Garlic Lime Chicken Wings
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For garlic lime sauce
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter - (Note A)
- 4 cloves garlic - grated or pressed
- 2.5 tablespoons lime juice - freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce - I use sriracha or Frank's
- 4 teaspoons honey - (Note B)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon lime zest
For chicken wings
- 2 pounds (907 g) chicken wings - split into wingettes and drumettes
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons baking powder - aluminum free (not baking soda)
Instructions
Prepare the garlic lime sauce (before or while the wings bake)
- The sauce needs to cool down a bit, so make it before you start baking wings or right after you put them in the oven.
- To start, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic right after and let it cook for a minute. Add all the remaining sauce ingredients, except the lime zest, and then mix.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, turn down the heat a bit if needed, just enough to maintain that simmer, and let the sauce reduce a bit. Don’t let it go too long, as the sauce will also thicken when it rests.
- Turn off the heat, mix in the lime zest and set the sauce aside to cool down to room temp (see Note C below).
Make the wings
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and preheat to 425°F / 220°C.
- Pat your wings completely dry with paper towels. Do not skip this step. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, add oil and mix until the wings get evenly coated.
- Mix together garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika and baking powder in a separate bowl. Then transfer this spice mix to the bowl with the wings and mix until well combined.
- Place a wire rack on a large baking tray/sheet, spray/brush with oil, and place wings in a single layer (skin side up) on top. You can arrange the wings closely as long as they don’t overlap. Feel free to line your baking sheet with foil before you place the rack, for easy cleanup later. You can also arrange the wings directly on the foil-lined tray/sheet, but the rack helps crisp up wings as the wings don’t sit in their own juices.
- Bake for 45 to 65 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the kind of oven you’re using and the size of the wings. Start checking for doneness after 45 minutes, and flip the wings after the first 25 minutes (see Note D below for air fryer cooking method).
- Once done, remove from the oven and let them rest on the rack/tray for 5 minutes.
- Then transfer to a bowl and toss with the garlic lime sauce. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro if you like and serve right away.
Notes
Note A: Butter - If you only have salted butter, reduce the soy sauce a bit, then taste and adjust.
Note B: Honey - Don’t sub honey with sugar. The sauce won’t thicken, and it won’t taste the same with plain or brown sugar.
Note C: Sauce - Warm sauce will make the wings soggy quickly. It's best at room temp. You can make it well ahead of time and if it separates or sets, gently reheat until it’s room temp again.
Note D: Air Fryer Method: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F / 200°C. Arrange the wings in a single layer. Don't crowd them and leave a little space between them so the hot air can circulate. Cook for 16 to 20 minutes and flip halfway through. Take the wings out, toss them in garlic lime sauce, and serve right away.