Strawberry Balsamic Baked Wings

By Chris Scheuer | Updated on February 16, 2022

4.84 from 6 votes

Sweet, salty, spicy, sticky and succulent all rolled into one - just a warning, these are totally addictive. They're also baked, not fried and EASY!

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These Strawberry Balsamic Baked Wings are baked, not fried and so easy. They're also outrageously delicious so be sure to make plenty!

Before I tell you about these Strawberry Balsamic Baked Wings, would you allow me to crow just a teeny bit?

I'm kind of proud of myself. If you're a long time follower of The Café, you might recall that I'm ~~kind of~~ a sports moron. To be honest, I've really never paid much attention to organized sports. Might be because my head's forever stuck in the kitchen or it might just be that the "athletic" lobe of my brain is missing. I'm not sure which, but nevertheless, it's an arena of life I tend to not pay much attention to.

I guess some of you (football fans) might frown on me, but before your opinion drops too low, I have some news that may redeem this old girl a bit. Are you ready? I've actually been thinking about the Super Bowl for weeks. Yes, weeks! Although in years gone by, I've often been out of touch regarding the big game, this year I actually looked up the date. Way back at the beginning of January. Have I gained any brownie points yet? Not many? Well, it gets better, way better!

I checked out the Super Bowl date because I wanted to create something wonderful for you - whether you're a sports fan or not. Why? Because even if you're like me, and not particularly super excited about sports, there's something wonderful about gathering together with family and/or friends for a festive occasion. And festive occasions always call for food, right? Great food!

Which brings me to the delicious point of this conversation; Strawberry Balsamic baked Wings. I've been working on the recipe for a few weeks in anticipation of the Super Bowl and... ta da! They're ready for you, in perfect time for the big game.

I thought wings had to be fried to be really good and the thought of fried wings didn't appeal to me. But I decided to experiment and see if I could come up with a really fun and delicious recipe for baked wings. There were lots of recipes online and I tried a couple but didn't have spectacular results, so I came up with my own version.

The flavor profile for these Baked Wings is an old friend. It comes from one of our earlier recipes, the first one that seemed to go viral, our Strawberry Balsamic Pizza with Chicken and Applewood Bacon.

It was in the early days when I thought the only people who read the blog were my family and a few friends. Then one day, this recipe went crazy, and it wasn't long before I was getting emails from people around the globe who were trying it and loving it. When they wrote, they always said something like, "It sounded like a strange combination of flavors at first... but we loved it!" It's still one of our favorite pizzas of all time.

These Strawberry Balsamic Baked Wings also call for strawberry jam combined with a splash of balsamic vinegar with the additional flavors of soy sauce and fresh ginger. It took a few trials but finally, my taste testers declared the glaze perfect! I had to play around a bit with the baking technique as I wanted a deep, flavorful, mahogany-hued glaze. In the end, I brined the wings for an hour, then baked them in a hot oven and applied the glaze several times near the end. I think you'll find the recipe simple and not too time-consuming. They're sweet, salty, spicy, sticky and succulent, all rolled in one!

Café Tips for making these Strawberry Balsamic Baked Wings

In addition to being a super tasty little finger food, these baked wings are also great as a dinner entree. I've been serving them with jasmine rice and a salad or green veggie for a wonderful meal.
Brining keeps the wings juicy and tender and adds seasoning all the way through. If you're in a big rush, however, just skip the brining process. The wings will still be very good.
These baked wings are sticky, so don't skip the parchment paper. I love these pre-cut sheets of parchment paper. They aren't expensive and a box will last forever. They come in a nice flat container for easy storage.
Look for the reddest, prettiest jam you can find. Don't use a jam that's main ingredient is strawberry juice. You want the real deal! I like to use homemade strawberry freezer jam or Bonne Maman.

Oh, by the way, you can pretend you don't know me but... who is it that's playing in the Super Bowl??

Just teasing, this is the one year I do know. I'm a Carolina girl, after all!

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