Every year, my mom makes delicious sweet and savory baked teriyaki chicken wings for the super bowl. They’ve always been something I look forward to during football season! (Although, believe it or not… I’m actually not a huge football fan!).
But for those of us who are navigating health issues impacted by food, eating whatever is served at events like Sunday football parties can feel like more of a privilege than an option. If that resonates, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered! Recipe modification is my jam; it’s something I learned to master throughout my own gut-healing journey, so people with health issues won’t have to miss out on delicious food, especially on special occasions like game-day.
These baked soy-free teriyaki chicken wings are healthy, delicious, simple, easy to make, and a perfect addition to your Sunday football festivities!
The ingredients
Below are the details on the ingredient swaps I made to my mom’s teriyaki chicken wings recipe (and why), followed by a few optional modifications you can make if you’d like this recipe to become low FODMAP or vegan/vegetarian.
Coconut aminos instead of soy sauce
This recipe is very similar to the one my mom uses, but instead of soy sauce (since I’ve got a soy allergy, and am not a huge fan of soy in general for various reasons related to hormone health), I’ve discovered this amazing soy sauce alternative called “coconut aminos”.
Coconut aminos are a savory fermented sauce made from the sap of coconuts… I promise this stuff tastes better than it sounds! The perks of using coconut aminos regularly is they’re significantly lower in sodium compared to soy sauce, and also soy-free and wheat/gluten free for people with sensitivities.
You can make this swap in pretty much any recipe that calls for soy sauce, if you have issues with soy for any reason such as:
- Estrogen-like effects from soy, which are not ideal those with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or just a tendency towards estrogen dominance (which is more common than you might realize!)
- Potential inflammatory reaction from soy sauce for those with a sensitivity or allergy to soybeans or wheat/gluten.
- If you have issues with gluten but not soy, there are gluten-free soy sauces available too.
(For the record, you can totally stick with soy sauce if you’ve got no underlying health issues and you’re just looking for an easy, delicious Sunday football recipe!)
Real maple syrup instead of brown sugar
This is another optional swap, but one that I opt to use in this recipe for a few reasons!
- Although it’s more expensive, real maple syrup (compared to most other types of liquid sweeteners) is mineral-rich and better tolerated by people from a digestive standpoint based on first-hand clinical case experiences (1).
- Both maple syrup and brown sugar are low FODMAP but maple is also lower in something called “glycemic index”, which means it doesn’t spike the blood sugar as quickly as most other forms of sugar out there (2).
Optional modifications (as needed):
Low FODMAP: omit the garlic powder
Some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) will benefit from a full or modified low FODMAP diet.
If you’re among those people and you happen to have an adverse reaction to garlic, you will know pretty clearly! (Keep an IBS food diary if you’re still unsure.)
- “FODMAP” stands for “fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols”. These are all different types of fibers and carbohydrates from certain foods.
- When the gut is compromised, undigested FODMAPS have a tendency to hang out in the small intestine, feeding “bad” microbes that don’t belong there.
- This causes fermentation and the production of methane as a bi-product, which leads to symptoms such as gas and bloating.
For anyone who doesn’t do well with garlic, you can just omit it from the recipe and it will be JUST as tasty.
Vegan/vegetarian: hemp tofu instead of chicken
Yes, it can be done! (I say this first-hand having cooked with hemp-based tofu many times over the years.)
I once accidentally discovered this soy-free, hemp-based tofu at Whole Foods while I was living in Massachusetts, and I fell in love with it!
I sadly haven’t been able to find it since moving to Austin, but highly recommend giving this a try if you’d like to make this recipe vegan/vegetarian.
The recipe
Going to outings like “game-day” at a friend’s house can be a great opportunity to enjoy these chicken wings.
Everyone will love them, and they’ll are be “you-friendly” – so you won’t have to miss out on the good stuff, even if you’re navigating health issues.
Feel free to check out the full recipe below, and if you enjoy it, please share this post with your friends. 🙂
Super Bowl Sunday Sweet & Savory Teriyaki Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Large bowl and saran wrap for marinating
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- 9 x 13 inch casserole dish for baking
- Basting brush
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pounds chicken wings bone in
- 3/4 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce if you don't have coconut aminos!
- 1/3 cup real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except chicken wings in a large bowl.
- Add chicken into bowl of marinade mixture.
- Cover, refrigerate and marinate for at least an hour. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Transfer marinated chicken to a 9x13-inch casserole dish, greased with cooking spray. Make sure to reserve the remaining marinade in a bowl. **Note: Make sure to have a basting brush (cooking brush to “paint” more sauce onto the wings) handy for the next step!**
- Bake wings uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes, remove from oven to baste some extra sauce onto the wings.
- Bake again after another 20 minutes and repeat 2 more times until the wings have baked for an hour total and basted 3x total.
- Enjoy and share with your family and friends!!!
