BBQ Chipotle Wings

Name: BBQ Chipotle Wings
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1.5 lb. chicken wings; 2 tsp chipotle seasoning; 2 tsp sugar; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; olive oil spray/avocado oil spray; 1/2 cup barbecue sauce; 2 tbsp lime juice; 1 tbsp butter; 1 tbsp honey; 1/8 tsp chipotle seasoning (or more if you want it to be spicy )

Gluten Free Paleo

Say hello to your new favorite chicken wings recipe! These BBQ Chipotle Wings are coated in a simple chipotle dry rub, baked in the oven and then brushed with a delicious barbecue marinade.

drunking a wing into a bowl of ranch dressing

'Tis the season for healthy appetizers, like these bbq chipotle wings!

New Year's Eve is right about the corner, and though this year is a bit different than most, I hope you're still planning on making something delicious at home.

I love prepping quick snack recipes, like this charred crab dip and these dairy-free loaded nachos. Both are perfect for small gatherings, and not surprisingly, they both pair well with chicken wings!

I should also mention that these chipotle wings would pair perfectly with my chipotle aioli, too.

ingredients on a table with text over top

Ingredient notes:

Chicken wings - No real notes here; 1.5 lb. should come out to around 18 wings.

Sugar - Optional. These wings are pretty savory + spicy, so the sugar helps to cut that down a bit and balance out the flavor.

Chipotle seasoning - No substitution; this makes the wings super flavorful + a little spicy; if you're sensitive to spiciness, cut down on the chipotle.

BBQ sauce - Any kind; I used Stubb's original bbq sauce and it was incredible.

Lime juice - Start with 2 tablespoon and add more as needed

Honey + butter - can omit either or both of these if you NEED to; again, I think they pair perfectly with the chipotle and bbq sauce, but they're not absolutely necessary

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make the dry rub. Begin by stirring the chipotle seasoning, sugar, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Then, dip the chicken wings into the dry rub, using your hands to make sure they're completely coated.

Step 2: Bake the chicken wings. Place the wings onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them for 30 minutes, making sure to flip them half way through.

dry rub wings on a parchment-lined baking sheet

Step 3: Add the bbq sauce. Last, stir the bbq sauce, lime juice, butter, honey, and chipotle seasoning together. Once the wings are done, brush them with the sauce, then place them back into the oven for 3-5 minutes.

Tips and FAQs

These wings are already gluten free; if you want to keep them dairy-free as well, simply omit the butter in the bbq sauce and make sure the bbq sauce you're using is dairy-free.
Always line your baking sheet with parchment paper; otherwise, the wings will stick.

Are these wings paleo-friendly?

They can be! Simply omit the sugar in the dry rub, and for the sauce, use grass-fed butter or ghee. Oh, and of course make sure the bbq sauce you're using paleo too.

How do I get crispy wings?

After you're done baking them, place them under the broiler for 3-5 minutes -- that should do the trick! Besides that, spray the wings with a little olive oil spray/avocado oil spray before baking them will help them get nice and crispy too.

close up photo of a bbq marinated chicken wing

More tasty appetizers

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!