Best Ever BBQ Chicken Wings Recipe (2024)

Pair a bag of frozen chicken wings with some Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce and one secret ingredient and you have the best every BBQ Chicken wings recipe.

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My 3 Ingredient Crockpot BBQ Chicken Wings recipe is our go-to for an easy scrumptious party or game day food any time of the year!

I can’t even tell you how many times I have made this easy recipe for my own family and they still enjoy them. It is one of our favorite recipes for any time of the year, especially game-day food.

This recipe has been shared more than 200 thousand times by our readers.

We like just a tiny bit of char on our Chicken Wings. The secret to making delicious Crockpot BBQ Wings is in the final step.

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Large Crockpot, (shop Crockpots at Walmart)
Large Colander
A large slotted spoon to scoop out the wings
Disposable Crockpot Liners (optional)

Ingredient List for Crockpot BBQ Chicken Wings

Coca Cola
Frozen Chicken wings
BBQ Sauce, I like this brand

The Wings I Cook

Bone in
Skin on
Store brand Chicken Wing Drummettes They come in 2 1/2 lb. bags and I usually cook two for my family. These small chicken drumettes are perfect.

The Crockpot I use

I use a 6-quart Crockpot like this one for this recipe with 5 to 10 lbs. of wings and they fit comfortably.

How To Cook Good Wings

No need to thaw the chicken wings. Wings are thin meat so they thaw and cook at the same time. I always rinse my chicken first. We are going to cook them frozen and they may have a few ice crystals to be rinsed off.

Step 1

Place the chicken wings in a big colander in the sink and rinse with slow-running water to remove any ice crystals which may be on them from the freezer. This colander (affiliate) looks exactly like mine which is large enough to hold 5 lbs. of wings at one time.

Use low water pressure, and don’t turn the water on full force, so you won’t splash chicken water all over the place. But just to be safe please wash the sink and counters around it any time you have rinsed chicken in your kitchen sink.

Do Not Thaw

Do not thaw the wings prior to cooking! They thaw, cook, and soak up flavor all at one time in just 2 or 3 hours!

Step 2

Add your frozen wings to the Crockpot.

Cover with cola. When we have co*ke on hand that is what I use but the store brand and even diet cola work just fine also. Folks have contacted me to say they even used Sprite and it worked well too. Do not use water for this recipe.

The wings are going to create their own juice while cooking so you only want to barely cover them with cola. The combination of the chicken juices and the cola will create a tender juicy deliciousness in your BBQ Wings!

Step 3 Drain the wings

While your wings are draining, preheat the oven to 350°.

Drain the cooked wings well in the colander before adding the BBQ sauce. Carefully remove the wings from the slow cooker. I use a large slotted spoon like this one

Do not use tongs to remove these slow cooker chicken wings from the crockpot. They are very tender and will fall apart easily. A slotted spoon is best because it allows the juice to drip back into the pot.

Step 4 Ready for the oven

Line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray. Now, it is time to learn how to barbeque chicken wings into a deliciousness you can’t resist.

Place chicken wings out in rows, in a single layer on your prepared sheet pan. Brush with your favorite barbeque sauce. We like Sweet Baby Rays which you can find on Amazon right here.

Step 5 Finish your Crockpot BBQ Wings

Place the baking pan into the oven, preheated to 350°. Bake the wings for 10-12 minutes then turn on the broiler to get a little char on the skin of your wings. Don’t walk away, char happens quickly. The end result is finger-licking delicious chicken wings!

Also, See how to make these intoLemon Pepper Wings

Scroll down for a complete printable/downloadable recipe.

BBQ Wings are great game-day food. Make this crowd-pleaser for the super bowl, a family dinner, or even as an appetizer. Crockpot BBQ chicken wings with co*ke will be one of your family favorites.

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3 Ingredient Crockpot BBQ Chicken Wings

Easy recipe for BBQ Chicken Wings. Only 3 Ingredients and best of all it is a Crockpot recipe!

Course Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword wings

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

12-16 chicken wings do not thaw
1 can co*ke
1 Cup BBQ Sauce we use Sweet Baby Ray’s

Instructions

Turn Crockpot on low. (I like this Crockpot with great ratings)
Pour the can of co*ke into the crockpot.
Place all of the chicken wings into the co*ke.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Remove wings from Crockpot onto a baking pan covered with foil.
Brush wings generously with BBQ sauce
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes, just until the BBQ is heated. Then turn on the broiler to get a little char on the skin of your wings. Don't walk away, char happens quickly.
Serve and enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

The Secret To The Success of Crockpot BBQ Wings Recipe

The secret to perfectly cooked Slow Cooker Barbeque Chicken Wings is placing them in the oven for a few minutes after removing them from the crockpot. The oven sets the BBQ sauce and keeps the wings from being too wet from cooking in the liquid.

