Asian Sticky Wings (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free)

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:

• Chinese Chicken Wings
• Magic Wings
• Chili Lime Chicken Wings
• Sticky Sesame Teriyaki Wings

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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 2021).

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