Chicken wing recipe: Spicy, sweet and savory for any time of year

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Calexico's Chipotle Chicken Wings Will Burn Your Face Off

Calexico co-owner Peter Oleyer shares the recipe for his restaurant's spicy signature wings. Watch the video above for a tutorial.

Chicken wings are a hugely popular bar food for Americans. 

Over 1 billion chicken wings are consumed during Super Bowl weekend alone each year.

In 2022, the U.S. experienced a chicken wing shortage just before Super Bowl Sunday, when nearly 1.5 billion wings were expected to be devoured. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic lock-downs, with most people staying home instead of going out to eat, chicken wing delivery orders became very popular, according to the USDA.

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Popular chain restaurants such as Hooters, Wingstop and Buffalo Wild Wings are known for their chicken wings and sauces. 

The cost of chicken wings has risen and fallen numerous times since 2019. In 2019, the weighted average national wholesale price was $1.50 per pound, according to the USDA, and in May 2021, these prices increased to $3.25.

Chicken wings are a hugely popular bar food across the United States. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

Though pricier than ever, the obsession remains to be really real. In July 2019, Joey Chestnut, competitive eater, annihilated 413 wings in honor of National Chicken Wing Day, and in January 2023, an Illinois woman was charged with stealing 11,000 cases of wings from the school district she worked for.

So, if you’re one of the consumers purchasing raw chicken wings in stores, and you’re in need of a recipe, read on for how to bake a chicken wing and a spicy sauce that can be served one of two ways.

Chicken wing recipe

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 3 tablespoons of salt
• 3 cups of water
• 1 pound of chicken wings

For two hours, brine one pound of chicken wings in water, salt and baking powder and keep refrigerated. In doing so, you’ll maintain the tenderness of the chicken.

After two hours of brining, preheat the oven to 425 F. Brush a baking pan with oil to avoid the chicken wings sticking to the cookie sheet. 

Spread the chicken wings over the pan apart from one another. Bake the chicken wings for 30 minutes and flip them to the other side after 15 minutes.

The sweetness of mango will help offset the heat from Hungarian wax peppers in this chicken wing sauce recipe. (iStock)

Once 30 minutes have passed, check the skin for crispiness. If the outer layer of the wing isn’t crispy enough for your liking, keep them in the oven for another 10–15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes.

Spicy mango chicken wing sauce recipe

Ingredients for spicy mango chicken wing sauce

• 2 Hungarian wax peppers (8-12 inches long)
• ¼ cup of diced mango
• 3 fresh garlic cloves
• ¼ cup of water
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

On the stovetop over medium heat, pour one tablespoon of oil in a pan and allow it to get hot. Add two Hungarian wax peppers whole – keeping their stems on. The wax peppers should be 8–12 inches in length. 

Cook the peppers until very soft and tender.

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In a separate pan over medium heat, add three fresh garlic cloves in a pan. Be sure to keep the thick layer of skin on while you soften the garlic. Add ¼ cup of water and cover with a lid for 10 minutes. Make sure none of the garlic is burning at any time. If it is, flip the cloves over to their other sides. 

Once the garlic has softened for 10 minutes, peel the skin off and set aside to cool.

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In a blender, include water, garlic, melted butter, salt and black pepper. Blend until smooth. Remove the stems from the Hungarian wax peppers and include in the blender.

For the pepper seeds, you can choose to remove them with the stem or include them in the blender. The more seeds, the more spice. Blend with the peppers until smooth.

Buffalo Wild Wings is a popular American restaurant that specializes in chicken wings and unique sauce flavors. (Buffalo Wild Wings)

Lastly, add diced mango and blend until smooth.

While the sauce mixture will be smooth, it will include small chunks and look more like applesauce than a thin wing sauce. If you prefer this texture, immediately toss the wings in the sauce. 

Once the wing sauce has stuck to the skin of the chicken, toss again for an extra layer of sauce.

If you prefer a thin sauce, you’ll want to drain the thick ingredients. If you intend to do this, you’ll need 24 hours of preparation time.

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To drain sauce, you’ll need a bowl, cheesecloth and something to hold the cheesecloth down like a large rubber band or string of sorts.

Place one layer of cheesecloth over the bowl and secure it, so it does not move, and it is tightly stretched across the bowl. Then, layer the wing sauce on top of the cheesecloth. Be sure to cover the whole cloth and give the wing mixture plenty of space.

The sauce will drain into the bowl leaving all chunks behind.

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Refrigerate this set up for 24 hours to ensure all the sauce drains into the bowl. 

At least 2–3 times throughout the 24 hours, use a fork or spoon to course through the mixture atop the cheesecloth. 

This will ensure all sauce has the opportunity to drain into the bowl.

Reheat the sauce on the stovetop or microwave and toss with hot chicken wings.