Instructions:

1.     Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.     Pat the wings dry with paper towels, spread them evenly on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle olive oil over them. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.

3.     Bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 30 – 45 minutes, turning halfway through.

4.     In a small saucepan, combine the hot sauce and honey over low heat, stirring occasionally. Warm until the sauce lightly bubbles, then remove from heat. The sauce will appear thin and watery but will thicken as it cools.

5.     Remove the wings from the oven and place them in a large mixing bowl. Pour the sauce over the wings and toss lightly with tongs until they are fully coated.

6.     Enjoy the sweet heat.

My Two Cents:

• Looking to make your party platter picture perfect? Garnish with a light sprinkle of scallions for a pop of color.

• A simple, healthy side dish: crudités and dip. That’s just a fancy French way of saying a vegetable tray with dipping sauces. I warned you that we’re rugged & refined. Consider an array of fresh veggies – celery, carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, bell peppers, broccoli or tomatoes with a vinaigrette, pesto or ranch-style dip.

Back Story:

It was a hot, humid, but very memorable Saturday in Miami Beach, FL, in August 2014 – August 23rd to be exact – and with the help of Yelp and some legwork on my girlfriend Geri’s part, she, another friend Shonda and I secured a reservation for dinner at Yardbird Southern Table & Bar. We were drawn in by the Yelp reviews and the cheeky, down-home self-description as “a house of worship to farm-fresh ingredients, classic Southern cooking, hailed bourbon selection, and top-notch hospitality.” While I know little about bourbon, as the granddaughter of a Grenada, Mississippi native who knew her way around the kitchen, I understand a little something about Southern cuisine. This is not a restaurant review, so I’ll stop there, but I did leave with an inspiration to bring a taste of the spicy-sweet sauce Yardbird served with its fried chicken back home to Chicago.

This recipe calls for baked chicken, which is just as tasty (and healthier), and does not have Yardbird’s signature sauce, but this simple, two-ingredient condiment will change the way you look at chicken wings. Be sure to grab plenty of napkins; it’s about to get messy in the best of ways.

SHARE THIS RECIPE