Sticky Baked Apricot Wings (Paleo, Whole30)

Whole30 chicken wings on a white plate next to bowls of apricot jam and apricot BBQ sauce

5 from 7 votes

Sticky Baked Apricot Wings (Paleo, Whole30)

These Sticky Baked Apricot Wings are fun, easy and irresistible! A simple sauce with apricot jam and spices is glazed over juicy wings and then they're baked in the oven. And they're naturally gluten-free, Paleo and Whole30 friendly!

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 280kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

½ cup apricot jam (fruit-sweetened for Paleo/Whole30)
3 tablespoons coconut aminos
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
2½-3 pounds chicken wings (a combination of flats and drums; you could use all of one or the other if you prefer)

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400°.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk the apricot jam, coconut aminos, mustard, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne and ginger. Pour half of this mixture into a small bowl and set aside.
Add the wings to the large bowl and toss to coat evenly. Spread the wings out on the baking sheets, skin-side up.
Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Remove them from the oven and brush each wing with a bit more of the reserved sauce.
Place the sheets back in the oven (swap and rotate the pans, meaning the top one now goes on the bottom and vice versa, and the side that was toward the front of the oven is now toward the back).
Bake for another 10 minutes, then take them out and brush each wing with a bit more sauce again.
Bake for 10 more minutes (no need to swap and rotate the pans), until the wings are darker and caramelized around the edges. If you have an extra sauce, brush it on the wings. Let cool for 10 minutes, then dig in!

Notes

For a fruit-sweetened, Paleo/Whole30 jam, I like St. Dalfour and Bionaturae (not an ad, I just like them).

Substitutions and variations

Feel free to use any jam you like. One time I used blueberry jam and the wings were fantastic. Just keep in mind that if you use jam with sugar in it, the wings might burn more quickly so keep an eye on them.
You can use Worcestershire sauce instead of coconut aminos (but the recipe won't be Paleo/Whole30).
You can use yellow, grainy or spicy brown mustard instead of Dijon.
Feel to add more cayenne pepper or to omit it entirely, depending on how spicy you like your wings.
The glaze would also be good on other kinds of chicken (drumsticks, breasts, thighs, etc.) or pork.

Make ahead/leftovers

The wings are good warm or at room temperature, so you can make them earlier in the day.

You can also store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring them to room temperature or warm them in a low oven (300° for about 15-20 minutes) before serving.

Nutrition