You are going to love this Wingers Sticky Fingers recipe! Not only does it taste like the real deal but it’s also a lot cheaper to make it yourself than it is to order it. The Wingers sauce uses just 3 ingredients and is fast and easy to prepare.

We love recreating restaurant recipes at home! For example we have CPK Club Pizza, Cafe Rio Sweet Pork, Johnny Carino’s Bowtie Festival, and Tandoori’s (a restaurant in my hometown) Indian Butter Chicken.

A plate full of Wingers Sticky Fingers and a side of ranch.

Why This Recipe Works

  • This Winger’s sauce recipe is super fast and simple to make and uses only 3 ingredients. With so many different ways to cook up the chicken strips, you can make them as soft or crispy as you like!
  • The Wingers sauce can be made up to a few days in advance, which is perfect for planning a tailgate party or simply making dinner or an easier snack when the mood hits.
  • These Wingers Sticky Fingers also taste incredible with a side of ranch but even eating them plain is fine as my husband prefers them that way while I’m more of a ranch gal myself.

Ingredients

Wingers Sticky Fingers ingredients on a gray background.
  • Hot sauce: You want to make sure to use Franks Red Hot Sauce as that will give you the most optimal flavor and heat for this Winger’s sticky fingers recipe.
  • Brown sugar: This will give you a nice sweetness to help cut some of the heat. It will also help to make the sauce caramelize as it cooks so that it thickens well and sticks to each chicken piece.
  • Chicken strips: I use Tyson Frozen Crispy Chicken Strips and deep fry them for extra crispness. Instructions on how to do this are included on the recipe card below. See “Recipe Tips” section for how to make this recipe using an air fryer.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Combine the hot sauce, brown sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the brown sugar has dissolved.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil and once it is boiling, remove it from the heat.
A saucepan full of hot sauce, brown sugar, and a little water.
  1. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before using. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
  2. Once cooled, pour over chicken, toss well to coat, and enjoy.
A bowl of fried chicken strips.

Recipe Tips

I always use Franks Hot Sauce brand when I make the “Freaking Amazing Sauce” as Wingers calls it. This is the brand Wingers uses to make their sauce in-house.

Make sure the Wingers sauce has cooled before pouring it overtop of the chicken strips. Adding the sauce to the chicken while it is still hot will cause it to run off the chicken and not stick as well as it could. It needs to cool to thicken to the perfect consistency so make sure you make it well in advance.

While I enjoy deep-frying my Tyson chicken strips, you can choose a healthier option by Air Frying them. Just cook your strips at 360 degrees F for about 11-12 minutes until crisp and cooked through.

Storing

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Chicken strips tossed in Wingers sauce.

FAQs

What are Wingers sticky fingers?

Sticky fingers are crispy chicken strips (about the size of a finger) that have been coated in a spicy-sweet glaze. The glaze is thick enough to adhere well to the chicken s that every bite is a delicious mess of flavors. Keep the napkins handy as you may need them. These copycat Winger’s sticky fingers taste just like the ones from the restaurant chain Winger’s.

How do you reheat winger sticky fingers?

Place your chicken strips on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. If needed, add another coating of the sauce before consuming.

How long are leftovers good for?

You can expect your leftover chicken strips to last up to 5 days if stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge. That said, these sticky fingers are too good to resist so getting them to last more than a few hours may prove to be a real struggle.

A Wingers Sticky Finger dipped into ranch dressing.

What to Serve with Wingers Sticky Fingers

These homemade sticky fingers would be great served with ranch or celery sticks as simple side items. Here are a few additional side dish suggestions:

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a rating and review.

Stay up-to-date by following us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Print Review
5 from 4 votes

Wingers Sticky Fingers

These taste just like Wingers classic and iconic sticky fingers! They're finger-licking good!
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Servings: 5 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 25 oz Tyson Frozen Crispy Chicken Strips

Sauce

  • 1/3 cup Franks hot sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar - packed
  • 3 tablespoons water

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the chicken strips according to package directions. I like to fry mine in vegetable oil. If you want to use this method, this is how I do it: fill a pot with oil about 2 inches deep. Heat oil to 375°F. Add half of the chicken strips to the oil and fry for 7 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to transfer the chicken strips to a paper towel lined plate. Fry the other half of the chicken strips.
  • Once the chicken strips have been fried/baked or prepared how you wish, transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Drizzle the sauce overtop of the chicken and toss to coat. Serve warm with a side of ranch dressing.

How to make the sauce

  • In a small saucepan add the hot sauce, brown sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat until the brown sugar dissolves. The mixture should come to a boil. Once boiling remove from heat.
  • Let the sauce cool to room temperature before pouring over top of the chicken. Note, the sauce will thicken as it cools.
  • Do not pour hot sauce over the chicken… the sauce must cool to allow time for it to thicken.

Notes

Tips:
Use Franks hot sauce, it’s the best!
Wingers Sauce: You can make the sauce in advance if you’d like. Just store in the refrigerator for several days. When ready to use let the sauce come to room temperature before pouring over the chicken.
Air Fryer: While I enjoy deep-frying my Tyson chicken strips, you can choose a healthier option by Air Frying them. Just cook your strips at 360 degrees F for about 11-12 minutes until crisp and cooked through.
Storing: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
Reheating: Reheat in the microwave or on a foil lined baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through. 

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 65g (22%)Protein: 1g (2%)Sodium: 509mg (21%)Potassium: 88mg (3%)Sugar: 64g (71%)Calcium: 55mg (6%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
author: Whitney Wright
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Did you make this recipe?snap a photo and tag @saltandbaker in your posts and stories so I can see what you’re making!

This recipe was first published October 16, 2019 and was updated July 23, 2021 with better instructions and more details to make the recipe.