Lazy Slow Cooker Hot Honey Wings

Name: Lazy Slow Cooker Hot Honey Wings Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 260 min
Ingredients: 4 lbs wings (wingettes and drumettes); 1 cup honey; ½ cup sriracha; ¼ cup lime juice; 1 tsp minced garlic (regular or roasted garlic); ¼ tsp salt

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Slow cooker hot honey wings are a must-try dish. This easy recipe made with just 5 ingredients is a sweet and spicy flavor explosion! The perfect addition to any meal, party or game day celebration.

looking down on a plate of crispy, saucy wings with celery on the side

Wings aren't just for the "big game" anymore. They have earned a place of honor on menus everywhere from local, rural bars to big city gourmet restaurants. Not only that, the variety of sauces, dips and cooking methods seem almost endless. Not surprisingly, of course, your slow cooker is also a great place to make them!

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Ingredients
How to assemble this dish
How to make wings crispy
Serving ideas
Hints & hacks
Frequently asked questions
Great crockpot chicken recipes:
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Like most things slow cooker, this is a super easy recipe not involving any gourmet culinary skills. To start, you will need to gather the following:

wings!
honey
Sriracha
minced garlic
lime juice
kosher salt

click here for exact quantities

all hot honey wing ingredients with written labels on a blue background

How to assemble this dish

If you are planning to use a slow cooker liner, placing it in your crockpot is always the first (and most forgotten) step. This hot wing recipe works with either an official slow cooker liner or parchment paper. If you don't plan to use either, start by spraying your slow cooker with some sort of non-stick spray.

Add honey, Sriracha, garlic, lime juice and salt to a mixing bowl. Use a fork or whisk to fully combine all ingredients. Next, make sure your wings are ready to go. If they are wet, be sure to pat them dry to help the sauce stick. They will be the first thing added into your slow cooker.

Pour sauce mixture over wings in your slow cooker. You will want to use tongs or a spoon to toss your wings around a bit in your crockpot to make sure each one is fully coated with sauce on all sides. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. The best way to confirm that your wings are fully cooked through is by using a meat thermometer. Once your chicken reaches and internal 165ºF, it is considered safe to eat. Be sure to carefully follow the instructions on your thermometer regarding the proper way to insert it into the chicken.

a crockpot with a liner filled with wings and sauce

How to make wings crispy

Slow cooking will turn your wings into a juicy and delicious treat, but to finish them off just right, you need to add a little crispiness. The two easiest ways of doing this are under the broiler or in an air fryer. Remove wings from slow cooker and place on a an open oven rack with a drip tray below it. You can toss your wings under the broiler for 2 or so minutes per side or in the air fryer for about 10 minutes. Be sure to watch broiled wings carefully, they can go from done to burned very quickly.

While the chicken is getting crispy, you will want to thicken up your sauce. Transfer a few ladlefuls of the sauce in your slow cooker to a sauce pan and allow it to come to a boil, stove top. Boil until it reduces to a thicker, syrup-like consistency. Use a brush or spoon to lightly coat crispy wings with some of the thickened sauce. This can be done either in the middle of the crisping process or after the wings are fully crisp Any remaining thickened sauce can be served alongside your wings for dipping.

looking down on a plate of crispy on an air fryer tray

Serving ideas

These hot wings are great served with some of the reduced extra sauce as mentioned above. They are also great with either blue cheese or ranch dressing for extra dipping. Similar to Buffalo wings, they are terrific when served with some crunchy, fresh vegetable sticks such as carrots and celery.

Spoonable cornbread makes for a particularly delicious partner for slow cooker hot honey wings as it is a moist and slightly sweet dish. Regardless of what food you decide to serve with them, the most important accompaniment will be napkins to clean off all those dirty, saucy fingers!

Hints & hacks

Slow cooker hot honey wings are delicious served warm or cold and make for great refrigerator leftovers!
Use a meat thermometer to confirm chicken is safe to eat. Chicken that is over cooked can be dry and rubbery. According to the FDA, chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Here is my favorite meat thermometer.
Slow cooker liners are an optional but helpful hack whenever using a crockpot. They allow you to cook with little to no cleanup. I like to buy mine in bulk for a better per-piece price. Click here to see what I buy.
Not a fan of slow cooker liners? Parchment paper also works with this recipe and will leave you with virtually zero slow cooker clean up.
In the market for a new slow cooker? Here is the one I am currently lusting after.

Frequently asked questions

What parts of the wing work best for this recipe?

Full chicken wings have three parts, the wing tip, the wingette and the drumette. Wingettes and drumettes work best for this recipe. Check this out if you are interested in learning more about chicken wing parts.

How do I confirm that my wings are cooked all the way through?

Consuming undercooked chicken can be dangerous! The best way to confirm that your wings are safe to eat is by using a meat thermometer. Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF

Can this recipes be sped up by cooking on high?

Yes, if you are pressed for time, you can cook your wings on high for 2-3 hours.

Is it ok to cook raw chicken in a crockpot?

Yes! Raw chicken can be safely cooked in a slow cooker. Again, the best way to confirm it is safe is to use a meat thermometer.

Great crockpot chicken recipes:

📖 Recipe