Mambo Wings

It’s amazing how many great chicken wing recipes there are. Everything from the mild to the sweet to the volcanic hot. That’s why I love them, I can have a different flavor every day. Well, almost every day. I don’t actually eat wings every day, although I’m sure I could and never ever get bored with them.

I recently stumbled upon Mambo sauce (among many other great recipes) on a blog by Levy Restaurants, a family of different restaurants around the US. So, I thought “Now, here’s something different. A tomato-based wing sauce with Asian flavors. I gotta try it!” So I did, and boy, was I happy that I did.

Mambo Wings

Sweet Heat Perfection

Mambo sauce, like many great wing sauces, is a combination of sweet (a little pineapple and sugar) and acid (white vinegar and hot sauce), and the best part, a bit of heat (thank you Frank’s RedHot!). You’ll start out thinking you’re having a teriyaki-inspired wing, and finish up thinking you had a Buffalo wing. It’s great, like a journey of flavors.

According to the Levy Restaurant’s blog, Mambo sauce is also great on fries. I can definitely see that. And I will also try it as a steak marinade.

I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!
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You’ll want to make some mango barbecue wings too!

Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!

Mambo Wings
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5 from 2 votes

Mambo Wings

This is a fantastic Asian-inspired BBQ-like wing sauce.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Asian wings, copycat
Servings: 6
Calories: 593kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the wings

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips saved to make stock

For the sauce

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Place all ingredients into a small pot and simmer, stirring, for 20 minutes.

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 365mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 501IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Duck Fat Chicken Wings using the Vortex

Chicken wings cooked on a charcoal grill (I love my trusty Weber grills!) using a Vortex are the best. Not only do you get great flavor and crunchy skin, you get a light (or heavy.. It’s up to you, you can control it!) smoky flavor. You can’t go wrong with them. But you can make them even better using duck fat spray. What a difference it makes, too. They are better tasting and crunchier. These duck fat chicken wings using the Vortex are the decadent wings that dreams are made of.

Duck Fat Chicken Wings using the Vortex

Duck Fat And The Vortex Made For Great Wings

The Vortex enables you to get super-hot temperatures on a charcoal grill. That heat not only cooks them perfectly, it gives them a crunchier skin. You just cannot beat duck fat chicken wings using the Vortex.

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Adding duck fat spray not only helps with getting that fantastic crunchy it skin, it also adds a fantastic different flavor than if you’d used vegetable or olive oil instead. It makes a world of difference.

I also love making dry wings using the Vortex.

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Also try my duck fat air fryer wings.

Duck Fat Wings using the Vortex
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5 from 1 vote

Duck Fat Chicken Wings using the Vortex

You can't wrong with these.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 503kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Place the Vortex into the center of your grill and add in the charcoal. Open the bottom vents on your grill by 1/3.
  • Light a charcoal chimney full of charcoal. Alternatively you can fill your Vortex with charcoal and light them inside the unit.
  • Let the charcoal get fully ashed over then add to the Vortex.
  • If you want extra smoke flavor, place a small wood chunk or two over the center of the Vortex and let it ignite and smoke.
  • Place the wings into a large bowl. Spray lightly with the duck fat while tossing. Don't get them soaking wet, you're looking for a light coating. Think 'squirt squirt' and not 'fence painting'.
  • Add the chicken as shown in the picture above.
  • Close the grill and cook for 45 minutes. If you are using a large charcoal grill (22" or bigger) you might want to rotate the lid 90 degrees every 15 minutes. I haven't found this to be necessary on smaller (18" and 14") grills.
  • Transfer wings to a bowl and toss with your favorite seasoning and sauce as desired.

Notes

If you’re saucing your wings with a refrigerated sauce, make sure you bring it to room temperature first or warm it over medium heat.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 354mg | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Aji Amarillo Wings

Aji amarillo is an orange-colored pepper from Peru. I haven’t been able to find it in the US in pepper-form, but you can find a paste made from pureed aji peppers in some foreign food markets. Aji amarillo rates between 35,000 and 50,000 on the Scoville scale, meaning it’s about as hot as Tabasco sauce. It has a nice fruity flavor that reminds me a bit of habanero, but without the scorching heat. I encountered aji amarillo often in dishes throughout Peru when I lived there long, long ago. But I never had wings. Well, now I have and they are fantastic!