Kitchen Tips

When we have a big crowd and I cook a lot of wings I serve them from disposable aluminum pans like these for easy clean-up. Just sit the tongs by the pan and step out of the way! Everyone loves these slow-cooker wings!

Use Slow cooker liners for easy clean-up. I l-o-v-e them and don’t dare ever run out of them.

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Side Dishes to Serve with BBQ Chicken Wings

Creamy Homemade Cole Slaw,
Best Ever BBQ Baked Beans
Homestyle Oven Baked Fries,
Southern Style BBQ Baked Beans,
Southern Potato Salad (made from scratch!)
Fresh Green Bean Salad
Baked Potatoes (20 Baked Potato Toppings)

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Updated 1/5/2021

Best Ever BBQ Chicken Wings Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make BBQ sauce stick to chicken wings? ›

Best Barbecue Wings: The Method

Mix all of the sauce ingredients together. I like to make sure it is simmering before I even prep the chicken, or while everything preheats and the chicken begins to cook. It should get nice and thick and sticky. By the time you brush it over the chicken it will coat & cling to it.

View Details ›

Do you put BBQ sauce on wings before or after cooking? ›

Pouring the fat from the baking pans and adding the sauce towards the end of the cooking time is the trick. I used two pans because you don't want to crowd the wings.

Show Me More ›

How does Bobby Flay cook chicken wings? ›

Season the wings with salt and pepper and add in batches to the flour mixture to lightly coat. Tap off the excess flour, add the wings to the oil in batches and fry until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Tell Me More ›

Should I pre cook chicken wings before BBQ? ›

If the wings have not been marinated but will be sauced as they are grilled, you can use the oven method or you can steam them in a steamer basket set over boiling water for 12 minutes. With all three methods, finishing the wings on a medium-hot grill should follow immediately after the precooking.

Know More ›

How to coat wings in sauce for wings? ›

To make sure that every wing is evenly covered in hot sauce you throw the wings in a big (warm) bowl. Stainless steel would be the best choice. Now pour the sauce of your choice over the desired wings and cover the bowl with a plate or lid. Then it's time to shake the bowl with the wings and sauce.

Discover More ›

How long should chicken sit in BBQ sauce? ›

Step 1In a large bowl, whisk BBQ sauce, oil, garlic, soy sauce, smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Reserve ¼ cup of the sauce in a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to grill. Add chicken to the large bowl and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Find Out More ›

Should you season chicken before BBQ sauce? ›

With that in mind, the best time to sauce a grilled (BBQ) chicken is after it's cooked, or more precisely, when it's nearly cooked. Go ahead and season it liberally and coat it in butter or oil beforehand, but wait until it is no more than a few minutes away from being done before you sauce it.

Tell Me More ›

What is the secret to making chicken wings? ›

The most widespread trick on the internet involves sprinkling a little baking powder onto the wings before baking them. The kitchen science wizards at America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats both found this worked best for them.

Learn More ›

Do I have to rinse baking soda off chicken? ›

Allow the meat to soak in the baking soda solution for 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the liquid and briefly rinse the meat in plain water to strip off the baking soda solution (or as much of it as possible). Cook as desired.

Is cornstarch or baking soda better for crispy chicken? ›

My not-so-secret tip to the best fried chicken is a combination of FLOUR, CORNSTARCH, and BAKING POWDER. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.)

Show Me More ›

What makes wings crispy cornstarch or baking soda? ›

This recipe uses a handful of pantry-staple ingredients and a little bit of science to achieve the perfect oven-fried chicken wing. Follow the recipe carefully for the best results! There are 3 secrets to super crispy baked wings: Coat them in cornstarch, salt, and aluminum-free baking powder (NOT baking soda).

Are wings better in oven or fried? ›

“Baked chicken wings are a healthier alternative to fried ones,” says dietitian Katie Rankell, director of the UCI Health Weight Management Program. She notes that a typical serving of fried wings — two pieces — will weigh in with 309 calories, 21 grams of fat and more than 1,000 mg of sodium.

Read On ›

Should I flip my wings in the oven? ›

Bake the wings at 350 degrees for 1 hour, turning them over halfway through. This helps the skin crisp relatively quickly without drying out the inside.

How do Buffalo Wild Wings cook their chicken wings? ›

BWW uses seed oils, but they generally fry their wings in beef tallow. Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) has become synonymous with delicious wings that have been fried to perfection.

Read On ›

How do you get barbecue sauce to stick? ›

To accomplish this, simply use a BBQ basting brush to apply the sauce toward the end of the cook (aim to have it on for about 10 minutes). Don't be afraid to add a few extra coats of sauce as the clock winds down if you like a really sticky outer layer.