Maple Bacon Chicken Wings Recipe

Preheat & pat dry

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat the wings dry with paper towels to remove surface moisture — this helps them crisp. If using whole wings, separate into drumettes and flats if desired.

Season wings

Place wings in a bowl and toss with kosher salt, black pepper, and the teaspoon of neutral oil until evenly coated.

Wrap with bacon

Cut bacon strips in half if they are long. Wrap each wing (or drumette) with one half-strip of bacon, overlapping slightly. Secure with a toothpick through bacon and wing if needed. Arrange wrapped wings on a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with foil (or parchment) to catch drips, spacing them so air circulates.

Bake in the preheated 425°F oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, rotate the pan and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until the bacon is crisp and wings are cooked through (internal temperature 165°F / 74°C) and skin is browned. If bacon is not crisping enough, broil on high for 1–2 minutes while watching closely to avoid burning.

Combine glaze ingredients

While wings bake, combine maple syrup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to blend.

Reduce & thicken

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and let it reduce for 4–6 minutes until slightly syrupy. Mix cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry; whisk the slurry into the simmering glaze and cook for 30–60 seconds more until the glaze thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool slightly — it will thicken further as it cools.

When wings are done, remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl (discard toothpicks). Spoon about half of the warm maple glaze over the wings and toss gently to coat each piece. Return wings to the rack or baking sheet and if you prefer a sticky finish, place under the broiler for 30–60 seconds to set the glaze (watch closely).

Transfer glazed wings to a serving platter, drizzle with remaining glaze as needed, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve hot.