Sweet Chili Baked Chicken Wings

Labor Day. The end of summer, again. This year's barbecue was at my house, and for the first time, there was a new person at the table. Not Tom — we've been on one date, I'm not introducing him to my social circle yet (or my children, or my brother, or my mother, who would interrogate him with the precision of a federal agent and the warmth of a woman offering cinnamon rolls). But the knowledge that he exists, somewhere outside this backyard, waiting for another dinner and another conversation — the knowledge changed the color of the day. Everything was slightly brighter. The way the world looks when something good might be beginning.

The barbecue was perfect. Same people, same food, same backyard, same flag. Brett made the salad. Jen brought Dave's berry trifle (now a tradition). Carol brought her tuna casserole (which nobody eats but everyone appreciates because Carol is seventy-three and you do not refuse a seventy-three-year-old's casserole). I grilled chicken and made the baked beans and the potato salad and the corn, and we sat in the yard and ate and the evening was golden and warm and the kids played and the dogs lay in the grass and it was the last barbecue of the summer and it was enough. It was always enough.

Lily's show is in two weeks. She's practicing every other day. The focus is extraordinary — this child, who cannot sit still during a meal, sits perfectly motionless on a horse for forty-five minutes of practice. She is learning to compete, which means learning to be judged, which means learning that your best might not be the best, and that's okay. I don't want her to win (I do, but I know I shouldn't want it more than she does). I want her to ride well and be proud and learn that showing up is its own victory, which is a lesson it took me thirty-five years and one cancer diagnosis to learn.

Tom texted after the barbecue: "How was your Labor Day?" I said, "Full house, full grill, full heart." He said, "The best kind of full." I sat on the porch with my phone and smiled, and Hank put his head on my foot, and the summer was ending and something else was beginning and both things were true at the same time.

Every year I tell myself I’ll try something new on the grill, and every year the chicken wins — because it’s the thing that disappears first, the thing people hover near, the thing that says this is a real cookout. This year I leaned into a sweet chili glaze that caramelizes in the oven and makes the whole backyard smell like something worth staying for. Full house, full grill, full heart — and these wings were right in the middle of all of it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken wings, split at joints, tips removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Sliced green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat and prep the pan. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top. Lightly coat the rack with nonstick spray.
Season the wings. Pat chicken wings thoroughly dry with paper towels — this is the key to crispy skin. In a large bowl, toss wings with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
Bake. Arrange wings in a single layer on the prepared rack, leaving space between each piece. Bake for 40–45 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until skin is golden and crisp and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Make the glaze. While wings bake, whisk together sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl until smooth.
Toss and finish. Transfer hot wings to a clean large bowl and pour glaze over them. Toss well to coat. For extra caramelization, return glazed wings to the rack and broil for 2–3 minutes, watching closely.
Garnish and serve. Transfer to a serving platter and top with sliced green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sweet Chili Baked Chicken Wings — The Last Barbecue of Summer