Sweet and Spicy Paleo Chicken Wings
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These Paleo Baked Chicken Wings are made with coconut aminos, garlic and a bit of sugar for a sticky sweet and completely delicious wings recipe. They’re gluten free, ready in about 40 minutes and even better with a little sriracha on top.
Can you really go wrong with baked chicken wings? Nope. Wings are the ultimate party food, game day food and/or “having friends over and have no idea what to make” food. These paleo chicken wings are coated in a sauce that’s both sweet and spicy, aka the best of both worlds!
This recipe also works with drumsticks if that’s more up your alley. Simply follow the same instructions but bake the chicken for longer–easy peasy!
If you’re looking for more chicken recipes, you must check out my air fryer chicken thighs and my coconut lime chicken, both of which are paleo + Whole30 compliant.
Recipe features
- They’re baked, not fried, so they’re on the healthier side
- The entire recipe is PALEO, meaning these wings are dairy free and gluten free
- The sauce is to die for and you’ll find yourself wanting to make it again and again
Ingredient notes
- Garlic
- Coconut aminos – no substitution; you should be able to find coconut aminos at most grocery stores in the Asian food aisle.
- Coconut sugar – if you want to keep these wings strictly Paleo, coconut sugar is the way to go. If you don’t care about that, you can use brown sugar instead.
- Sriracha – traditional sriracha isn’t technically Paleo; I was able to find a simple 4-ingredient sriracha sauce at Whole Foods, but you can also make your own if you prefer.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Coat the wings. Add arrowroot, salt and pepper to a plastic ziploc bag, then add the chicken, seal the bag and shake it well so that the chicken is completely coated. Place the chicken onto a foil-lined baking sheet and bake it for 30 minutes or so or until the chicken is cooked, making sure to flip half way through.
Step 2: Make the sauce. While the chicken is cooking, whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Combine. Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it from the baking sheet to a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and pour the sauce into the skillet. It should thicken within a minute, so make sure to use a spoon to completely coat the wings with the sauce.
The optional final step is to top the wings with sliced green onions and/or sesame seeds for a little added flavor and texture. Oh, and be sure to add more sriracha on the side if you want them to be spicier.
Tips and FAQs
- If the sauce doesn’t seem to be thickening, turn the heat up to medium or medium-high and that should do the trick.
- For extra crispy wings, spray them with a little bit of nonstick spray (I used avocado oil spray) before baking them.
What should I serve these with?
More Paleo recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Sweet and Spicy Paleo Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lb. chicken wings
- 3 tbsp arrowroot starch
- Salt and pepper
for the sauce:
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 cup coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp sriracha, or more to taste
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp arrowroot starch
- green onion for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Pour arrowroot, salt and pepper into a ziploc bag, then add the chicken and shake so that chicken is coated. Place chicken directly onto a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Spray wings with nonstick spray, then bake chicken for approximately 30 minutes, flipping half way through, until chicken is cooked all the way.
- While the chicken is in the oven, make the sauce: mince garlic then set aside. Whisk coconut aminos, sriracha, sugar, and arrowroot together in a bowl and set aside.
- Once chicken is almost done baking, add garlic and 1 tsp oil to a large, deep skillet and sauté for 2 minutes over medium heat. Then, pour the sauce into the skillet and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally.
- Once chicken is done, remove it from the oven and place chicken directly into the skillet with the sauce, using a spatula or wooden spoon to coat chicken in the sauce.
- Place chicken directly onto a plate and serve it with your favorite dipping sauce (I used a store bought sriracha dipping sauce!) and sprinkle with green onions.
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in February 2018. It was updated with new text and photos in November 2020.
Why are chicken wings not healthy?
If your meat is quality chicken with no hormones and antibiotics and cage free and all of your ingredients for the sauce is clean. I’m not understanding where the unhealthy part is?
I honestly don’t know why I wrote that, ha. You’re so right–all the ingredients are good for you!
Really yummy sauce! Next time I’ll try shaking the wings with the arrowroot in a bag for easier coating, and baking the wings on an oiled rack for better crisping. This one’s a keeper. Thanks, Erin!
This looks delicious and I would have to agree that this is a great game day recipe. We will definitely try this soon once we’re back from our trip. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Thanks Sheila!