BBQ Chicken Wings: calories and sugar by portion and age

Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings, 6 chicken wings in sticky BBQ sauce in a takeaway box, nutrition and calories

Boone’s analysis puts a box of 6 wings of Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings at 25% of an adult’s daily calories, 105% of the daily salt limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 5.5 teaspoons of free sugar.

How many calories are in Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings? A box of 6 wings is 493 kcal, with 22g of fat (5.7g saturated), 22g of sugar and 3.2g of salt. 1 portion (serves 2) is 246 kcal.

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Nutrition information

Nutrition information: Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings (1 portion (serves 2) / whole box of 6 wings / box of 3)

Energy	246 kcal / 493 kcal / 247 kcal
Fat	11g / 22g / 11g
of which saturates	2.8g / 5.7g / 2.8g
Carbohydrate	12g / 24g / 12g
of which sugars	11g / 22g / 11g
Fibre	0.9g / 1.8g / 0.9g
Salt	1.6g / 3.2g / 1.6g
Protein	24g / 49g / 24g

Nutrition figures are Papa John's UK published data (October 2026). Boone converts them to the portion and age comparisons on this page.

A box of 6 wings of Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings contains 493 kcal, which is 25% of the 2,000 kcal adult daily reference intake. It provides 22g of total fat, of which 5.7g is saturated, 22g of sugar, 3.2g of salt, 1.8g of fibre and 49g of protein.

The saturated fat content of 5.7g represents 28% of the adult daily guideline of 20g.

Papa John's gives the weight as 257g, which works out at 192 kcal per 100g.

Sugar in Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

A box of 6 wings of Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings contains 22g of free sugar (5.5 teaspoons). High sugar

The NHS free sugar limit is 30g per day for adults, 24g for children aged 7 to 10, and 19g for children aged 4 to 6. Free sugar excludes the sugars naturally present in milk and whole fruit.

Free sugar by portion: Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

Portion	Adult (female) 30g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 30g	Age 7 to 10 24g	Age 4 to 6 19g
1 portion (serves 2)	11g 36%	11g 36%	11g 36%	11g 46%	11g 57%
Whole box of 6 wings	22g 73%	22g 73%	22g 73%	22g 91%	22g 115%
Box of 3	11g 37%	11g 37%	11g 37%	11g 46%	11g 58%

Teaspoons: 5.5 tsp

Boone calculates these percentages from Papa John's UK published nutrition data against UK Dietary Reference Values and NHS free sugar and salt limits. Free sugar, salt, calories and saturated fat are limits to stay under. For guidance only.

Salt in Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

A box of 6 wings of Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings contains 3.2g of salt. High salt

Children have lower salt limits: 3g per day for ages 4 to 6, 5g for ages 7 to 10.

Salt by portion: Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

Portion	Adult (female) 6g	Adult (male) 6g	Age 11 to 17 6g	Age 7 to 10 5g	Age 4 to 6 3g
1 portion (serves 2)	1.6g 26%	1.6g 26%	1.6g 26%	1.6g 32%	1.6g 53%
Whole box of 6 wings	3.2g 53%	3.2g 53%	3.2g 53%	3.2g 63%	3.2g 105%
Box of 3	1.6g 26%	1.6g 26%	1.6g 26%	1.6g 32%	1.6g 53%

Calories in Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

A box of 6 wings of Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings contains 493 kcal. Moderate calorie share

Daily calorie needs vary by age and sex.

Calories by portion: Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

Portion	Adult (female) 2,000 kcal	Adult (male) 2,500 kcal	Age 11 to 17 1,936 kcal	Age 7 to 10 1,553 kcal	Age 4 to 6 1,291 kcal
1 portion (serves 2)	246 kcal 12%	246 kcal 10%	246 kcal 13%	246 kcal 16%	246 kcal 19%
Whole box of 6 wings	493 kcal 25%	493 kcal 20%	493 kcal 25%	493 kcal 32%	493 kcal 38%
Box of 3	247 kcal 12%	247 kcal 10%	247 kcal 13%	247 kcal 16%	247 kcal 19%

Saturated fat in Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

A box of 6 wings of Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings contains 5.7g of saturated fat. Moderate saturated fat

The saturated fat guideline is 20g a day for women and 30g for men, and lower for children.

