BBQ apricot chicken wings: sticky, smoky, and made for the table

Sweet, tangy, sticky wings, slow-cooked until they nearly fall apart and then crisped under the broiler, made with a nomato barbecue sauce so there is not a nightshade anywhere in the pan. These are real party food, the kind you can set on a platter next to everything else on game day.

A no-tomato barbecue sauce carries a deep, smoky tang here, and a splash of coconut aminos brings its own salty depth to the glaze. Chicken is a source of protein and the B vitamins involved in energy metabolism, and the ginger in the glaze is a gently warming, well-studied anti-inflammatory root.

Chicken raised well tastes better and sits better, so source it as cleanly as you can and use the whole bird across the week where you can. When the wings come out crisp and glazed, pile them on a platter, make it look like a feast, and take a breath before the first bite.

Ingredients

• 2 lb chicken wings
• 1 cup AIP nomato barbecue sauce (see Nomato BBQ sauce; a no-tomato, nightshade-free barbecue sauce, in place of standard BBQ sauce)
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos (in place of Worcestershire sauce)
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Method

(slow cooker, finished under the broiler)

Stir the nomato barbecue sauce, apricot preserves, coconut aminos, garlic powder, and ginger together in a bowl. Set aside about 1/4 cup of it for brushing at the end.

Put the wings in the slow cooker and pour the rest of the sauce over, turning to coat. Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours, until the wings are tender and cooked through.

Heat the broiler and line a sheet pan. Lift the wings out and lay them in a single layer. Broil for about 2 minutes, then flip them, brush with the reserved sauce, and broil 4 minutes more, watching closely, until the skin crisps and the glaze caramelizes.

Instant Pot variation

The Instant Pot gives you both paths. For the same hands-off result, use the slow-cook setting on high and cook for about 3 hours, the same as the slow cooker. When you are short on time, layer the sauced wings in the pot with about 1/2 cup of water or broth underneath so it can come to pressure, lock the lid, and cook on high pressure for about 10 minutes with a quick release. You can also brown the wings first using the saute setting right in the same pot for a little more color before they cook. However you cook them, finish under the broiler with the reserved sauce to crisp the skin. The pressure times here are a starting point and want kitchen testing.

Air fryer variation

Wings crisp beautifully in an air fryer. Set it to about 380 F, arrange the sauced wings in a single layer without crowding, and cook for about 22 to 25 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked through and crisp. Brush with the reserved sauce in the last few minutes. Times vary by machine and wing size, so treat this as a starting range and test it.

*Adapted from acleanplate.com*