Tangy Taco Wings

I apologize to my neighbors. Even with my windows closed, and the tv on, it’s likely they heard me moaning with happiness as I bit into these tangy taco wings. Truth be told, they’ve heard it before because I’ve had some delicious wings. But not this loud. These are crazy good wings. Great southwestern flavors. Great smoky undertones. Some great heat. Just great everything.

Tangy Taco Wings

Cook Those Wings!

The sauce is the star here. How you cook the wings to make some tangy taco wings is kind of not important. Don’t get me wrong. Of course you don’t want ‘meh’ wings. But you don’t have to go crazy with them. No need for complicated preparing or cooking techniques. Just get some cooked wings. Season them a bit first. Then just cook them. Then comes the really good part. That sauce. Load it up or go light. I went heavy. I don’t usually do that. This time, the temptation of the sauce won and I went saucy. And am I ever glad I did.

And More…

This sauce is great on anything. Grilled burgers. Hot dogs. Smoked ribs. Any place you might think about putting BBQ sauce, use this instead. It’s better, tastier, richer, thicker and wonderful.

About That Salsa Chipotle…

I used to be able to buy cans of salsa chipotle at the store on a regular basis. Now they’re harder to find. They’re like a cross between chipotles in adobo sauce and salsa. They have a smoother texture to them, making them perfect for sauces. You don’t have to do any chopping or preparation, just use it straight out of the can. If you can’t find it you can still make this wonderful sauce. You can grab a jar of chipotle salsa and pulse it a few times in a blender until just slightly chunky. Or you can use a chipotle pepper minced, and mixed with some of the adobo sauce.

The idea for these wings came from La Preferida. They made me happy, so thank you fine folks at La Preferida!

Dash Deluxe Air Fryer – Adjustable Temperature…
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Also try my enchilada wings!

Tangy Taco Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Tangy Taco Wings

This sauce is great on anything.
Inspired by a recipe from La Preferida
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crispy, wings
Servings: 2
Calories: 42kcal

Ingredients

For the wings

For the sauce

Instructions

For the wings

  • Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer with non-stick spray. Preheat per manufacturer’s recommendation.
  • Sprinkle taco seasoning over the wings and toss 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.  Click here for our guide on how to sauce your wings.

For the sauce

  • Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce heat and keep warm until ready to use.
  • Stir in more water if the sauce becomes too thick.

Notes

Salsa chipotle can be difficult to find. It’s not chipotle salsa. You can substitute chipotle salsa but for best results you’ll want to pulse it a few times in a food processor. You want a smoother texture versus a chunky one.
If you’d rather cook your wings using another technique, click here for our guide on cooking wings using a grill, smoker, deep fryer, oven, griddle, air fryer or Char-Broil Big Easy.

Nutrition

Calories: 42kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 222IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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

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Baked Taco Wings

Yowsa. I could’ve eaten an obscene amount of these baked taco wings. I really wasn’t expecting them to be so great. Boy oh boy, I could not get enough of them. Great taco flavor with a lightly crunchy coating. And easy? It’s hard to get any easier to make. And on the side, a just-as-easy Ranch and chile pepper dipping sauce. I liked the sauce too much that I went on to make more and used it as a salad dressing!

Baked Taco Wings

A Great Party Appetizer

The coating on these baked taco wings is pretty delicate, so be careful when flipping them. Just take a little extra time and they’ll be fantastic. I’m a big fan of taco seasoning, so I might admit to adding a bit extra for a little more flavor. These wings would be excellent as an appetizer at a party. The flavor is definitely different than traditional Buffalo wings. The dipping sauce has a nice chile pepper flavor to it, combined with a more traditional Ranch dressing.

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Also try my south-of-the-border inspired Mexican wings.

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

Baked Taco Wings
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Baked Taco Wings

The coating on these baked taco wings is pretty delicate, so be careful when flipping them.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baked wings
Servings: 4
Calories: 977kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 F.
  • Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with non-stick spray.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour and taco seasoning.
  • Add the oil and stir to combine.
  • Working in batches, add the wings to the bowl and toss to coat. Press the wings into the mix to make sure you get all sides well coated. Place on the baking sheet, skin side down.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Gently flip the wings and cook another 20 minutes.
  • While the wings are cooking, place the dressing and chiles into a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Remove wings from oven and transfer to a serving platter with the dressing mix on the side.
  • Note: You can place the wings under the broiler for 1-2 minutes for a little more color, if desired but note that the coating will char if left in the oven too long. Keep an eye on them if you decide to do this.

Notes

I recommend making extra dressing.

Nutrition

Calories: 977kcal | Carbohydrates: 199g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 20500mg | Potassium: 42mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2670IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 4mg

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