These Thai Chili Chicken Wings are perfect for Super Bowl Sunday or if you just have a craving for wings! Since I hate to waste anything, when I purchase a whole chicken I often save the wings to use later. One great way to use them is in my Homemade Chicken Broth ,but sometimes I manage to collect enough to make this finger licking good recipe
The History
Chicken Wings are a relatively new culinary creation, having been invented as recently as 1964 by a Teresa Bellissimo. The Bellisimo family owned and operated "Anchor Bar" in Buffalo, New York... is the name of the dish beginning to make sense?
Per nationalchickencouncil.org Teresa invented the famous spicy chicken wing as a late night snack for her son and his friends. Per time.com Teresa came up with the recipe when the bar accidentally received an excess delivery of wings.
One thing is for sure! Teresa invented the Buffalo Wings! This classic is now one of the top menu choices at restaurants and bars across the nation, especially during the Super Bowl!
Over time, the concept of sports bars became popular, with people heading out to watch their favorite sporting events, often with friends. Chicken wings, being affordable and shareable, became a popular menu item at these bars.
Today, many eateries across the nation, such as Buffalo Wild Wings, specialize in serving this famous classic in increasingly creative ways.
My Story
The story here simply is that my family is obsessed with chicken wings! My husband loves to eat spicy food and as a bachelor lived on frozen buffalo wings for years! The kids will always go for the wings at restaurants and hotels alike, be they boneless or bone in.
My first experience with making these at home was really inspired by trying to find a healthier way of making the wings. I foolishly thought that baking them in the oven versus deep frying them would mean calories saved. Wrong! They still have to be doused with lots of butter to taste good.
Despite that "healthier recipe" theory getting tossed out the door the wings did turn out good and now periodically show up at the Babar family dinner table. I of course love the traditional buffalo sauce version but these Thai Chili Chicken Wings are amazing! Sweet, spicy, sticky and crunchy! All you could ever want in a good wing!
The Recipe
Boiling The Wings
You might be wondering why we first boil the wings and then bake them. This step is important for a couple of reasons:
- Boiling the chicken in seasoned water will adds loads of flavor to your wings. Since the sauce is only added at the end, the meat itself can end up being bland if unseasoned.
- The wings will be cooked all the way through for sure this way.
- This step helps thin out the skin a little bit which insures that you get a crispier texture when you later bake them.
Drying the Wings
After the boiling, the wings have to sit on a rack for a while so any residual liquid can evaporate. If they still seem wet then pat them dry with a paper towel.
Adding the baking powder further helps with this by absorbing any residual liquid so it's best not to skip this part.
Nicely Browned Wings
Using a rack to cook the wings allows the fat to drip to the bottom of your pan, resulting in crispier wings. The wings should be evenly spread in your baking pan with a little room in between each one to insure an even bake.
The Sauce
The seasoning blend in this sauce has been carefully put together. If you make substitutions or alter measurements it may alter the taste and texture. For example, the butter is essential in making the sauce stick to the wings and giving a nice glossy finish. However, too much butter can prevent the sauce from sticking to the wings.
Serving Your Wings
I like to serve my wings with celery and carrot sticks, ranch dressing and some form of potatoes.
Now I know what I'm having this Super Bowl Sunday! Check out the recipe below and don't forget to click on the stars to rate it!
Thai Chili Chicken Wings
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
- Slotted Spoon
- Baking Tray with Rack
- Tongs
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 4 Lb Chicken Wings
- 2 Sticks Celery
- 1 Whole Onion
- 10 Cloves Garlic
- 8 Cups Water
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- ¼ Cup Franks Hot Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Baking Powder SEE NOTE
Thai Chili Sauce
- ¼ Cup Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
- ¼ Cup Sambal Oelek Sauce
- ¼ Cup Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Ginger
- 1 Tbsp Lemongrass
- 2 Tbsp Dark Sesame Oil
- 4 Tbsp Butter
Garnish
- 1-2 Tbsp Chili Flakes
- ¼ Cup Green Onions
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
- 2 Tbsp Peanuts
Instructions
Chicken Wings
- If you get whole wings that need to be cut, remove the tip and discard, separating the remaining piece into the drumette and the wingette (I personally get pre cut wings to save time)
- Put the 8 Cups of Water in your pot along with the whole peeled onion, celery sticks, salt and garlic and bring to a boil
- Once the water is boiling vigorously add the prepped chicken and the Franks Hot Sauce and boil on medium heat for 8 minutes (SEE NOTE)
- Remove the wings using a slotted spoon, taking care to drain all liquid and lay flat on your cookie sheet rack to dry for about 10-15 minutes (SEE NOTE)
- Preheat the oven to 425° while waiting for wings to dry
- Once the oven is ready dry off any residual water with a paper towel and toss the wings in the baking powder
- bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven, flipping them halfway through (prepare your sauce while the wings are cooking)
- Remove from the oven and toss in the prepared sauce
Thai Chili Sauce
- Grind, crush or grate your garlic, ginger and lemongrass (SEE NOTE)
- Add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for 5-10 minutes to get a well blended consistency
- Cover and set aside till it's time to toss the wings
Garnish
- Chop the peanuts (I use raw peanuts for this)
- Finely chop the green onions
- Once the wings are out of the oven and tossed in the sauce plate them and add all of the prepped garnish ingredients to the wings and serve.
Nutrition
Notes:
- Baking Powder - Make sure you use baking powder and not baking soda as some recipes call for. Also make sure that the baking powder you use is aluminum free. Soda or the wrong baking powder can alter the taste of the wings.
- Franks Hot Sauce - The hot sauce is added to the water after a boil is reached as the smell in your kitchen can become overpowering if boiled for too long.
- Drain The Wings - This step is important as we want the wings to dry completely so they can crisp up properly. making sure all water is drained well and they cool on a rack before going in the oven is important.
- Garlic,Ginger, Lemongrass - There are different ways to grind these 3 ingredients. Mortar and pestle is my go to for the ginger and garlic but a food processor can also be used. For the garlic you can also use a garlic press. The ginger and lemongrass can also be grated using a manual grater, however the lemongrass is a little fibrous so I personally prefer to run it through my food processor to make sure it breaks down well.
TIPS:
- You can do some prep work ahead of time if catering to a large group. Boil your chicken wings and make your sauce the day before. Then bake and toss the day of.
- Make a little extra sauce and save for later. If you have any leftovers, reheat the wings at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and toss in the sauce you saved. They'll be good as new!
- The sauce tastes great as a glaze on Baked Salmon or Chicken! Double it up and get a second meal out of it!
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