Aji Amarillo Wings

Aji Pepper Flavor

Since I love chicken wings, I decided to cook up a batch and instead of saucing them with just a traditional Buffalo sauce, I made a variation that adds aji amarillo paste. The end result was just a bit spicy, with a fantastic fruity pepper flavor. For me, it’s important that wings taste good and not just bring the heat. I don’t seek out the hottest sauces. But I do seek out the tastiest. That’s why my wing journey will never end. There are always new flavors to discover. Like aji amarillo!

Kick It Up More!

These were fantastic wings, and definitely a nice twist on the usual. If you like your wings to be a bit spicier, just add more of the aji amarillo paste. Since it’s not overwhelmingly hot you don’t have to worry about a-little-goes-a-long-ways. You can add quite a bit and still get great flavor without burning the roof of your mouth.

Viva Peru

For me, the perfect beverage to go with these wings is a super-cold glass of Inca Kola. Years after living in Peru, this is easily still my favorite soda of all time. I seek it out wherever I can find it. Or I order it only. It’s like a cross between bubble gum and Mountain Dew. Yeah, might sound odd but it’s super crazy tasty.

Inca Kola Golden Carbonated Beverage Soda – la…
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Also try my adobo Buffalo wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 100 homemade wing recipes, including sauces and seasonings!

Aji Amarillo Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Aji Amarillo Wings

These were fantastic wings, and definitely a nice twist on the usual.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: spicy, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 676kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips saved to make stock

For the sauce

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Whisk all ingredients until combined.

Notes

Store any leftover sauce in the fridge. Re-warm over medium heat before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 676kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 2678mg | Potassium: 531mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1187IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings

It’s not like I hadn’t eaten in weeks. So only one thing can explain how quickly these oven-baked garlic Parmesan wings disappeared. They were fantastic! I’d been on an air and deep fryer wing binge for a while. Time to change things up and go baked! And how glad am I that I did! Lightly crunchy chicken wings, with the perfect bite-thru skin and oh, flavor! So much flavor! Garlic, Parmesan and just the slightest bit of spiciness.

Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings

Super Tasty with the Right Crunch

I used a wire baking rack when I made these baked garlic Parmesan wings, but you can cook them directly on foil or parchment paper. And in fact, I think you’ll find cleanup to be a lot easier if you skip the rack. And make sure you shake off the excess butter. If the chicken wing skin gets super oily (from the butter) it won’t crisp as well. Not a big deal, but something you might want to keep in mind!

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Also try some homemade baked garlic and onion wings.

Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings

Make sure you shake off any excess butter after dipping the wings.
Inspired by a recipe from A Spicy Perspective
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked wings, garlic, Parmesan
Servings: 4
Calories: 726kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 450 F.
  • Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. You can also use a wire rack with foil underneath.
  • Place wings into a large bowl.
  • In a small bowl, combine corn starch, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder.
  • Pour the seasoning over the chicken wings and toss to coat.
  • Transfer the wings to your lined baking sheet. Spread them out so they do not touch.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Flip the wings and bake another 20 minutes.
  • Place the melted butter into a small bowl.
  • In another small bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the cheese, the Italian seasoning, red pepper and the remaining garlic powder.
  • Check the wings. They should be starting to brown and be lightly crispy on the edges. If not, bake them a bit longer.
  • Remove the wings from the oven. Working one at a time, using tongs, grab a wing and dunk it into the butter mixture. Flip to coat it well then shake off any excess. Transfer to the cheese mixture and roll to coat. Shake off the excess and return the wing to the baking sheet.
  • Bake another 5-15 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Serve wings sprinkled with the remaining cheese.

Notes

Use freshly-grated Parmesan for the best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 726kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 226mg | Sodium: 1782mg | Potassium: 438mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 995IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 391mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Duck Fat Air Fryer Wings

For a quick lunch, air fryer wings just can’t be beat. My extra-crispy version gets me nice and crunchy, delicious wings in less than 30 minutes. So could I improve on such a great thing? Well, turns out, I can. And did. With duck fat spray. Making duck fat air fryer wings is just as easy as making wings using my regular approach. But they are so much crispier and have a wonderful flavor that is just amazing. So why would I make them the ‘old’ way, when I can make this much tastier, much crispier version!

