These easy Apricot Sauce Wings are sweet, sticky, and irresistible — a family favorite with a simple, finger-licking good sauce.
These Apricot Sauce Wings have been a family favorite in our house for years, ever since my daughter tried a version of them at a friend’s house and came home asking if I could make them. After a little experimenting, this became our go-to version — simple, sticky, and completely irresistible. The sauce comes together quickly with butter, garlic, apricot jam, brown sugar, soy sauce, and a splash of sriracha for just the right amount of kick. Sweet, savory, and slightly spicy, it’s the kind of sauce you want to lick right off your fingers.
What makes these wings perfect for busy families is how easy they are to make while still feeling special. The sauce takes just minutes, uses pantry staples, and coats the wings in glossy, flavorful goodness. They’re great for weeknight dinners, game days, parties, or anytime you want something fun and comforting that everyone will devour. Whether served with veggies on the side or piled onto a platter for sharing, these Apricot Sauce Wings disappear fast — so you may want to make extra.
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Perfect No-Fuss Dinner or Party Food
If you are tight on time and looking for easy dinner recipes, then you will LOVE this one! Here are some of the reasons why.
- Simple sauce made with pantry staples.
- Quick prep — big flavor with minimal effort.
- Kid-friendly sweet and sticky with adjustable heat.
- Perfect for sharing — great for family dinners or parties.
- Versatile — bake, air-fry, or grill the wings.
- Make-ahead friendly — sauce can be prepared in advance.
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
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- Wings – I used a wings and drumettes combo, bone in and skin on. If you buy these frozen, make sure to thaw them in the refrigerator the day before.
- Butter – Butter brings all of the ingredients together with rich flavor a shiny glaze. I used salted butter. You can use unsalted, but taste the sauce and add salt to balance the sweet if needed.
- Cloves Garlic, minced – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
- Apricot Jam or preserves – Look for a smoother texture apricot jam or preserves that will coat the chicken, without too many large fruit pieces. If the preserves are chunky, you can pulse in a food processor to smooth out or press the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to smooth it out.
- Light Brown Sugar – Brown sugar brings the necessary sweetness in Korean food. You could use white sugar in place of it if you cannot get brown. You can also add chopped apple or Asian pear to the food processor or 2 tablespoons of honey.
- Soy Sauce – I used regular Soy Sauce, but you can also use dark soy sauce or low sodium or light soy sauce, or Gluten Free Soy Sauce. If you don’t have Soy sauce, you can add Worcestershire sauce or beef, chicken, vegetable, stock or broth.
- Sriracha sauce – Sriracha chili sauce is a popular chili sauce found in just about any grocery store, made from red chili peppers, garlic, vinegar, sugar, and salt. It has a bold, slightly sweet bit of heat without being overwhelming. Some substitutes if you can’t get or don’t want sriracha are Cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or even Gochujang.
- Optional garnishes: Sliced scallions or chives.
See recipe card for quantities.
Simple Equipment
For this recipe, you will need a small-medium saucepan or pot for the sauce and a large sheet pan (I use a 17×11).
A large bowl is helpful for tossing the cooked wings with the sauce. Or you can use a silicone brush to brush the sauce on the wings right on the pan.
Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
The sauce takes only minutes to pull together and can be done while the wings are cooking. However, sometimes even saving minutes of time during the week helps so, you can make this ahead and store in the fridge until the wings are ready.
To a small saucepan, add the butter to melt. Once melted, add the rest of the Apricot Sauce ingredients.
Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and set aside until ready to toss with the chicken.
Talking Tip!
If your family is like mine, you will want to put this recipe on a weekly rotation! So, double up on the sauce and store half in the fridge in an airtight container for next week. You can also freeze it and save it for up to 6 months!
Cooking Steps
Preheat oven to 400℉. Add the wings and drumettes skin side up to a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Once the chicken is done, the easiest way to coat with the sauce is to toss the wings and drumettes in a large bowl with the sauce.
If you want to minimize cleanup, you can use a silicone brush to brush the sauce on and around the chicken pieces.
Then place back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes until the Apricot sauce gets caramelized and dark.
Serve with any extra sauce.
Variations on Apricot Sauce Wings
Here are some simple variations for these wings.
- Extra Spicy: Add more sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Honey Apricot Wings: Swap half the brown sugar for honey.
- Orange Apricot Twist: Add orange zest or a splash of orange juice.
- Baked or Air-Fried: Use baked or air-fried wings for a lighter option.
- Boneless Version: Toss chicken tenders or nuggets in the sauce for a kid-friendly spin.
Apricot Sauce Wing Recipe FAQs
Yes! The sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Reheat gently before tossing with wings.
They have a mild kick from the sriracha, but you can easily adjust the heat up or down — or leave it out entirely for kids.
Baking, air-frying, or grilling all work well. Toss the wings in the sauce at the end so they stay sticky and glossy.
Yes! Peach, pineapple, or orange marmalade all make great substitutes.
Cook the wings until crispy first, then toss them in the sauce right before serving.
Celery, carrots, ranch or blue cheese, a simple salad, or even rice for a full meal.
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Garlic Apricot Sauce Wings Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Wings and Drumettes, bone in and skin on
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- ½ cup Apricot Jam or preserves
- 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha Sauce or more to taste
- Optional: Scallions, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉
- Add the wings and drumettes skin side up to a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
- To a small saucepan, add the butter to melt. Once melted, add the rest of the Apricot Sauce ingredients. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and set aside until ready to toss with the chicken.
- Once the chicken is done, the easiest way to coat with the sauce is to toss the wings and drumettes in a large bowl with the sauce. If you want to minimize cleanup, you can use a silicone brush to brush the sauce on and around the chicken pieces. Then place back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes until the Apricot sauce gets caramelized and dark. Serve with any extra sauce.
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