Microwave BBQ Chicken Wings Recipe

Name: Microwave BBQ Chicken Wings
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 23 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 cup ketchup; 3 tablespoons light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 pound chicken wing flats (wingettes)

When we first entered the kitchen to develop a recipe for chicken wings cooked in the microwave, there were some doubts. The microwave?! Will they be any good? Yet we were shocked and delighted at how these microwaved wings turned out, including the BBQ sauce we glazed the wings with, which was also made in the microwave. This is a BBQ chicken wings recipe that’s easy to pull together, and there’s no need to dirty too many bowls nor turn on the oven, broiler, or grill. And though you won’t get crispy skin as you typically would when the wings are cooked in the oven or grill, they are delicious.

How to Make BBQ Sauce in the Microwave

The microwave works really well for making BBQ sauce—it thickens, bubbles along the edges of the bowl, caramelizes (yum!), and turns a few shades darker, just like we’d expect to see in stovetop preparations. Depending on the power level of your microwave, it will take 6 to 7 minutes to cook the BBQ sauce. It will thicken enough to glaze the wings beautifully. The flavors of this BBQ sauce are pretty classic: sweet, a little smoky, and sharp from the vinegar. Yellow mustard would be welcome instead of spicy brown mustard for tartness.

Platter of Microwave BBQ Chicken Wings — Simply Recipes / Mike Lang

Use Chicken Flats, Not Drumsticks

We do not recommend using chicken drumsticks (aka drumettes) for this recipe because the excess skin won’t get a chance to render its fat and won’t be pleasant to eat when microwaved. If you only have drumsticks, we recommend removing the skin (cut the skin with kitchen scissors first, then pull them off with your hands), or cooking them under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.

For this recipe, go for chicken flats (aka wingettes). You can ask the butcher at the grocery store to direct you to them. The skin around the flats is taught and thinner, so even though the fat does not render from the skin or crisp up, we did not find it to be too chewy.

Got whole wings? Here’s a great guide for how to break down whole chicken wings.

Tips for Making Microwave BBQ Wings

Make sure you stir the BBQ sauce halfway through cooking because it can caramelize and burn around the edges if you aren’t careful.
Patting the wings dry with paper towels after cooking and before tossing them in the BBQ sauce will help the sauce stick to the wings better.

Wings For Days

Microwave BBQ Chicken Wings

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 18 mins

Total Time 23 mins

Servings 4 to 6 servings

1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound chicken wing flats (wingettes)

Make the BBQ sauce:

Stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, brown mustard, garlic powder, cumin, and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with a wet paper towel and microwave on high until thickened, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through and re-covering. Set the BBQ sauce aside. You can reuse the paper towel to cook the wings.

Simply Recipes / Mike Lang

Simply Recipes / Mike Lang

Simply Recipes / Mike Lang
Cook the wings:

Place the chicken wings in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with the same paper towel and microwave on high until the wings are almost cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Discard paper towel. Drain the wings in a colander set in the sink. Then pat the wings dry with paper towels, and return them into the bowl.

Simply Recipes / Mike Lang

Simply Recipes / Mike Lang

Simply Recipes / Mike Lang

Simply Recipes / Mike Lang
Coat the wings and finish cooking:

Add about 1/2 cup BBQ sauce to the wings and toss to evenly coat. Microwave on high, uncovered, until sauce glazes the wings, about 4 minutes, stirring halfway through.

We developed and tested the recipe in a 1,250-watt microwave. You may need to cook the wings for longer, in 1-minute intervals, depending on the power of your microwave. The best way to check to make sure the chicken is cooked through is to measure its temperature with an instant read thermometer—you’re looking for at least 165°F.

Serve with the remaining 1/4 cup BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.

Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!

Simply Recipes / Mike Lang

Simply Recipes / Mike Lang

Simply Recipes / Mike Lang

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
85	Calories
1g	Fat
18g	Carbs
2g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	85
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g	2%
Saturated Fat 0g	2%
Cholesterol 4mg	1%
Sodium 536mg	23%
Total Carbohydrate 18g	7%
Dietary Fiber 1g	2%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 2mg	11%
Calcium 20mg	2%
Iron 1mg	4%
Potassium 182mg	4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.