Duck Fat Air Fryer Wings

Duck Fat is a Game Changer

You can find duck fat spray in your grocers oil aisle, by the non-stick spray and olive oils and stuff like that. It ain’t cheap, but what it does for duck fat air fryer wings (and many other things) is well worth it. I would suggest you don’t go nuts with it the first time you use it. Try a few quick sprays and see if you want to add more. They don’t need to be dripping in the stuff. A light coating is all you need (and want).

I often find myself using a few variations on this approach to cooking wings. I’ll sometimes just spritz the wings with the duck fat spray. Then I’ll salt and pepper them and then cook them in the air fryer. After they are done I’ll sprinkle them with my favorite seasoning and serve them ‘dry’. I often use this approach if my seasoning is prone to charring during cooking. And if I want them ‘wet’, I’ll just toss them in my favorite sauce after they are cooked.

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Also try my duck fat Vortex wings.

Check out my always-growing list of over 100 homemade wing recipes, including sauces and seasonings!

Duck Fat Air Fryer Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Duck Fat Air Fryer Wings

It ain't cheap, but what duck fat does for air fryer wings is well worth it.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crispy, duck fat, wings
Servings: 1
Calories: 13kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat your air fryer per manufacturer's recommendation.
  • Spray the wings with duck fat. Just a few squirts will do. I like to put the wings into a bowl, give them a quick spray, turn then, and give them another quick spray.
  • Sprinkle the wings with seasoning. Turn, and add a bit more seasoning. Alternatively, place the wings into a bag or resealable container and sprinkle with the seasoning. Close the container and toss gently to coat.
  • Add the wings to the basket (be careful it’s hot!). If you have trouble fitting them without overlapping, stand the drumettes along the sides of the basket.
  • Cook at 360 F for 12 minutes for large wings, 10 minutes for smaller ones.
  • Carefully flip the wings (rotate the drumettes if they are standing) and cook another 12 minutes again (10 minutes for smaller wings) at 375 F.
  • Flip the wings one last time. Increase the temperature to 390 F and cook another 6 minutes (4 minutes for smaller wings).
  • Remove and toss with your favorite wing sauce or sprinkle with more seasoning.
  • Devour!

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 13kcal | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 9mg | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Smoked and Fried Wings

Wonderfully smoky, tender meat with a lightly crispy skin, these smoked and then fried chicken wings were a thing of beauty. These are one of the most dangerous things you could ever put in front of me. I don’t even need any sauce to toss or dunk them in, either. Just give me a big basket of them and get out of the way!

Smoked and Fried Wings

First You Smoke ‘Em

The process is simple. Season your wings, and place them onto your smoker. No messing around with them either. Just smoke for 2 hours.

Then You Fry Them

When the wings are done you toss them into a deep fryer for a minute or so, until golden brown and lightly crispy. You can also make a big huge batch and freeze the smoked wings (before frying). All you have to do is thaw them and deep fry them when you’re ready to serve them at a later time. I was worried that making them from the frozen smoked wings would result in over-cooked, tough wings, but oh no, they were fantastic!

There’s a brewpub by our house that makes crazy-good chicken wings. They smoke them first over a mix of mesquite and cherry woods, then flash fry them. They sauce them then place them over a hot flame to finish them off. My approach is similar, but I don’t always put them onto the grill at the end. They are fantastic either way, but grilling them real quick does help set the sauce.

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Got an air fryer too? Also try some air fryer wings.

Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!

Smoked and Fried Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Smoked and Fried Wings

These are one of most dangerous things you could ever put in front of me.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: deep-fried, smoked, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 503kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Fire up your smoker for 225 F. Use any wood you like. I used Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrel chunks because I wanted a good, noticeable smoke flavor. Use a lighter wood if you want your wings to be a little less smoky.
  • Toss the wings with plenty of the wing seasoning.
  • Place the wings onto the smoker and smoke for 2 hours. No need to rotate or flip them.
  • When done, remove from the smoker. You can deep fry them immediately or freeze them for thawing and frying later.
  • To fry, heat canola oil to 350 F.
  • Working in batches, add the wings and fry for 1-2 minutes or until they are the desired color.
  • Let cool slightly. Serve tossed with your favorite sauce and your favorite dipping sauce on the side. Click here for our guide on how to sauce your wings.
  • Optional: Toss the wings onto a hot grill for 1 minute after saucing them to set the sauce.

