Oven-Baked Spicy Sriracha Wings

I have once again failed you as a food blogger. This recipe should have come last week, before, oh you know, the biggest football game of the year, during a weekend in which America collectively eats one billion(!) chicken wings. But unfortunately, I didn’t make these until Sunday, for my Super Bowl “party” of three with my mom and dad. And what regret I felt, biting into each juicy, spicy, tangy, crisp wing, knowing that I could have shared them with you all and didn’t.

My bad. But in the near future, there are the Grammys, the Oscars, the Final Four, the start of baseball season — all parties to be had, and all parties that should feature these wings. Because they’re that good.

While I love wings, I am extremely picky. I don’t like to eat with my hands (I have a neurosis about getting my hands dirty, and wash them at least 15 times a day) so I always eat wings with a fork and knife. Bones are extremely hard to cut around, so I only eat boneless. Yes, I should probably seek medical help.

Because I am so picky about them and my parents generally avoid all chicken that involves skin, we aren’t really wings people in the Singh household. So my mom was extremely skeptical when I decided I had to make them, which only made me more determined to have them be the best thing ever. My family does love Sriracha, the Thai hot sauce made with chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. The red bottle with the green cap is easily found at my local grocery store, but this recipe looks like a close approximation. The sauce is slightly tangy, very spicy but also a little bit sweet.

Michael Symon’s recipe has gotten rave reviews, so I decided to try it. I marinated the wings Saturday morning, giving them a good long marinade time. I also altered his marinade significantly, since I happen to live in a home that doesn’t have ground cinnamon. (Say what?) I didn’t want to deep-fry the wings, so I had planned on using Symon’s alternate instructions, to bake the wings for 1-1/2 hours at 375°F. But when I came back to the wings on Sunday afternoon, I decided that baking them continually at one temperature wouldn’t make for crisp wings. So I decided to “wing it.” (Ha. I slay me.)

The below recipe produces the most fabulously wonderful wings that I’ve ever eaten, and truth be told, they’re not that bad for you. By placing the wings on a wire rack and roasting them, you allow much of their fat to escape without adding any additional fat. I also decreased the amount of butter in the sauce because I like mine to be a little thick. They were so good, I forgot all about my hang ups with bone-in chicken, though I did eat them with a fork. Some things are just non-negotiable.

Oven-Baked Spicy Sriracha Wings

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 5 pounds chicken wings (we used drumettes)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup Sriracha chili sauce
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• zest and juice of one lemon (alternately, use 1-1/2 limes)

Cook Mode

Instructions

1. Rinse the wings under running water in a large bowl. Dump the water and add the lemon juice. Soak for 5 minutes before dumping the lemon juice and patting the wings dry.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the coriander, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the dried wings and the olive oil. Toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
3. Once the wings are marinated, line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place the wings on a wire rack over the baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes at 375˚F. Turn the wings and then bake them at 425˚F for another 20 minutes, until the skin is crispy.
4. Mix together the Sriracha, butter, cilantro and lemon juice. Once the wings are out of the oven, toss them in the sauce and coat thoroughly. Place the saucy wings in an ovenproof platter or roasting dish and broil for 5 minutes, until they are a little charred. Serve with celery and your favorite dipping sauce.

• Author: Michael Symon