How to Make Dry-Rubbed Sweet and Spicy BBQ Wings

Name: How to Make Dry-Rubbed Sweet and Spicy BBQ Wings
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1/3 c all-purpose flour; ¼ c and 2 tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar; 5 tbsp smoked paprika; 1 tbsp chili flakes; 5 tsp cayenne; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 1 tsp black pepper; 2½ tsp salt; 3 tbsp butter; About 20 chicken wings

These Dry-Rubbed Sweet and Spicy BBQ Wings are IT!!! I can’t stress that enough, they’re 🔥🔥🔥

Also, David and I ate at least about 100 wings trying to perfect this recipe so I really hope you enjoy them as much as we do, hahaha! These wings are the perfect game day recipe, appetizer or snack. They require very minimal effort to make (they only require 10 minutes of active prep!), yet they’re SO flavorful—smoky, sweet and even a little spicy.

Mixing the dry ingredients for the sweet and spicy baked bbq wings

I was Pescatarian for a little over 4 years before meeting David and one of the foods I missed the most were wings. Maaaaaaaann. I loved to toss plant-based chicken nuggets in buffalo sauce to mimic a boneless chicken wing, but I’ve always been a bone-in chicken wing girl so it never fully satisfied that craving, you know? But now… Now I’m going innnnnn on the chicken wing recipes! This wing recipe is 2 of 8 wing recipes that I’m looking to drop within the next year or two (so keep an eye out!). The other wing recipe that’s currently live is the naked oven-baked chicken wing found here. These are also a great option just in case you don’t like spice or if you prefer a naked wing so that you can dip it into all the sauces your little heart desires!

Now, I’m a ranch girl, but feel free to also dip these in blue cheese, bbq sauce, hot sauce or have them as is, and plate with crisp celery and carrot sticks.

Coating each individual chicken wing in the dry mixture

How to Make These Dry-Rubbed Sweet and Spicy BBQ Wings:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then individually toss and coat each chicken wing in the dry mixture.
Shake off any excess flour from the wings, then lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure not to crowd the baking sheet – use 2 baking sheets if needed.
Place small chunks of butter in between the wings until all the butter is evenly dispersed throughout the baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes on the top rack, then flip the wings so that they brown on the opposite side as well.
Pop them back into the oven for an additional 15 minutes.
Once they’ve finished baking, pull them from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Fresh sweet and spicy baked bbq wings straight from the oven

Dry-Rubbed Sweet and Spicy BBQ Wings — Tips & Tricks

On a scale of 1-5 I would say the heat level of this recipe is about a 2-3 (at least for my taste buds, and your girl hear likes her spice so just FYI). Adjust the cayenne powder and chili flakes in this recipe accordingly to your liking.
If you don’t happen to have parchment paper on-hand, feel free to use foil! I would maybe just recommend spritzing the foil with a little non-stick oil spray prior to placing the chicken wings on top. The parchment paper also helps them not stick, so the non-stick spray will be very helpful if using foil.
If you do’n’t have brown sugar on-hand you can also use coconut sugar.
Serve alongside your fave dips, such as ranch, blue cheese dressing, bbq sauce, hot sauce or they’re also delicious as is! Paired well with crisp celery and carrot sticks, as well as sweet potato, waffle, or regular fries.
If there are leftovers (which is damn near impossible with this one) allow the wings to fully cool down, then stash them in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Other appetizer recipes you’ll love—

Crispy Oven-Baked Chicken Wings

Margherita Pizza Bites

Chunky Spicy Guacamole

Salsa Verde and Chips

Hot Honey Prosciutto Pizza Bites

Caprese Salad with Homemade Balsamic Glaze

Plated baked bbq wings with a side of ranch

If you make these Dry-Rubbed Sweet and Spicy BBQ Wings, tag me on Instagram! Seeing you whip up my recipes makes me the happiest little bee!