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Homemade copycat Wingstop Hawaiian Sauce drizzle over crispy chicken wings.
Antonio Morelli

Wingstop Hawaiian Sauce Recipe

This Wingstop Hawaiian sauce copycat is sweet, sticky, and tropical — built on a pure pineapple juice base with brown sugar depth, apple cider vinegar tang, and a soy sauce backbone that makes the whole thing taste intentional rather than just sweet. One saucepan, 15 minutes, no deep fryer needed. Better than bottled, and genuinely close to the restaurant original.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Condiments, Dipping Sauce, Glaze
Cuisine: American, Hawaiian-Inspired
Calories: 52
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sauce base:
  • 1 cup 100% pure pineapple juice
  • 3 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
Pinch of red chili flakes (optional)
  • 1½ tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cold water

Equipment

  • Medium saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Small bowl (for slurry)
  • Measuring spoons and cups
  • Airtight glass jar for storage
  • Fine mesh strainer (optional)

Method
 

  1. Mix cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until completely smooth. Set aside.
  2. Add all sauce base ingredients to a saucepan. Whisk together before turning on heat.
  3. Heat over medium, stirring frequently, until a gentle simmer forms at the edges — about 4–5 minutes.
  4. Pour the slurry into the simmering sauce in a slow, thin stream while whisking constantly.
  5. Whisk for 2–3 minutes until the sauce turns thick, golden, and glossy.
  6. Taste and adjust — more honey for sweetness, more vinegar for tang, more soy sauce for depth.
  7. Rest 3–5 minutes before tossing with wings or transferring to a jar.

Notes

  • Pure pineapple juice only. Juice blends make the sauce thin and flat. Check the label every time.
  • Cold water for the slurry. Warm water causes cornstarch to clump before it hits the sauce.
  • Medium heat throughout. High heat burns the sugar in under a minute and turns the sauce bitter.
  • Rest before tossing. Hot sauce on hot wings slides off. Give both a few minutes first.
  • Storage: Keeps up to 7 days refrigerated in a glass jar. Freezes well up to 2 months.