Baked Barbecue Chicken Wings

These may look like ordinary chicken wings, but they get rave reviews – the secret is in the sauce!

Whenever I’m entertaining, these baked barbecue chicken wings are always on the menu. They’re saucy, filling and super fun to eat. Sometimes it’s hard for my husband to be the only male in the house. Although we provide our three girls with plenty of gender-neutral toys they definitely gravitate towards all things pink and princess. That being said, one of our daughters took an interest in football early on and my husband has turned it into a fun father-daughter activity. Of course once one girl got interested the others decided to join in, and Saturdays during college football games have turned into party time at our house. We are definitely one of a kind fans, everyone of all ages gets involved in the action! We typically invite some friends over to gather around the TV and watch the game. But of course it’s not a real party until there are some great snacks involved!

How do you make baked barbecue chicken wings?

Everyone around here loves chicken wings and they’re a quintessential game day food. I love my chicken wings extra crispy, but I do NOT love frying. In fact, I avoid frying at all costs. When I make oven baked wings I employ my special trick: a flavorful brine. Brining the wings not only adds flavor but the salt and honey in the brine actually helps to crisp up the skin. The wings get almost caramelized in the oven; I dare you to eat just one.

But what’s even better than crispy oven baked wings? Oven baked wings with a special homemade barbecue sauce. It’s actually really easy to make your own barbecue sauce; it’s a handful of ingredients you probably already have and about 10 minutes of cook time. A lot of barbecue sauces use sugar or honey as a sweetener, which is fine and all, but I much prefer the more complex flavor of Dr Pepper.

I tested the barbecue sauce with both regular and Diet Dr Pepper varieties. I think it tastes best with regular Dr Pepper but the diet version will work too. After your Dr Pepper barbecue sauce has simmered for a few minutes it’s time to coat the wings. You can pour the sauce on top of your pile of wings or brush it on, depending on how saucy you like them.

These sweet and tangy baked wings are truly the ultimate game day snack. You can toss the wings in the brine the night before and bake up a whole tray of them while you’re waiting for the game to start. They’re also perfect for a tailgating party. Everyone will be so impressed that you made your own barbecue sauce, you don’t even have to tell them how easy it was!

So tell me, what are your favorite game day snacks and traditions? I’m always looking for more great ideas to add to our parties! Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Dr Pepper. All opinions are my own. #OneOfAKindFan