16 chicken wings recipes for budget entertaining

Budget entertaining

A tray of glossy, succulent chicken wings makes a great budget entertaining idea for feeding a hungry horde. This budget meat cut is perfect party finger food, or served as a sharing dish for a small get-together. Chicken wings can be easily scaled up or down to serve as many as you need, plus it's a chance to get creative with marinades, spices and condiments.

Chicken wings are a certified BBQ crowd-pleaser due to their punchy flavour, but we bring them out to enjoy all year round to keep entertaining costs low. Why not make as part of an informal dinner party?

How to serve chicken wings

Chicken wings are an ideal match for cheesy sauces, sticky glazes and spicy dips for dunking. The choice is all yours: you could coat in a moreish caramel dressing, slather in glistening raspberry jam glaze or perk up with paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper. For dipping, try our cool blue cheese dip to take the edge off the heat, or opt for a punchy jalapeño dip or a dash of spicy Tabasco to up the ante even more. For more chicken wing inspiration, check out our best-ever recipes below.

Chicken wings recipes

BBQ chicken wings

These juicy chicken wings are spiced with paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and fresh oregano. Crisp them up on the BBQ and serve with a light yogurt sauce to feed a hungry horde.

Bajan chicken wings

Make these crisp buttermilk-marinated chicken wings at home for an exciting weekend project. They're a bit of effort to make, but are well worth giving a go.

Miso caramel chicken wings

Try Helen Graves’s deliciously crisp chicken wings for dinner tonight, made sweet and salty thanks to a moreish caramel dressing.

Buttermilk fried chicken wings

Check out these crisp-coated chicken wings, slathered in a sweet and spicy sauce. This recipe comes from the kitchen of The Fox at Oddington.

Sriracha chicken wings

A tray of glossy chicken wings, glistening in sriracha to add a chilli heat, make a sensational Friday night snack.

Buffalo wings with blue cheese dip

This recipe for crispy chicken wings with buffalo sauce and blue cheese dip comes from Randy's Wing Bar and is addictive. To make an authentic buffalo wing, use Frank’s® RedHot Sauce.

BBQ fish sauce chicken wings

Check out our irresistibly sweet and sticky BBQ wings. This gluten-free chicken wings recipe is super easy to make and a real crowd pleaser at any summer BBQ.

Hot wings

These spicy chicken wings are flavoured with harissa and Frank's RedHot sauce. Make your own nutty dukkah as a dip for them, to add flavour as well as texture.

Butter chicken wings

Check out these super succulent, creamy butter chicken wings from chef Karam Sethi at Indian restaurant, Brigadiers. Another great recipe for the BBQ.

Sticky chicken wings

Check out our sweet and sticky chicken wings recipe with raspberry jam glaze and a dash of spicy Tabasco. Cook these wings for an easy snack to feed a crowd.

Fried chicken wings

Max Halley of Max's Sandwich Shop uses high-starch instant mashed potato to make the coating on these chicken wings insanely crunchy! Serve with punchy jalapeño dip and let everyone dig in.

Baked chicken wings

Do you love baked chicken wings? Check out this easy recipe with a fiery Ethiopian twist from berbere spice mix. Packed with punchy flavour, these wings make the perfect snack for any dinner party.

Chinese-style chicken wings

Check out these delicious Chinese-style chicken wings with punchy sanbei sauce. This recipe is easy to make and comes from Taiwanese restaurant XU in London's Chinatown.

Thai-style chicken wings

This fried chicken is popular street food and has a delicious crispy skin that’s packed full of spice. The crunchy lime leaves add texture and fragrance, making the wings distinctly Thai.

Smoked chicken wings

This recipe promises a step-by-step guide for nailing your smoked chicken wings. Cherrywood gives off a slightly sweeter smoke and lends these spicy chicken wings a subtle, deliciously fruity flavour.

Air-fryer chicken wings

Use your air-fryer to effortlessly cook these chicken wings, delivering all the flavours you love without the hassle of deep-frying.