Sticky Asian Chicken Wings (Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free)
These paleo Asian Chicken 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-friendly to boot!
Servings: 8
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
Air Fryer Instructions:
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.
Whole30 version:
For the sauce, use Whole30-compatible jam (100% fruit juice sweetened) in place of honey and use Whole30-compatible sriracha or Tabasco sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 21g | Fiber: 1g