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 354mg | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Pineapple Glazed Wings

Yowsa. I was looking for a great, homemade Asian-inspired wing sauce and did I ever find it. These pineapple glazed wings were absolutely fantastic. I could not stop eating them, and more, I couldn’t stop licking the sauce off my fingers. The sauce is a little sweet, but not overly sweet. It has a wonderful hint of pineapple, (thanks to real juice!) which I love. Add a little garlic and ginger and you’ve got a great wing sauce! If you’re wanting to take a little break from traditional Buffalo-style sauces, this is a great way to do it.

Pineapple Glazed Wings

Fruity Sweetness In Every Bite

The sauce on these pineapple glazed wings isn’t just great on wings. Nope. It also makes for the perfect glaze on grilled pork tenderloin or smoked pork ribs. Or chicken. It’s also great as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets. And nothing goes better with shrimp than pineapple. Ok, well maybe spicy cocktail sauce does, but pineapple is a close second perhaps.

Kick It Up. If You Want To.

If you like your sauce to have a bit of a kick to it, add some dried red pepper flake. You’ll get a sauce that looks similar to a chili sauce and is just as yummy! You can add hot sauce, too but try and use one that is lighter in color. Somehow red pineapple doesn’t sound that appealing to me. Might taste great, though.

What Else Can I Do?

Any citrus juice can be substituted for the pineapple. Orange, lemon, you name it. You can make all sorts of variations on this sauce. And easily, too!

I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!
Norcalway 12 oz Condiment Squeeze Bottles for…
  • Leak-proof Cap: Our condiment squeeze bottles are…
  • Food-Grade BPA-Free Plastic: Durable squirt…

Also try my wicked sticky wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 100 homemade wing recipes, including sauces and seasonings!

Pineapple Glazed Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Pineapple Glazed Wings

This sauce is a little sweet, but not overly sweet.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fruity, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 671kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the wings

For the sauce

Instructions

For the wings

For the sauce

  • Place all ingredients into a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a slow boil, stirring often.
  • Cook until reduced by half and thickened.

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 671kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 900mg | Potassium: 474mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Extra-Crispy Air Fryer Wings

I’m a huge fan of wings, which explains why I started this site! I’ll cook them anyway, anyhow, any time. I first started using an air fryer for wings out of convenience. It didn’t take long for me to realize that an air fryer is one of the best and easiest ways to make outstanding wings. My extra-crispy air fryer wings are as easy as you can get to make, but always give you that just-like-deep-fried crunchy skin and tender, moist meat.

Extra-Crispy Air Fryer Wings

Go Big or Stay Home

I use the biggest wings I can find at the grocery store. I (almost) always buy fresh and I always buy in family packs (to save a few bucks since I do seem to eat a lot of wings!). Big meaty wings make the best extra-crispy air fryer wings. Skinnier wings can be used too, but you’ll need to cook them a little less.

Click here to see my full guide on all wing cooking methods and how to separate the wings. If you want to. Me, I like my wings cut into drumettes and flats. Some folk like to keep them as one. You do you. If you do decide to separate them, don’t toss the wing tips away. Save them up (put them in a bag in the freezer) until you have enough to make a delicious batch of chicken broth!

My Air Fryer

This is the air fryer I use. For cleanup I wipe it out with a paper towel and toss it into the dish washer. Easy. Though it has a timer, I can’t always hear it. So I set up 2 timers on my phone: one for 12 minutes (that I use twice so I can flip the wings in-between) and one for 6 minutes (for the final cook and crisp).

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Also try my honey hot fried wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 100 homemade wing recipes, including sauces and seasonings!

Extra-Crispy Air Fryer Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Extra-Crispy Air Fryer Wings

I recommend that you use a rub or seasoning that doesn't contain sugar when you make air fryer wings.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crispy, wings
Servings: 1
Calories: 13kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer with non-stick spray. Preheat per manufacturer’s recommendation.
  • Toss the wing flats and drumettes with the seasoning.
  • Add the wings to the basket (be careful it’s hot!). If you have trouble fitting them without overlapping, stand the drumettes along the sides of the basket.
  • Cook at 360 F for 12 minutes for large wings, 10 minutes for smaller ones.
  • Carefully flip the wings (rotate the drumettes if they are standing) and cook another 12 minutes again (10 minutes for smaller wings) at 375 F.
  • Flip the wings one last time. Increase the temperature to 390 F and cook another 6 minutes (4 minutes for smaller wings).
  • Remove and toss with your favorite wing sauce or sprinkle with more seasoning.

