Crispy Mango-Habanero Wings

The mango-habanero wings on a wooden plate with brown parchment paper with cilantro sprinkled around them.

No party is complete without a big tray of these crispy mango-habanero wings! Chicken wings are baked until they’re perfectly crispy and then tossed with a homemade mango-habanero hot sauce for that sweet and spicy kick everyone loves. Whether you’re hosting game day, a casual backyard barbecue or a holiday party, these spicy wings are always a hit.

Course Appetizers

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 20

Total Time 1 40

Servings people

Calories 283kcal

Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

2 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheets with wire racks

Ingredients

Mango-Habanero Wing Sauce

Habanero peppers seeds removed, see notes for recommendations on amount based on desired heat level
1-inch ginger root knob peeled
3 garlic cloves
½ cup mango chunks
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt

Chicken Wings

4-5 pounds whole chicken wings thawed
Salt
1 heaping tablespoon baking powder
Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing optional
Celery and carrot sticks optional

Instructions

Mango-Habanero Wing Sauce

Add habanero peppers, ginger, garlic cloves, mango chunks, white wine vinegar, water and salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Continue simmering for 20 minutes.
Remove the mixture from the heat. Pour the entire contents into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside. This should last in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Chicken Wings

Trim off the wing tip. Locate the knob-like bone at the bottom of the drumette. Cut right underneath that bone to separate the drumette and flat into two pieces. Repeat for all wings.
Pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the skin with salt. Place in the refrigerator uncovered for at least eight hours and up to 24 hours to dry brine.
Remove the wings from the refrigerator and toss with baking powder to coat evenly.
Place the wings skin-side up on greased wire racks in the baking sheets, ensuring that the wings don't touch to avoid overcrowding. Let the wings sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 250 degrees F and place one oven rack in the lower-middle position and the other oven rack in the upper-middle position. Bake at 250 degrees F for 30 minutes on the lower-middle rack. Move the wings to the upper-middle rack, increase the heat to 425 degrees F and bake until they reach an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 40-50 minutes.
Remove the wings from the oven. Toss with the mango-habanero wing sauce. If desired, serve with your favorite dressing and celery and carrot sticks. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Use this number of habaneros for your desired heat level: one for mild, two to three for medium and five for hot. If you're unsure, start with mild, and you can go up in heat in future batches. Use kitchen gloves when handling the peppers.
If you don't have time to dry brine, you can skip this step, but it's recommended to plan for this process to get the crispiest skin and juiciest, most flavorful meat. Dry brining first thing in the morning for dinner is perfect.
Leftover wings can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days. When you're ready to reheat, remove them from the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. Spritz them with water and bake in a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes, flip and bake for another five minutes.
To freeze leftover wings, place in a freezer-safe bag and freeze flat. Thaw them by placing them in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, you can reheat them as directed above.
Don't mix up baking powder with baking soda. They are not interchangeable.
This baking method was adapted from Cooks Illustrated.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition