These paleo Asian Sticky Wings are crispy, sweet, spicy, and perfect for game day. With this simple recipe, you’ll get a big batch of healthy finger-licking sticky wings out of your oven or air fryer—and they’re gluten-free and Whole30-compatible to boot!
Baking Powder is the Secret to Crispy Oven Wings
A few years ago, I learned the secret to oven-baked crispy chicken wings: pat them dry with paper towels before tossing the wings in a combination of baking powder and salt prior to baking. No deep frying necessary! But how does baking powder add crispness?
According to the smarties at Cook’s Illustrated:
“Baking powder is composed of an acid and an alkali and acts like a salt: The salt helps draw moisture to the surface of the poultry skin, where it can evaporate. (Adding table salt to the baking powder, which we do in this recipe, enhances this effect.) The acid helps break down proteins within the skin, and the alkali accelerates the browning process, meaning that the skin can crisp more quickly.”
Ooh—food science at work!
How to Make a Paleo, Grain-Free Baking Powder
If you’re avoiding grains ’cause you’re doing a Whole30 or following a paleo lifestyle, you’re probably avoiding store-bought baking powder because it contains cornstarch. Luckily, you can make grain-free baking powder at home by mixing together cream of tartar, baking soda, and arrowroot or tapioca starch.
Go ahead and mix up a batch using this magic ratio:
2 parts cream of tartar : 1 part baking soda : 1 part arrowroot or tapioca starch
Bake the Wings on a Wire Rack!
Another way to boost the crispiness of your oven wings is to place them on a stainless steel wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Longtime Nomsters know that I’ve been telling everyone to do this for years with all my other chicken recipes—and for good reason: this technique hasn’t failed me yet. Just make sure you don’t crowd the wings and remember to soak the racks in hot soapy water afterwards to make clean-up easier!
How to Make Whole30-Compatible Sticky Wings
I like to use honey as the sweetener in the hot and sweet sauce, but you can substitute 100% fruit juice-sweetened jam if you’re doing a Whole30. I buy St. Dalfour brand (it’s not a sponsor—I just like the stuff, and it’s pretty widely available), and its plum, apricot, and peach spreads work equally well in this recipe.
Also, your sriracha need to be Whole30-compatible but lucky for you, I’ve got a Whole30 Sriracha recipe. (No sriracha? Tabasco sauce also works!)
Air Fryer Instructions?
Yes, my friends, you can certainly cook these sticky wings in an air fryer. Place the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook ’em at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping the wings over at the halfway mark. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook this in several batches.
Let’s Make Asian Sticky Wings!
Serves 8
Ingredients:
For the wings:
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
- 4 pounds chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats
For the sauce:
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons honey or 3 tablespoons peach, plum, or apricot jam sweetened only with fruit juice (for Whole30)
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch or tapioca starch (optional)
For the garnish:
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced on the bias
Equipment:
- All my favorite tools are listed here, including my baking pans and stainless steel wire racks.
Method:
Heat the oven to 400°F on convection mode or 425°F on standard mode with a rack in the upper middle position and another in the lower middle position.
In a small bowl, mix together cream of tartar, kosher salt, baking soda, and arrowroot starch to make grain-free and paleo baking powder.
Pat the wings dry with a paper towel and place them in a large bowl. Pour the flour mixture on top and toss well to combine.
Arrange the chicken wings on two greased wire racks set in two rimmed baking sheets.
Place the tray of wings on each rack in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Then, flip each chicken wing over and swap the top tray with the bottom one.
Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden. You may need to switch the pans again if the top one is browning too quickly.
While the wings are baking, make the sauce! Add the coconut aminos, honey, sriracha, and minced garlic to a small saucepan and cook on high heat until boiling.
Lower the heat to simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened and reduced.
Want a thicker sauce? Add an arrowroot starch slurry! Mix a teaspoon of arrowroot starch with an equal amount of water in a small bowl to make a slurry.
Stir the slurry into the sauce until thickened. Then, remove the saucepan from the heat.
Transfer the sauce to a large mixing bowl and add the crispy baked wings.
Toss the wings with the sauce.
Top with sesame seeds and scallions and serve immediately!
Craving More Paleo Game Day Wing Recipes?
Here are some of my faves:
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Asian Sticky Wings (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free)
Ingredients
For the wings
- 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
- 4 pounds chicken wings cut into drumettes and flats
For the sauce
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons honey or 3 tablespoons peach, plum, or apricot jam sweetened only with fruit juice (for Whole30)
- 1 tablespoon Whole30 Sriracha or Tabasco sauce
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch or tapioca starch (optional)
For the garnish
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 scallion thinly sliced on the bias
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F on convection mode or 425°F on standard mode with a rack in the upper middle position and another in the lower middle position.
- In a small bowl, mix together cream of tartar, kosher salt, baking soda, and arrowroot starch to make grain-free and paleo baking powder.
- Pat the wings dry with a paper towel and place them in a large bowl. Pour the flour mixture on top and toss well to combine.
- Arrange the chicken wings on two greased wire racks set in two rimmed baking sheets.
- Place the tray of wings on each rack in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Then, flip each chicken wing over and swap the top tray with the bottom one.
- Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden. You may need to switch the pans again if the top one is browning too quickly.
- While the wings are baking, make the sauce! Add the coconut aminos, honey, sriracha, and minced garlic to a small saucepan and cook on high heat until boiling.
- Lower the heat to simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened and reduced.
- Want a thicker sauce? Add an arrowroot starch slurry! Mix a teaspoon of arrowroot starch with an equal amount of water in a small bowl to make a slurry. Stir the slurry into the sauce until thickened. Then, remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Transfer the sauce to a large mixing bowl and add the crispy baked wings. Toss the wings with the sauce.
- Top with sesame seeds and scallions and serve immediately!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
19
Doris Shum says
How important is the cream of tartar? I suspect I wouldn’t be able to substitute it with lemon juice
Michelle Tam says
You need this dry acid to recreate baking powder. If you tolerate corn, just use baking powder in place of the cream of tartar + baking soda + arrowroot starch.
Sy Ray says
I love using jam during Whole 30. I have to try this brand because so many without sugar just take like grape juice (the first ingredient). I’m working on Whole 30 BBQ sauce with jam and I’ve already made a glaze that was delicious with watermelon jam but it’s crazy to make.
Trying these soon and reporting back as I haven’t tried this baking soda trick yet.
Noel says
These were so good that we made them two nights in a row! Delicious!
Jessie says
I will definitely try these chicken wings. Sound so sweet and sticky.
Asma Sheikh says
Looks delicious and healthy.
Can I store them in fridge for 5-10 days?
Michelle Tam says
I don’t like to keep anything in the fridge longer than 4 days.
Chrissy says
Not sure why but these were extremely salty to me. The only substitution was baking powder to the cream of tartar+baking soda+arrowroot. I had to add more honey at the end just to cut the saltines.
Michelle Tam says
Did you use Diamond Crystal kosher salt? If you used a different salt, even Morton’s kosher salt, you need to cut the amount by half.
TIFFANY G PAJIC says
Same here… Mine were inedible 😟 used diamond kosher, but I wonder if the coconut amino brand matters. I find that most recipes I can’t use a 1:1 sub for soy sauce because mine is to salty. As this sauce is mostly coconut amino, maybe her brand is less salty than mine (and likely yours)
Michelle Tam says
Oh no! Coconut aminos are not the same across the board. Most are less salty than soy sauce for sure.
Belinda says
I just made the sauce and tasted it. Too salty! Is it a throw away or is there something I can do?
Michelle Tam says
What brand of coconut aminos did you use? Also, coconut aminos is not the same as Bragg’s aminos. Soy aminos are a lot saltier. You can try adding a little water to see if it makes it less salty.
win Pong says
Can you use drumsticks instead of wings? If so, any change in roasting time and temperature?
Sarah says
My sauce didn’t stick to the chicken. It was delicious when I got a hint of sauce on the skin. Maybe if I toss in the sauce and then put back in the oven? Not sure where I went wrong. The skin got mostly crispy with the prep instructions which was great and then the sauce made it almost fall off the chicken so we didn’t really get any flavor from it. I’ll be making them again to try it slightly different and hope to get it more like the picture!
Michelle Tam says
Maybe use more sauce? I like my wings to still be crunchy with just a little sauce on top.
Carol says
What would the measurements be for regular baking soda and salt?
PS- I love all your recipes, and my family is impressed each time I try a new one.
Michelle Tam says
You would use around 1.25 tablespoons baking POWDER and about 1 teaspoon table salt.
Monica says
Your blog states baking powder, but your recipe states baking SODA.
Michelle Tam says
You are using baking SODA to make a paleo baking powder in this recipe.
Carolina Arey says
I really appreciate that you shared this amazing post with us, thanks for sharing, and keep up the amazing work.
Liz says
How would you modify (if at all) for boneless skinless chicken breast strips?
Michelle Tam says
I’m not sure this recipe will work without the skin…
Emily says
Looked delish! How could I modify of using drumsticks instead of wings? Assuming upping the cooking time – any other tips? I have an excess of drumsticks 😂
Emily says
We made these for the Super Bowl last winter and loved them. Today was the first day it actually felt like fall here in NYC, so we made a roast duck and topped it with this sauce. Delicious!
rosemarie says
We’re having a pot-luck at work. Will these keep all day? Can I keep in slow-cooker on warm?
Michelle Tam says
They’ll get a little chewy if you don’t serve them right away. Maybe try my Magic Wings recipe or Chinese chicken wings instead?
Steve says
These are my go-to wings in the air fryer. I’m not a true Paleo follower, so I modified to using regular baking powder, allulose liquid for the honey (reduce the sugar), and I grated in some ginger. Delicious!