect for a tailgating party. Everyone will be so impressed that you made your own barbecue sauce, you don’t even have to tell them how easy it was!
So tell me, what are your favorite game day snacks and traditions? I’m always looking for more great ideas to add to our parties!
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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Dr Pepper. All opinions are my own. #OneOfAKindFan
More appetizer recipes
Sweet and Tangy Baked Wings
Ingredients
- For the wings:
- 2 1/2 pounds party style chicken wings (or whole chicken wings that have been halved crosswise)
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 garlic cloves , smashed
- 1 tablespoon of barbecue , poultry or grill seasoning
- 8 cups water
- cooking spray
- cilantro leaves and lemon wedges for garnish (Optional)
- For the barbecue sauce:
- 1 cup Dr Pepper (I prefer regular but Diet will work too)
- 1 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons of steak sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring one cup of water to a boil (I use the microwave) and pour the water into a very large bowl. Add the salt and honey to the water and stir until the salt has dissolved.
- Add the garlic and seasoning to the bowl. Pour 7 cups of very cold water over everything and stir until combined.
- Place the chicken wings in the brine, cover the bowl and put it into the refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Remove the chicken wings from the brine and pat dry with a paper towel. Place the wings in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until wings are a deep golden brown.
- While the wings are in the oven, make the sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Pour the sauce over the wings and toss to coat.
- Serve the wings immediately with cilantro leaves and lemon wedges to garnish if desired.
These came out so delicious! Everyone in my house loved these wings!
I love this easy recipe! They always come out perfect! Better have extra napkins on hand!
These Dr. Pepper wings are so good. So sweet and tangy…. I need more now.
Hi Sara
Have you made this brine with all 3 of the seasonings at different times, if so, which do you prefer and what brand did you use in this brine.j
Hi Jackie, I use whatever all purpose seasoning I have on hand, so I do switch it up and it always comes out great. You want to look for a seasoning blend with any or all of the following basic components: salt, pepper, either garlic or onion powder, paprika. The barbecue sauce brushed on at the end is the dominant flavor so the exact seasoning blend in the brine isn’t crucial. This is the one I primarily use: https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/bbq-3000/c-24/p-327/pd-s
Great will try this.
Can’t wait!
LOOK AT THAT GLOSS!!! And just reading the descriptions makes me want to lick my fingers. Awesomeness!
My youngest daughter is the same way about football and my husband is thrilled that he can watch our University of Alabama games together as a family (or at least he and my daughter;) ). These wings look fantastic and perfect for game day. This is a recipe I really need to try!
Love wings! I’m excited to try a new recipe too…and Dr. Pepper is a favorite here as well!
OK I would have no self control around these. None. At all. And I don’t even care for Dr. Pepper lol!
These wings look amazing! The only time I will have soda is if it’s in homemade BBQ sauce. It’s SO good, and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Those look amazing! Awesome recipe. Homemade is the best.
oh yes, football and wings just go hand in hand, and I love that dr. pepper BBQ sauce
Amazing! I know these will taste amazing and I think they are what’s on the menu when my husband gets home next weekend!!
These wings look amazing! We just went out for wings yesterday, but I totally want to make them at home next time. Thanks for the delicious idea! #client