Bring the island flavors home with these Hawaiian style chicken wings! Another one of our sweet-style wing recipes among our chicken wing recipes. They’re also gluten-free and cook up easily in your air fryer. No air fryer? No problem! You’ll find three different cooking style directions below. So, if you’re looking for an easy gluten-free weeknight dinner or just a delicious party appetizer, these wings are definitely what you’re looking for!
Gluten-free Hawaiian Style Chicken Wings
These Hawaiian style chicken wings use my homemade Hawaiian chicken sauce, just like the one used in my slow-cooker Hawaiian chicken recipe. This homemade sauce is sweet with that fresh pineapple flavor that makes you dream of being oceanside. It’s perfect for chicken wings because it creates the best sticky finger-licking wing sauce!
Ingredients needed
- 2 pounds of fresh or thawed chicken wings
- 4 Tbsp. arrowroot starch – divided
- 1/2 tsp. salt – divided
- 1/2 tsp. pepper – divided
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. dried ginger
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. liquid aminos
- 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup crushed pineapple
Easy ingredient swaps
Below are a few ingredients swaps in case you need to make a switch:
- liquid aminos -> swap for soy sauce
- brown sugar -> swap for coconut sugar
- arrowroot starch -> swap for corn starch
How to make Hawaiian Style Chicken Wings
- First, season the wings with 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 3 Tbsp. of arrowroot starch. Toss to coat.
2. Add the wings to your air fryer basket and cook for 20 minutes.
3. While the wings are cooking, prepare the Hawaiian style wing sauce. Add the following ingredients to a saucepan:
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. dried ginger
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. liquid aminos
- 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup crushed pineapple
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat down to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. of arrowroot starch and let thicken for about 3-5 minutes.
4. After the wings have cooked for 20 minutes, remove from the air fryer and dip into the sauce to coat. Place back into the air fryer basket and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the sauce has cooked onto the wings. Remove and serve immediately.
Recipe FAQs
Air fryers heat more rapidly than traditional ovens so there’s no waiting on time for pre-heating. Air fryers also tend to cook about three to five times faster than a conventional oven.
No, you do not. There are directions below for cooking these Hawaiian style chicken wings in the oven, or oil frying as well.
No, that’s what I prefer to cook with. If you buy frozen, just make sure they are fully thawed before cooking. You can cook frozen wings in an air fryer, however, you should never cook frozen wings in hot oil.
Chicken wings themselves are a great source of protein. Depending on the cooking method or the sauce type – the nutritional values will change. I would recommend looking at the nutritional values of each specific wing recipe for more details. We also embrace intuitive eating here at Wanderlust and Wellness, therefore we do not categorize foods as good or bad.
All chicken wing recipes found here at Wanderlust and Wellness are gluten-free. If you’re looking at any chicken wing recipes outside of Wanderlust and Wellness, or at any restaurant, I would suggest reviewing the ingredient list and/or asking the restaurant about their gluten-free protocol.
Recommended kitchen tools for this recipe
Wanderlust and Wellness
Alternate chicken wing cooking methods
- Oven-Baked Chicken Wings – Place the wings onto a broiler rack, or place a cooling rack onto a baking sheet and place the wings onto the cooling rack. Place into the oven and bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees F. When done, using kitchen tongs, individually dip each wing into the sauce and place back onto the cooling rack. Place the baking sheet back into the oven and turn the oven setting to broil. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken on the wings.
- Air Fried Chicken Wings – Place wings into air fryer basket and cook for 20 minutes, turning every 10 minutes at 400 degrees. When done, using kitchen tongs, individually dip each wing into the sauce and place back into the air fryer basket and cook for 5-10 additional minutes.
- Oil Fried Chicken Wings – In a deep frying pan, heat 2 cups of cooking oil over medium-high heat. I recommend using avocado oil. Place the seasoned wings into the oil. Fry the wings for about 10 minutes on one side, then turn and fry for another 10 minutes. Remove from oil and let set, then dip into the sauce and serve.
Enjoy these recipes with your Hawaiian Style Chicken Wings!
- La Croix Paloma – a refreshing drink to go with your wings!
- Easy Berry Mojito – perfectly paired cocktail with your honey lime chicken wings!
- Coconut Lime Ceviche – perfect party app to serve with these wings!
- Shoestring Sweet Potato Fries – perfect side dish for your wings!
Hawaiian Style Chicken Wings
Hawaiian Style Chicken Wings
These Hawaiian style chicken wings are an easy gluten-free meal; perfect for a simple weeknight dinner or a delicious party appetizer. The recipe also includes directions for air fryer, oil-frying, and oven-baked wings.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of fresh or thawed chicken wings
- 4 Tbsp. arrowroot starch - divided
- 1/2 tsp. salt - divided
- 1/2 tsp. pepper - divided
- 1 tsp. minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. dried ginger
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. liquid aminos
- 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup crushed pineapple
Instructions
- Coat the thawed chicken wings with 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 3 Tbsp. arrowroot starch. Toss to fully coat each wing.
- Add the wings to your air fryer basket, then cook for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
- While the wings are cooking, add the minced garlic, ginger, ketchup, liquid aminos, Worcestershire sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and crushed pineapple to a saucepan and whisk to combine. Add in 1/4 tsp. of both salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Then, add 1 Tbsp. arrowroot starch and whisk. Cook until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Once the wings have cooked for 20 minutes, remove from the air fryer and dip into the sauce to coat. Add the wings back into the air fryer basket and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Easy ingredient swaps:
- liquid aminos -> swap for soy sauce
- brown sugar -> swap for coconut sugar
- arrowroot starch -> swap for corn starch
Jennifer is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Wanderlust and Wellness since 2016. She creates easy, approachable gluten-free recipes for the everyday home cook; because cooking gluten-free doesn’t mean food has to be complicated or tasteless.
These sound delicious! I whip up a similar marinade for chicken breasts; I just love that pineapple/ teriyaki taste paired with chicken. Pinned.