BBQ Chicken Wings

Confession. I don't eat wings, at least not traditional wings with bones and skin. In another life I think I could be vegetarian. I hate cooking raw meat in my kitchen and if I have to handle it, you better believe I have gloves on and use industrial sanitizer afterward. It's a whole thing in my house. But, my husband and Hudson do like them so I like to make things like that for them to enjoy.

These BBQ wings couldn't be easier. I actually grabbed the method for these wings from my sister (Thanks, Sister!). It's two ingredients: wings and BBQ sauce. You throw them into the Instant Pot, let them cook under pressure, and you're done. Really, it's that simple.

I couldn't help but try these in the air fryer too. Wings scream crispy skin and the air fryer is perfect for just that.

Now, if you don't have an instant pot (you should really get one - you'll thank me later!) or an air fryer, you can still make these in the oven on a baking rack. They will take a bit longer to cook, but they will still come out great! You can grab the detailed instructions below.

As I mentioned in one of my previous recipes with BBQ sauce, I get my BBQ sauce at Trader Joe's (Organic Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce) because it's the most affordable one I can find with simple, allergy-friendly and clean ingredients, but you can also grab one with no refined sugar or added sugar to make it Paleo and Whole30 compliant.

To add some more fun and flavor to these wings, I made a chipotle mayo to drizzle over the top and it was so delicious! This mayo is so versatile too! I added ketchup to it the other night and used it as a dipping sauce for homemade french fries and it was a big hit! It's not too spicy for the kids (both my 1 and 4 year old boys ate it), and they love when they get to dip their food in something. Simple pleasures.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 15-20 minutes (instant pot/air-fryer) Serves: 4

BBQ WINGS (with Chipotle Mayo Sauce )

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs frozen chicken wings

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

chipotle mayo (for serving)

Instant Pot Method:

1. Place steamer basket in bottom of Instant Pot and add one cup of water.

2. Place frozen wings on top of steam basket and pour BBQ sauce over wings to coat.

3. Set Instant Pot to poultry setting for 15 minutes.

4. Manually release pressure when cook time is done.

5. Brush cooked wings with additional BBQ sauce if desired.

6. Drizzle chipotle mayo sauce over wings or use as a dip on the side.

Air-Fryer Method:

1. Spray avocado oil or cooking spray on bottom of air fryer basket to prevent wings from sticking.

2. Place frozen wings skin-side down and brush BBQ sauce over wings.

3. Set air fryer for 20 minutes at 360 degrees.

4. After 10 minutes of cooking, turn wings over so they are skin-side up and brush other side with BBQ sauce.

5. Cook for another 10 minutes, until skin is crispy and the wings measure 165 degrees internally.

6. Remove from air fryer and add additional BBQ sauce if desired and drizzle chipotle mayo sauce over wings or use as a dip on the side.

Oven Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place wings on an oven-safe cooling rack in a single layer, skin-side up and cover in BBQ sauce. 3. Set cooling rack on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes at 400 degrees, until they measure 165 degrees internally. To get extra crispy skin put the wings under the broiler for about 3 minutes, watching closely to ensure they do not burn.

4. Drizzle wings with chipotle mayo sauce or use as a dip on the side.

Grab the recipe for the chipotle mayo here or linked above in the ingredient list.

Enjoy!