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!
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!
Toss wings with seasoning before serving garnished with chopped cilantro and drizzled with crema if desired.
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.
I’ve had a few store-bought Alabama white sauces. And I’ve made a few variations from scratch. Needless to say, I’m a fan of the concept. June Moon Alabama white sauce wings are another example of two great things that were meant for each other: a creamy, mayonnaise-based sauce that is nice and tangy, and chicken wings. Oh and it does have a slight spiciness to it too. But not too much.
The Perfect Balance
June Moon Alabama white sauce wings aren’t too mayonnaise-y. Or vinegary. Speaking from experience, there’s nothing more disappointing that getting all excited about wings only to have a sauce that is watery or too vinegary. Not a worry with this sauce. I found the balance to be perfectly finger-licking good.
Remember that if you have to refrigerate your open bottle of wing sauce to let it sit out on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using. You don’t want to ‘shock’ hot, just-cooked wings with a cold sauce.
The fine folks over at Frank’s RedHot sauce have upped their wing sauce game. And then some. They took some of their traditional flavors and made them thicker. Not ewwwy thick, but ooooh thick. Perfect on wings and lots of other things, like nuggets, chicken sandwiches, burgers you name it. Frank’s RedHot Buffalo ‘N Ranch Thick Sauce wings sauce combines a low-heat Buffalo sauce with, you guessed it, Ranch dressing. This sauce isn’t going to scare grandma off with heat. In fact, she’ll love it. And hey, she’ll get to eat wings faster since you don’t have to dip them in Ranch dressing first!
Stick-To-Your Wings Goodness
Grab a few bottles of Frank’s RedHot Original Thick Hot Sauce next time you’re in your grocery store. It comes in plenty of delicious different flavors, from the mild to the spicier. I can’t pick a favorite, but I like them all, like Frank’s RedHot Buffalo ‘N Ranch thick sauce wings sauce!
Remember that if you have to refrigerate your open bottle of wing sauce to let it sit out on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using. You don’t want to ‘shock’ hot, just-cooked wings with a cold sauce.
For a quick lunch, air fryer wings just can’t be beat. My extra-crispy version gets me nice crunchy wings in less than 30 minutes. So could I improve on such a great thing? Well, 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.
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.
I often find myself using a few variations on this approach. I’ll sometimes just spritz the wings, salt and pepper them, then cook them. 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. If I want them ‘wet’, then I’ll toss them in my favorite sauce.
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.
I’m a huge fan of dry, or dusted, wings. Sure, I sometimes season my wings and sauce them once they’re cooked, but just as often I cook them and season them, leaving them un-sauced. With seasonings like Kosmo’s Q Chili Lime wing dust, it’s not hard to understand why I love my wings prepared this way. The dust is lightly smoky, a tad garlicky and a bit citrusy. A really great combination of flavors, for sure. And all with just a bit of heat. I’d say a medium heat, maybe a bit more. I’d call it perfect.
A Great Dry Wing Each And Every Time
I like to season my wings with Kosmo’s Q chili lime wing dust the second they are cooked. I think that’s when the seasonings stick the best. As with wing sauce, I don’t want my seasonings to end up at the bottom of my plate. They need to be in every bite, right there on my wings.
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.
I’m a HUGE fan of dry wings. I’ve found myself eating them more and more these days. Wings tossed with a seasoning, such as Kosmos Q’s Kickin Cajun wing dust make for the perfect lunch or appetizer. No sauce required.
I tossed some air fryer wings with Kosmos Q’s Kickin’ Cajun wing dust and proceeded to devour each and every one. The wing dust is crazy flavorful and it definitely has a kick to it. At first I was a bit overwhelmed by the heat, but then I found myself craving it more and more. And more. I couldn’t stop myself, I absolutely loved it. I loved the kick and I loved the spice.
The Kick Is Comin’. Get Ready.
The first time I made wings with Kosmos Q’s Kickin’ Cajun wing dust I went pretty light on it. It was nice and spicy, but I found myself wanting more. So the next time I loaded up big time with the dust. Oh yeah, my mouth was on fire but it was a good fire. I think I now have a full-blown addiction to it.
You get a lot in each and every bag of Kosmos Q’s wing dusts. The seasonings are high quality and seasoned perfectly. You won’t regret buying it. And you won’t regret doing what I did: buy a bag of each and every flavor to try, then order much, much more!
Toss wings with seasoning before serving. Don’t be shy with it.
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.
I didn’t have to make dry wings. I could’ve seasoned them and then sauced them. But I’m a huge fan of dry wings and Croix Valley Mango Habanero Dry Wings are some of the best I’ve ever had. All I had to do was cook up a batch of wings and toss them in the seasoning and enjoy a crazy good lunch. Up first, I got the heat. And a good bit of it too. Then that spiciness took a back seat and up came the tropical fruitiness of mango. Heck no, I couldn’t get enough! These wings did not last at all!
Tropical Flavor with a Great Kick
I knew these Croix Valley Mango Habanero Dry Wings would be great as soon as I opened the seasoning pouch. It’s always good to get a little taste the first time you use a rub or a sauce. Without that you might use too much. You can always add more, but it’s hard to use less once you’ve already seasoned your wings!
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.
Well, who doesn’t love Frank’s RedHot Hot Buffalo Wings ? Just when we all thought that it couldn’t possibly get better, it did. The fine folks at Frank’s came up with a thicker version of their classic sauce. Same nice medium-ish spicy flavor, just stick-to-your-wings better. No lake of wing sauce left at the bottom of your plate when you’re done, that’s for sure. Frank’s RedHot Original Thick Sauce clings to your wings.
Just the Right Thickness
One thing Frank’s RedHot Original Thick Hot Sauce isn’t is gloppy. It’s thick but it’s not super duper thick. It’s just right. Someone spent some time getting the consistency perfect and they nailed it. If you’re looking for great classic Buffalo wing flavor in a sauce that isn’t going to drip off your wings, Frank’s RedHot Original Thick Sauce wings sauce is it.
Remember that if you have to refrigerate your open bottle of wing sauce to let it sit out on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using. You don’t want to ‘shock’ hot, just-cooked wings with a cold sauce.
Japanese Barbecue Sauce makes me sad. Sad that I went so long before buying a bottle and squeezing it onto some wings, that is! My goodness me is this ever good stuff! I mean crazy good. Lightly sweet and lightly salty, it’s what teriyaki sauce wishes it could be. I cannot stop eating wings covered in this sauce. And I’m not afraid to admit it, I double-sauced my wings.
“Oh. My. Goodness.” Good.
Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue sauce is a little on the thin side. Normally that would be a minus on wings. You won’t want your sauce to end up at the bottom of your plate, you need it to stick to your wings. Well, this sauce has so much fantastic flavor that you don’t need it to be super thick. Not at all. If you want, do like I do and put a small bowl of extra sauce on the side for dipping. You won’t regret it.
It really doesn’t take much to make totally different-tasting wings. If you’re looking for something new, just take a gander thru your pantry or spice cabinet and grab whatever seasoning you like. Chances are it’ll make for great wings, just like these fajita seasoned dry wings. Heck, it can’t get any easier. I just cooked up a batch of wings (in the air fryer this time) and then tossed them in the seasoning.
Just Grab Some Seasoning From The Store
I grabbed a pre-made packet at my local grocery store for my fajita seasoned dry wings. You could make your own, for sure. Usually fajita seasoning contains a bit of sugar. You gotta watch it if you plan on using it to season or dry brining your wings before cooking. You don’t want it to burn!
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.
