This is the best copycat Hooters Daytona Wings recipe you’ll ever come across! These baked Hooters wings are sticky, saucy, spicy, and loaded with smoky flavor.
If you’ve ever tried Hooters Daytona Beach-style wings, then you know those are wildly addictive. After countless cravings we couldn’t shake, I got to work on replicating that Hooters Daytona Wings recipe. This baked Hooters wings recipe has been tested, tweaked, and tested again until it was spot on.
The best part is, you don’t even need a deep fryer for this! You only need your oven, a baking sheet, and about an hour to prep and cook. Not only did my take on the Hooters restaurants’ favorite taste amazing, but this recipe has become my go-to. Just like my copycat KFC Nashville Hot Chicken recipe. And since I know you love wings, you have to try out these air fryer honey garlic chicken wings.
Hooters Daytona Wings Recipe Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the detailed ingredient measurements.
For the Wings
- Chicken wings: with a mix of flats and drums are perfect for variety and texture. Fresh or thawed wings work best.
- All-purpose flour: helps create that light, crispy coating for the chicken wings.
- Paprika: adds a subtle smokiness and a warm hue, making this recipe more appetizing-looking.
- Garlic powder: makes the chicken more flavorful. Besides, everything's better with garlic.
- Salt and black pepper: are the essentials to wake the flavors up.
For the Daytona-style Wing Sauce
- Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce: has the perfect balance of smoky and sweet.
- Frank’s RedHot Sauce: brings the bold heat we love in the famous Daytona-style wing.
- Honey: balances the spice and adds stickiness to the sauce.
- Dark Brown sugar: gives off that rich, molasses-style sweetness.
- Soy sauce: adds a rich, umami depth to the sauce.
- Garlic powder & Red pepper flakes (optional): are what will boost the flavors with a spicy kick.
How to Make Copycat Hooters Daytona Wings
- Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper towels to help the coating stick to begin with.
- Next, in a large bowl, whisk flour together with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Toss wings in the seasoned flour mixture until evenly coated.
- Place the wings dredged in dry coating on a plate or wire rack and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This will help the coating stick and crisp up!
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Lightly grease the rack.
- Arrange wings skin-side down, spaced out on the rack accordingly. Then, bake for 20 minutes, flip once done, and then bake another 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
Make the Hooters Chicken Wings Sauce
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine all the Daytona sauce ingredients listed together.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer in medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. In the meantime, remove baked wings from the rack and toss all of them to a large bowl.
Final Bake
- Once sauce has simmered, pour the warm prepared Daytona sauce over the baked wings and give everything a toss.
- Place the chicken wings back on the rack, skin-side up, and bake 5–7 more minutes until the sauce is bubbly and sticky.
Tips and Tricks for Copycat Hooters Wings Recipe
- To achieve an irresistible, crispy finish without frying, pat the wings dry thoroughly.
- Add more red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper for a hotter flavor.
- Don’t just use foil; use a wire rack so that the wings cook evenly and get crispy on the outside as well.
- For an even more caramelized flavor, broil the wings for 1–2 minutes after they have finished baking. But, don’t walk away, keep your eyes on the wings because they brown fast!
Why You Need to Make these Daytona Beach-style Wings
This Copycat Hooters Daytona Wings doesn’t just get close, it nails it. You’ll get that delicious barbecue sauce with complex flavors, just like the Hooters Daytona beach sauce recipe. When combined with the naked chicken that’s been baked to perfection, you have an absolutely irresistible dish.
What’s more, these chicken wings are oven-baked and not fried. The cleanup is easier, and the wings are just significantly lighter on the taste buds. This is one of those wing recipes that beats any “TikTok-make” version, and you’ll be hooked for good. Not to mention how easy this recipe is, you’ll have another go-to recipe when you want to elevate your classic wings recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Yes, you can! In this case, cook wings at 380°F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Once cooked, coat wings with sauce and finish for 3–5 minutes at 400°F.
This Copycat Hooters Daytona Wings recipe has a medium level of spiciness. To reduce the heat, use less hot sauce or skip the red pepper flakes altogether.
Yes, as long as you ensure that everything is thawed completely. Pat the wings dry thoroughly before coating. It’s one of the most important steps to achieving the best texture.
I think Sweet Baby Ray’s is the ideal one to use, but don’t worry if you don’t have it. Any sweet and smoky BBQ sauce works just as well.
The final 5-7 minute bake caramelizes the sauce, so don’t skip this step!
Absolutely! When grilling, do it over medium heat, flipping until cooked through. Then, baste with grilled wings with sauce, bring them back over the grill and allow the sauce to caramelize over high heat.
These wings pair perfectly with celery sticks, blue cheese dressing, or crispy fries.
Yes, you can. If you prefer, use boneless chicken thighs or breasts. You can even cut them into strips for the most delicious Hooters Daytona-style chicken tenders. Alternatively, you can even cut them into smaller pieces for snackable chicken bites.
Storage and Reheating Tips
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container. Refrigerate and consume within 3 days. To re-heat the chicken from the fridge, pop wings in the oven for best results.
Copycat Hooters Daytona Wings Recipe
Copycat Hooters Daytona Wings Recipe
Ingredients
For the Wings:
- 2.5 - 3 lbs chicken wings flats and drums
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
For the Daytona Sauce:
- 2/3 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce or similar
- 1/3 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional, for heat
Instructions
- Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels.2.5 - 3 lbs chicken wings
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper
- Toss wings in the flour mixture until well-coated.
- Place floured wings on a plate or rack and refrigerate for 30 minutes to help the coating adhere.
- Preheat oven to 400°F then line a baking sheet with foil and top it with a wire rack. Lightly grease the rack.
- Arrange wings on the rack, skin-side down, spacing them apart.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flip, then bake another 20 minutes until golden and crispy.
Make the Daytona Sauce
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine all of the sauce ingredients together.2/3 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, 1/3 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Stir constantly and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened then remove from heat.
- When wings are fully baked, remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl.
- Pour the warm Daytona sauce over the wings and toss to coat evenly.
- Place wings back on the rack (clean or wiped down), skin-side up. Return to oven and bake for an additional 5–7 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and caramelized.
Notes
• Serve hot with ranch or bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks.
• Optional: sprinkle with green onions or sesame seeds for extra flair.
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