Notes

I prefer to season my wings immediately after cooking them. The seasoning will stick to the surface of the hot wings better than if you wait until they cool off.

Nutrition

Calories: 13kcal | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 9mg | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Tacos Al Pastor Dry Wings

The flavor of tacos al pastor is one of my favorites. These tacos al pastor dry wings have that same great flavor without all the work. Paprika, chipotle powder, chili powder and a few other Mexican-inspired spices give the chicken wings a wonderful earthly flavor with a hint of smokiness and just a touch of heat. Sprinkled with cilantro and served with crema for dipping, these are great (easy) wings!

Al Pastor Dry Wings

Make it or buy it

I used a package of tacos al pastor seasoning, but you can also make your own. The store-bought seasoning is super tasty, but a tad salty, so you might want to be a little shy with it. You don’t need a lot of it anyways, it’s so flavorful. If you make your own you can of course control the salt if that’s your thing. No matter which seasoning you use, you can’t go wrong with these tacos al pastor dry wings. They’re a nice Mexican-inspired treat!

Old El Paso Al Pastor Taco Seasoning, 0.85 oz
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Also try my fajita-seasoned dry wings.

Al Pastor Dry Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Tacos Al Pastor Dry Wings

I used a package of tacos al pastor seasoning from Old El Paso, but you can make your own.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Mexican, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 730kcal

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes separated, tips saved to make stock
  • Tacos Al Pastor seasoning to taste
  • cilantro chopped, for garnish
  • Mexican crema for drizzling or dipping, optional

Instructions

Notes

I prefer to season my wings immediately after cooking them. The seasoning will stick to the surface of the hot wings better than if you wait until they cool off.

Nutrition

Calories: 730kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 418mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 532IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.

Restaurant-Style Deep-Fried Wings

Most of the time, you’ll find me making my wings on one of my grills. Quite regularly, actually. But sometimes I am just not up to fighting the weather or I prefer a more traditional wing. That’s when my restaurant-style deep-fried wings make an appearance. For me, a deep-fried wing has to be battered, but not heavily so. Somewhere between grandma’s fried chicken and no-batter-at-all is what I want. Something for the wing sauce to stick to, and something with just a little crunch. A little kick, if I want. Like these wings, right here.

Restaurant-Style Deep-Fried Wings

My Go-To Recipe

This is my base recipe for my restaurant-style deep-fried wings. When I’m cooking dry wings (not sauced after cooking), I will often take the dry wing spices and incorporate them into the coating, leaving out the paprika and/or cayenne if they will clash. My Buffalo Ranch dry wings are a great example.

Big Wings Take Longer (Duh!)

Frying time varies with the size of your wings. I always buy family packs of fresh wings. They’re big and meaty and take a full 9 minutes or longer to fry. If you buy frozen un-cooked wings (thaw them first!) you’ll often find they are smaller and don’t require so much cooking time.

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Also try my crazy-good Grippos-crusted wings!

Check out my always-growing list of over 200 favorite store-bought wing sauces and seasonings!

Restaurant-Style Deep-Fried Wings
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5 from 1 vote

Restaurant-Style Deep-Fried Wings

This is my base recipe for my restaurant-style deep-fried wings.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: deep-fried, wings
Servings: 6
Calories: 537kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

For the wings

For the coating (feel free to add your favorite wing seasoning too!)

Instructions

  • Add enough oil to a deep fryer or Dutch oven to cook the wings. Bring to 375 F.
  • Rinse wings and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl.
  • Combine the coating ingredients and sprinkle some (but not all) over the wings. Toss to coat. If the wings don't get fully coated add some more coating. You might have leftover coating.
  • Working in batches, transfer wings to the oil and fry 5-6 minutes per side, flipping once.
  • Remove to a paper towel-lined plate then to a wire rack to cool slightly.
  • Toss with your favorite seasoning and/or sauce and serve.

Notes

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce on the side, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 357mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 409IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate and will not include any store-bought wing sauce or seasoning nutritional values.