The Best Healthy Chicken Wing Sauces
You'll be the star of your Super Bowl party when you show up with a tray of perfectly cooked and sauced chicken wings. To help, we tested a bevy of store-bought sauces and narrowed down the list to seven sauces we can get behind. There's something for everyone on our list, including a classic Buffalo-style sauce, teriyaki sauce and more.
Related: Healthy Super Bowl Party Recipes
The Best Bottled Chicken-Wing Sauces
We scanned and tasted 20+ varieties to find this winning roster that keeps sodium and sugar in check. These seven were our favorites. For sauces that don't have sugar (like Buffalo), use 3 Tbsp. sauce to marinate your wings for up to 24 hours before baking. Toss with the other 3 Tbsp. once cooked.
Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Less Sodium Marinade & Sauce
Whole sesame seeds make this gingery soy-sauce extra special. Serve with a peanut dipping sauce and veggie sticks.
San-J Orange Sauce Asian Glaze & Stir-Fry
Sweet and citrusy, this pick tastes like Chinese takeout without going overboard on the salt.
Lawry's Caribbean Jerk with Papaya Juice
Allspice, chili, garlic and cilantro gets sweetened up with real fruit juice to load this sauce with flavor.
Stonewall Kitchen Maple Chipotle Grille Sauce
Maple and molasses cut through the heat from the chiles in this barbecue-inspired glaze.
Moore's Honey Barbecue Wing Sauce
Jalapeño and red chili peppers give this smoky slather a welcome kick of heat.
Sweet Baby Ray's Buffalo Wing Sauce
A game day favorite—puckering cayenne and vinegar that's just hot enough to make you go back for more. Over wings or in a buffalo chicken dip, you won't be sorry you picked this one up.
House of Tsang Simmering Red Thai Curry Sauce
A touch of coconut milk cools down this red chile sauce, while paprika and turmeric make it deliciously aromatic.
How to Make the Perfect Chicken Wing
You'll achieve the perfect crunch without the greasy mess when you pass on deep frying and instead opt for oven-baked wings. Here's how to do it:
- Position racks in lower and upper thirds of oven and preheat to 500°F.
- Place a rack on each of 2 large baking sheets and coat with cooking spray.
- Divide 3 lbs. chicken wings between the prepared racks, skin side up.
- Bake, switching the pans and rotating them from front to back halfway through, until the skin is golden and crispy, 40 to 50 minutes.
- Toss the wings with 6 Tbsp. sauce to coat.
Related: Healthy Super Bowl Drink Recipes
Our Most Popular Chicken Wing Recipes
Looking for a plant-based option? Try our Sriracha-Buffalo Cauliflower Bites and our Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings
This story originally appeared in EatingWell Magazine January/February 2020.