Chicken Wings: compare the 3 variations
Time, effort, key ingredients, diets, nutrition and cleanup side by side, so you can pick the one that fits tonight.
Which should I make?
- Fastest Air Fryer BuffaloReady in 40 min; the others take 1 hr 5 min.
- Make it ahead Gochujang-Honey (Oven)Make the glaze up to 1 week ahead and refrigerate.
- Gluten-free Air Fryer BuffaloThe only one that fits gluten-free, going by the ingredient lines.
- Dairy-free Oven-Baked Honey Garlic and Gochujang-Honey (Oven)The ones that fit dairy-free, going by the ingredient lines.
Side by side
| Air Fryer Buffalo | Oven-Baked Honey Garlic | Gochujang-Honey (Oven) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total time | 40 min | 1 hr 5 min | 1 hr 5 min |
| Prep | 10 min | 10 min | 15 min |
| Level | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Steps | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| Serves | 4 | 4 | About 30 wing pieces |
| Key ingredients | chicken wings, hot sauce and unsalted butter | chicken wings, honey and soy sauce | chicken wings, honey and soy sauce |
| Only in this one | garlic powder, smoked paprika, hot sauce and unsalted butter | cornstarch | gochujang and sesame oil |
| Dietary | |||
| Calories | 320 | 400 | 290 |
| Protein | 22 g | 29 g | 22 g |
| Carbs | <1 g | 26 g | 10 g |
| Fat | 25 g | 20 g | 17 g |
| Cleanup | 3/5 3 things to wash | 3/5 3 things to wash | 3/5 3 things to wash |
| Kid helper | No | No | No |
Nutrition is per serving. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Dietary: Based on the ingredient list and estimated nutrition; check labels; not medical advice. Cleanup score: 5 means one thing to wash, 1 means six or more. We count pots, pans, bowls and appliances, not the knife, board and spoons.
How we pick
- Fastest: the shortest total time, at least 10 minutes ahead of the next.
- Easiest: the lowest level (easy, medium, hard), then at least 2 fewer steps.
- Lightest: the fewest estimated calories a serving, at least 15% and 40 calories under the next (only when two or more have an estimate).
- Kid helper: the variation where a child can do the biggest share of the steps (no knife, no heat), when that's not all of them equally.
- Least cleanup: the best cleanup score, a point ahead of the next.
- Make it ahead: the only variation whose notes say how to make it ahead.
- Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or dairy-free: the variation that fits a diet the others don't, from the ingredient lines.
A pick needs a clear winner; close calls are left out.