Pepper Jelly Glazed Baked Chicken Wings

These pepper jelly wings are an easy chicken wing recipe for sure. Who would think that a pepper jelly sauce for chicken wings would bowl crowds of wing lovers over?

Southern baked chicken wings tend to be extra crispy baked chicken wings, and my family loves ’em like that. The glaze is a little added bonus…

What’s a game day without chicken wings? Save a bundle with these budget-friendly glazed wings by preparing them yourself versus ordering a platter in. You really can bake up crispy chicken wings in your oven, no fryer needed. These baked chicken wings with red pepper jelly glaze can compete with Wild Wings and Little Caesars any day of the year.

No need to fry because these baked chicken wings are SUPER crispy! Coated in a tasty and flavor-jammed pepper jelly glaze, they make an ideal appetizer or double up and they move in as a main meal.

Looking for pub grub to make at home? Consider

Homemade Pub Sauce which is EPIC with thick cut steak fries

Bangers & Mash With Guinness Gravy

Shepherd’s Pie

Normandy French Onion Soup

Easy French Dip Sandwiches with Picante Provolone

French Onion Salisbury Steak

Do y’all have a restaurant go-to dish that you are missing right about now? Something you order whenever you go to a favorite restaurant, and something so good that you never get tired of it? Here in Charleston, South Carolina, we are pretty much still quarantining. By choice. But there are a whole heck of a lot of others doing the same. I am around my parents constantly who are in their late 70s, so not quarantining was never an option for us. I miss going out to eat. I keep thinking about where I am going to suggest going for that “first dinner out” with my friend Moe when we all finally feel safe again. Funny enough, none of the places that she and I consider to be our normal haunts are what I am craving these days. Right about now, I really want wings. Glazed chicken wings with some sort of easy and sweet glaze, maybe a bit of heat, too.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO BAKE CHICKEN WINGS IN THE OVEN?

These Pepper Jelly Glazed Baked Chicken Wings get nice and crispy baked right in your oven, so you will not have to tangle with frying. They are done in as few as 45 minutes. Now, I have done pepper jelly glazed wings before but in the slow cooker. I think once in my air fryer, too. I was not a fan, but maybe I simply did not follow the best methods for either. I read an article in our local newspaper for Southern Living baked chicken wings with pepper jelly glaze. The profile intrigued me and the recipe looked to have garnered a pretty high rating from their readers. Best part, this was pub grub prepared at home. A cooking win-win! I very often turn to SLM for dinner recipes, healthy recipes, and of course, dessert recipes. Never did I consider consulting their lengthy tomes for anything jelly glazed chicken. Fast forward to today, and here we are. I have modified this from Southern Living’s original recipe, and super love the results, though the measures and components are largely the same.

Have you ever shopped for pepper jelly and noticed how many different flavors there are on the market? It’s a lot!

When I first tasted these, I had a hard time believing they were in fact baked. Once they reach crispy perfection, they are tossed in an inventive sauce prepared with, of all things, pepper jelly. And this is where this glaze gets both genius and creative. There are a zillion different flavors and brands of pepper jelly on the market. I began with the well-known red pepper jelly and was so struck at how absurdly simple these were, that I purchased a few not so typical pepper jellies. Just by switching up that single component, I swear to you that aside from eating a glazed wing, there was nothing akin in flavor from one to the next. I prepared a red pepper jelly-based glaze and pineapple jalapeño pepper-based glaze and both jellies yielded two entirely unique flavor profiles to the wings.

We have been crisping up these wings since June. I feel confident sharing this method now because we have been experimenting with the jellies and there is not one flavor my family did not love. I was even fortunate enough to find both a smoked onion pepper jelly and a hot pepper peach. Each are KILLER whisked into this glaze, a sweet and sticky combination of ground aromatics and a tablespoon of salted butter for flavor and sheen.

I am a sucker for a recipe that allows for an easy cleanup. Not having to wash a pan or pot is an added bonus.

To try and shake things up from the mundane, I planned a card night at my parent’s house. It is funny and sort of silly at the same time because it was just us. But I made a bunch of snack foods and dips and assembled a tiered nosh tray for all of us to have a go at while we played cards. I baked up these wings, too. Want to talk all the rage? I will be posting the other items from this carousel in time, but knew I HAD to start with these wings.

TIPS FOR MAKING THESE BAKED CHICKEN WINGS

On a recent trip to Costco, I scored several packages of chicken wings, both drumettes and flats. All I did was rinse and pat dry the chicken, and after tossing in a dry rub of aromatics, salt, and baking powder, I arranged on a baking sheet and baked. The glaze was prepared atop the stove and cooked down while the chicken baked. So, moral of the story, PLENTY of free time to indulge in a glass of wine while I waited on these jewels.

For the most even cooking as well as the easiest cleanup, line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil or two sheets of regular width foil. Spray the foil very lightly with non-stick cooking spray before adding the wings.

I plan to set this recipe aside for if there is a Super Bowl played next year. This easy method makes preparing a small batch or a large efficient and checks off the must have chicken wing platter box for me. These pepper jelly chicken wings will leave you licking your fingers for more. They did mine.