Saturated fat by portion: Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

Portion	Adult (female) 20g	Adult (male) 30g	Age 11 to 17 20g	Age 7 to 10 18g	Age 4 to 6 16g
1 portion (serves 2)	2.8g 14%	2.8g 9%	2.8g 14%	2.8g 16%	2.8g 18%
Whole box of 6 wings	5.7g 28%	5.7g 19%	5.7g 28%	5.7g 31%	5.7g 35%
Box of 3	2.8g 14%	2.8g 9%	2.8g 14%	2.8g 16%	2.8g 18%

Free sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

All 22g counts as free sugar. Papa John's does not separate naturally occurring sugar from added sugar, so Boone counts the full figure. Sugars from tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, honey drizzles, dough and added sugar are free sugars; any from whole vegetables, pineapple or cheese would not be, so this may slightly overstate it. That is 5.5 teaspoons.

NHS daily free sugar limits: 30g for adults and children 11+, 24g age 7 to 10, 19g age 4 to 6.

Ultra-processed food: what is really in it

Processing: Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

Boone cannot classify this item, because Papa John's does not publish full ingredient lists for its dough, sauces, cheese or toppings.

NOVA classification is read from an ingredient list. Papa John's names the toppings on each item and the allergens in each component, which is more than many chains publish, but that is not enough to count additives, separate raw ingredients from manufactured ones, or say whether an item is ultra-processed. Boone does not estimate a NOVA group, because a guess presented as a classification would be worse than saying nothing.

Where Papa John's does publish a full list (its wheat-free base, its sourdough base and its vegan Sheese) it is shown in the ingredients section above.

Ingredients

Ingredients: Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

Papa John's does not publish an ingredient list for BBQ Chicken Wings, and it is under no legal obligation to do so.

Food made to order counts as non-prepacked under UK food law. The legal requirement is to declare the 14 major allergens, and for large businesses in England to show calories. A full ingredient list is voluntary, so Boone cannot count the ingredients in this item or say how many are manufactured.

Allergen information for this item is published by Papa John's and is shown below. Recipes change, so always check with the store before ordering if you have an allergy.

Allergens at a glance

Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings contains wheat, barley and celery.

Allergen information: Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings

Allergen	Status
Wheat	Contains
Rye	Not present
Barley	Contains
Oats	Not present
Sesame	Not present
Soya	Not present
Milk	Not present
Eggs	Not present
Fish and shellfish	Not present
Molluscs	Not present
Celery	Contains
Mustard	Not present
Lupin	Not present
Sulphites	Not present
Peanuts	Not present
Tree nuts	Not present

Contains = declared by Papa John's as an ingredient allergen. May contain traces = Papa John's or its supplier flags a risk of cross contact. Papa John's makes food by hand in stores that handle milk and wheat, and all pizzas and many sides pass through shared ovens and equipment, so it cannot guarantee any item is free from any allergen, including its wheat-free base, which is not suitable for coeliacs. From the Papa John's UK Allergen and Nutritional Information Guide (valid from 1 October 2026).

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings?+

Boone calculates that a box of 6 wings of Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings is 493 kcal, which is 25% of an adult’s 2,000 kcal daily reference intake and 38% of the daily intake for a child aged 4 to 6. 1 portion (serves 2) is 246 kcal.

How much sugar is in Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings?+

A box of 6 wings contains 22g of sugar, all of which Boone counts as free sugar, or about 5.5 teaspoons. That is 73% of an adult’s 30g daily limit and 115% of the 19g limit for a child aged 4 to 6.

How much saturated fat is in Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings?+

A box of 6 wings contains 5.7g of saturated fat. Boone calculates this as 28% of the daily guideline for an adult woman and 19% for an adult man, because the guideline differs by sex: 20g and 30g.

How much salt is in Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings?+

A box of 6 wings contains 3.2g of salt. Boone calculates that as 105% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 6 and 53% of an adult’s 6g limit.

Is Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings classed as less healthy?+

Under the government’s 2018 nutrient profiling model Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings scores 17. The model classes a food scoring 4 or more as less healthy, so this item would be. The 2018 model is published but not yet used for advertising rules.

Is Papa John's BBQ Chicken Wings ultra-processed?+

Papa John's does not publish a full ingredient list for food made to order, and UK law does not require it to, so Boone cannot assign a NOVA group to this item.