Chili Lime Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are always a great snack option, and these chili lime chicken wings have a great kick to them. A bit tangy, a bit spicy, and with the crispiest skin from my go-to method, you’ll be making these tasty wings again and again.

a blue plate topped with chili lime chicken wings with a garnish of lime wedges, peanuts and spring onion

These chili lime chicken wings are definitely inspired by my time in South East Asia. With ingredients that bring in bright and punchy flavor you won’t be able to stop munching on these tasty snacks. Plus I’ll teach you how to get the crispiest skin ever with my favorite method.

Like every chicken wing recipe on this site, these use the famous baking powder method. If you’ve never tried this method before you can read the whole article for the science of why it works – of you can just take that leap of faith and try it yourself. Trust me, you’ll never go back to the deep fryer again.

How To Make Chili Lime Chicken Wings

This recipe is made up of two components: the wings and the sauce. The wings take a bit of time so you should start them about 2 hours before you plan on eating them. The sauce can be made once the wings are about the finish cooking.

chili lime chicken wing sauce ingredients on a table

Ingredients

Chicken Wings

  • 1 kg (2.2 pounds) Chicken Wings – You can use the flats and drumettes The sauce is quite thin so you don’t need a lot to coat the wings, just segment them so they cook more evenly.
  • 3 tsp Aluminum Free Baking Powder – This is what makes the magic happen. Baking powder changes the pH of the chicken wing skin to seriously dry it out. When you bake the wings they become extremely crispy, almost like a chicken skin chip
  • 1 tsp Salt

Chili Lime Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice – You can use extra limes for the garnish
  • 1 tbsp Agave Syrup – I like to use agave since it adds sweetness and moisture and has a nice floral flavor, but you can use honey, maple syrup (will change the flavor quite a bit), glucose syrup, sugar, or any sweetener you like. I recommend this agave syrup since the brand is pretty much my go-to for all syrups all the time.
  • 1 tsp Red Chili Flakes
  • 1 tsp Dry Cilantro – Also called dry coriander leaves or freeze dried cilantro (depending on method). If you have that anti-cilantro gene feel free to leave this ingredient out.
  • 1-2 tsp Lemongrass Paste – The secret ingredient in my chili lime chicken wings! You can buy this lemongrass paste if you cannot find it at your local market.
  • Hot Sauce – To taste. I used a scorpion pepper hot sauce this time but you can use whatever you prefer. You can even make hot sauce from dried chilies so you have unlimited sauce forever!

Baking The Chicken Wings

chicken wing segments dusted with salt and baking powder

To start place all your chicken wing segments into a large bowl and sprinkle over the baking powder and salt. Give everything a good toss and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

chicken wings on a rack in the oven

Place the wings on a rack or grate with a catch pan underneath to get the drippings. I also cover another rack with foil just in case there are any other drips. If chicken fat gets to the bottom of the oven it can cause a ton of smoke which is quite annoying.

Bake the chicken at 120 C or 250 F for 30 minutes. This step is to render out some fat and dry the surface of the skin even more.

baking powder method chicken wings on an oven rack after cooking

After a half hour raise the temperature to 220 Celsius or 425 Fahrenheit and bake for another 30-40 minutes.

chili lime wing sauce in a metal bowl with a wire whisk

For the chili lime chicken wings sauce simply add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk everything up. I talk about it a lot but these large, cheap steel bowls are an absolute essential kitchen tool and they are perfect for tossing the wings; Just like in a professional kitchen!

chili lime chicken wings in a steel bowl after being tossed in sauce

Add your wings to the chili lime sauce and give everything a good toss. I also like to add some peanuts and chopped spring onion for garnish, but you can get creative with it if you like!

a 45 degree angle photo of a plate of chili lime chicken wings with lime wedges, peanuts, and spring onions

How Long Will Chili Lime Chicken Wings Stay Crispy?

Because the baking powder method crisps up the skin through desiccation these wings actually stay crispier in sauce longer than deep fried or battered wings. In fact I find them relatively crispy after even two hours.

Of course if you plan on making a large batch and storing overnight the sauce will start to soften the wing skin. But they will still be very tasty and a perfect breakfast snack after a night of drinking – if that’s what you’re into.

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chili lime chicken wings on a blue plate with peanuts and lime wedges as a garnish

Chili Lime Chicken Wings

Chili Lime Chicken Wings are a South East Asian inspired appetizer that is sure to be a hit. With hot and tangy flavor, and the crispiest skin ever, these wings are perfect for sports watching get togethers, or just hanging out with friends.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American, Asian Fusion
Servings 4 servings
Calories 399 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Oven
  • 1 Steel Bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg Chicken Wings (2.2 pounds ) You can use the flats and drumettes The sauce is quite thin so you don't need a lot to coat the wings, just segment them so they cook more evenly.
  • 3 tsp Aluminum Free Baking Powder This is what makes the magic happen. Baking powder changes the pH of the chicken wing skin to seriously dry it out. When you bake the wings they become extremely crispy almost like a chicken skin chip
  • 1 tsp Salt

Chili Lime Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice You can use extra limes for the garnish
  • 1 tbsp Agave Syrup I like to use agave since it adds sweetness and moisture and has a nice floral flavor but you can use honey, maple syrup (will change the flavor quite a bit), glucose syrup, sugar, or any sweetener you like.
  • 1 tsp Red Chili Flakes
  • 1 tsp Dry Cilantro Also called dry coriander leaves or freeze dried cilantro depending on method. If you have that anti-cilantro gene feel free to leave this ingredient out.
  • 1-2 tsp Lemongrass Paste The secret ingredient in my chili lime chicken wings! You can buy lemongrass paste if you cannot find it at your local market.
  • Hot Sauce To taste. I used a scorpion pepper hot sauce this time but you can use whatever you prefer.

Instructions
 

  • Place the flats and drumettes in a large bowl and dust with the salt and baking powder. Toss everything together and then place the bowl in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
    1 kg Chicken Wings, 1 tsp Salt, 3 tsp Aluminum Free Baking Powder
  • Preheat your oven to 120 C or 250 F
  • Place the wings on an oven rack, and place a tray underneath the rack to catch any drippings. Put in the oven for 30 minutes.
  • Turn the heat up to 220 C or 425 F and let cook for another 30-40 minutes.
  • While the chicken is in the oven you can make the sauce. In a large bowl add all of the sauce ingredients and whisk to combine.
    1 tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice, 1 tbsp Agave Syrup, 1 tsp Red Chili Flakes, 1 tsp Dry Cilantro, 1-2 tsp Lemongrass Paste, Hot Sauce
  • Remove the chicken from the oven and place in the bowl with sauce. Toss to coat, then plate and garnish with lime wedges, peanuts, and chopped spring onion.
Keyword Asian, Baking Powder Chicken Wings, Chicken Wings, Fusion, Thai
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2 thoughts on “Chili Lime Chicken Wings”

  1. Pingback: Delicious Lime Chicken Wings,Baked stew Lime Chicken wings,

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