Jump to Recipe Whole 30
These spicy and sweet chili lime chicken wings are packed with flavor and perfect for parties, appetizers or a fun dinner! These crispy baked chicken wings are paleo with a Whole30 option to sweeten the sauce, family friendly and a total crowd pleaser.
Whether you’re a football fan or not, wings are just always a good idea. They’re perfect for a party or a quiet night at home alike, an appetizer, meal, snack – you name it.
My crispy buffalo chicken wings are definitely one of the more popular recipes on my site, and I’ve been meaning to create new, equally delicious flavors.
That brought me to these BBQ chicken wings (which are so tasty!) and now these chili lime chicken wings! Spicy, sweet, and you even have an option to make them Whole30 compliant – score!
My daughter and husband went wild for these wings and the leftovers are just as delicious! And yes my husband made sure I posted them EARLY on a Sunday, just in case you simply NEED them for Sunday football 🙂
What You Need To Make Chili Lime Chicken Wings
Simple ingredients make the best recipes! Here’s everything you’ll need to make these delicious paleo wings:
Chicken wings (wingettes + drumettes)Sea salt and pepperArrowroot or tapioca starch (optional)Raw honey (or date paste, see below)Ancho chili powderChipotle Chili powderSmoked paprikaGarlic powderLimesCilantro (garnish)Paleo ranch dressing (dipping)
How to Make Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings
The first step is to bake the chicken wings. Pat them dry with paper towels (they’ll get crispier if you remove the moisture) and season with salt and pepper.
Tossing them with the starch will get them even crispier, but it’s an optional step if you don’t have it on hand or are avoiding starches. The wings will still bake up crispy without it.
I like to line my baking sheet with a wire rack to get the wings crispier. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier cleanup, then place the wire rack on top. Arrange the chicken on the rack and bake at 425° F for 30 minutes to cook through.
While they bake, make the sauce. Simply whisk all the ingredients together well to form a sticky sauce. If you use date paste, you might need more water to get the sauce the right consistency. You should be able to brush it smoothly on the wings.
After 30 minutes, brush the sauce all over the wings. Return to the oven and continue to bake another 10-12 minutes, watching that the wings don’t burn.
Remove from the oven and brush with any additional sauce. Then garnish with additional lime zest, minced cilantro, and serve with dipping sauce if desired. My paleo ranch would be great or you can use store bought, like Tessemae’s or Primal Kitchen.
How to Make Date Paste (for the Whole30 Option)
I sweetened these with raw honey to make them paleo, however, honey is not Whole30 compliant. But – dates come to the rescue again!
Whenever I need to sweeten a sauce for a Whole30 recipe I make date paste from medjool dates and it’s super easy. All you need are dates and water!
First, pit your dates. Use about 8-10 pitted medjool dates (you’ll have extra) which is about 6 oz. Soak them in very hot water to soften them (I heat it in the microwave) and place them in a blender with about 1/2 cup of warm water.
Blend the dates and water, adding more water if needed to get a very smooth paste. For this recipe, you’ll use 1/4 cup of date paste and you can save the rest for other uses. Here are some of my favorite Whole30 recipes using date paste:
Crispy Chicken Salad with “honey” mustard
Teriyaki Salmon
Chinese Chicken Salad
Teriyaki Meatballs
What To Serve with Chili Lime Chicken Wings
These crispy baked chicken wings are perfect with paleo ranch dressing for dipping. I have a recipe for ranch on the blog, but they are also awesome store bought paleo + Whole30 ranch dressings from Tessemae’s and Primal Kitchen.
If you’re serving with ranch, make sure to include raw veggies like carrots, peppers, cucumbers and celery which are the perfect companion for the wings and the ranch.
I hope you’re ready for some seriously yummy, good for you baked chili lime chicken wings! They couldn’t be easier and after the first bite, you’ll be hooked!
Chili Lime Chicken Wings {Paleo, Whole30 Option}
Chili Lime Chicken Wings {Paleo, Whole30 option}
These sweet and spicy chili lime chicken wings are packed with flavor and perfect for parties, appetizers or a fun dinner! These crispy baked chicken wings are paleo with a Whole30 option to sweeten the sauce, family friendly and a total crowd pleaser. Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 40 minutesCourse:Appetizer, Dinner, LunchCuisine:PaleoKeyword:appetizer, chicken, chili, lime, whole30, wingsServings: 8 servings
Print this RecipeDid you make this recipe?Leave a review from votes
Ingredients
Chicken:
3lbscut chicken wingswingettes and drumettesSea salt and black pepper2Tbsparrowroot or tapioca starch*
Sauce:
1/4cupraw honeymelted, or date paste**3Tbspgheemelted, or avocado oil2tspancho chili powder1/2tspchipotle chili powder1/2tspsmoked paprika1tspgarlic powder1/2tspsea saltZest of 1 limefinely grated1 1/2Tbsplime juiceabout 1 limeFresh minced cilantro for garnishPaleo ranch dressing for serving
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 425° F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, then pace a wire rack over the baking sheet.Pat wings dry with paper towel to absorb excess water, then place in a large bowl. Sprinkle all over with the arrowroot (optional), salt and pepper – toss to evenly coat.Arrange wings on wire rack and place in the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake at 425° F for 30 mins.Meanwhile, make the sauce. Whisk together the honey or date paste with the ghee or oil, spices, salt, lime zest and juice.After 30 minutes, brush the wings with the sauce, leaving a little for after they bake, if desired.
Continue to bake for 10-12 more minutes, remove from oven and brush with any extra sauce. Garnish with cilantro and serve with Paleo ranch dressing (such as Tessemae’s) or other dips of your choice if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*This helps make them crispy, but can be omitted if desired
**If you use date paste, you may need to add a bit of water to thin out the sauce
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 17gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 224mgPotassium: 163mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 382IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @PaleoRunningMomma on Instagram and hashtag it #PaleoRunningMomma
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo Chicken Recipes? Try One of These!
Crispy Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings
BBQ Chicken Wings
Honey Mustard Chicken in the Instant Pot
One Skillet Greek Chicken
Paleo “Breaded” Chicken Cutlets
Nut Free Paleo Chicken Tenders
Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Paleo Running Momma!