Oven-Baked Strawberry-Chipotle Wings Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

Baking powder raises pH and dehydrates the wings' skin so that it crisps in the oven just like it would if they were fried.
Strawberries and chipotle peppers make a flavor-packed sweet and spicy sauce that's fruity and tangy.

When you think of delicious bar-food-style chicken wings,Buffalo wingsare most likely the first thing to come to mind. Youmighteven think of grilled wings, basted with a tangy barbecue sauce. But you almost definitely don't think of baked wings, and I'd bet good money that strawberries and avocados aren't even remotely on your radar. After one batch of these wings, though, that just might change. It sure did for me.

I often find myself in a bit of a conundrum: I love the crunchy crust and juicy meat of deep-fried wings enough to make them all the time, but heating up a half-gallon of oil, frying the wings, and then dealing with the mess and lingering smell tend to put me off. I've tried baking wings that were coated in every possible crumb, but nothing came close to the crispiness of fried wings. Nothing, that is, until I tried outKenji's baking powder technique. By tossing raw wings in baking powder and letting them rest overnight before baking, the chicken skin becomes dehydrated, which allows it to bake up as crisp as fried wings with a fraction of the mess. It's the stuff of wing-loving dreams.

I love the technique so much that I ate a few too many oven-baked Buffalo wings, and eventually realized that I needed to swap out the sauce. I've always been a fan of simple salads with grilled chicken, greens, and sliced strawberries, so somehow I thought to borrow from that by making a strawberry sauce for the wings. It still sounds crazy even as I type it, but all I can tell you is that it really is delicious. With smoky chipotle peppers, balsamic vinegar, and spicy ginger blended into the sauce, there's enough acid and heat to balance out the fruity sweetness.

Making the Wing Sauce

To make the sauce, I heat halved strawberries, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic, and brown sugar in a medium-sized saucepan until the strawberries can be mashed easily with a wooden spoon.

The spoon should be enough to mash them fully, but if you have some chunks that refuse to break down, just give it a quick whiz with a blender or food processor to smooth it out. Then I mix in the minced chipotles with some of the adobo sauce from the can, and seasonings like onion powder, cayenne powder, salt, and pepper. The sauce will reduce as it's cooked, which I want to some degree. If it reduces too much, becoming sticky and candy-like, just thin it with a little chicken stock or water.

Making the Dip

Playing off the Mexican flavor of the chipotles while also riffing on the Buffalo wing theme, I came up with a dip that blends avocado with blue cheese, as well as some sour cream and lemon juice. It's tangy, sharp, salty, creamy, nutty, and just absolutely delectable. This is best to make shortly before serving in order to prevent browning, but if you'd prefer to make it ahead of time, place it in a bowl, squeeze an extra tablespoon of lemon juice on top, and seal with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly against the surface of the dip to prevent air from touching and discoloring it.

After I bake the wings and toss them in the sauce, I sprinkle them with poppy seeds for an extra dose of nuttiness and crunch. I plate them with the dip, and then I run into a corner and crouch over them in secret so I can actually enjoy a few before my family and friends scarf them down. Can you believe that the first time I made these, everyone ate the whole batch before I could even taste a single one? After you try 'em, you'll see why.

Oven-Baked Strawberry-Chipotle Wings Recipe (1)

April 2015

Recipe Details

Oven-Baked Strawberry-Chipotle Wings

Active45 mins

Total8 hrs 45 mins

Serves4 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
8 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1 tablespoon balsamicor apple cider vinegar
See Also
The most pinned healthy recipes on Pinterest | Well+Good
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper(depending on taste)
Water or chicken stock, as needed
1 Hass avocado, halved and pitted
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh juice from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Spray a rack with nonstick cooking spray and set on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Dry chicken wings with paper towels. In a large zipper-lock bag, toss wings with baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt until evenly coated, then arrange wings on an even layer on the rack. Refrigerate wings, uncovered, overnight or up to 18 hours.
Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) and set the oven rack in the upper-middle position. Bake wings on the rack set over the baking sheet for 20 minutes, then flip and continue to bake until cooked through and crisp, about 20 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine strawberries, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and light brown sugar and cook until strawberries are softened and release their juices, about 10 minutes. Mash strawberries with a wooden spoon and stir in minced chipotle, adobo sauce, onion powder, and cayenne pepper (1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon depending on your heat preference). Season with salt. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, about 5 minutes. If sauce becomes too thick and candy-like, stir in water or chicken stock to return to desired consistency. If any chunks of strawberry remain, transfer to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside.
In a blender or food processor, combine avocado, sour cream, blue cheese, lemon juice, and milk. Season with salt (taste first, as blue cheese is salty). Pulse until well-combined, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
Place the baked wings in a large bowl and toss with the strawberry sauce until evenly coated. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Garnish with cilantro and serve with avocado blue cheese dip.

Special Equipment

Blender, food processor

Notes

If preparing the avocado blue cheese dip in advance, squeeze some extra lemon juice on top, then cover with plastic wrap, pressing it flush against the surface to prevent oxidation.

Chicken Wings
Roasted Chicken
Strawberry
Chicken Mains

Oven-Baked Strawberry-Chipotle Wings Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do I sauce my wings before or after I bake them? ›

In general, it's best to add your sauce only at the end of baking or until you're ready to serve. Doing so will preserve the crispiness of your wings and maintain the desired texture and taste all throughout the big game. Indeed, it's challenging to achieve the right balance between crispy and saucy wings.

Know More ›

Why are my chicken wings not getting crispy in the oven? ›

bake on low then high – usually, the fat under the skin is part of the reason why baked wings don't get really crispy. In this recipe, we start at a low temp first which melts the fat under the skin, then we crank up the oven which makes the skin super crispy!

Are honey chipotle wings good? ›

The sauce caramelized and charred slightly over the heat of the coals, bringing out the sweetness of the honey and mellowing the extreme heat. What starts as a sweet crisp bite into a wing ends up leaving a slight smoky burn in the back of your mouth, a taste transformation that I really enjoy.

Discover More Details ›

Should chicken wings be baked or fried? ›

Removing the skin and baking also reduces the fat content which is extremely healthy for seniors and children. Baking keeps the nutrient content of the meat intact making it an utterly healthy cooking process.

Find Out More ›

Is it better to bake chicken wings at 350 or 400? ›

After experimenting with baking them at different temperatures, I discovered that baking them at 400°F is the way to go. Baking is one is the easiest and healthiest method to make wings, there is minimal cleanup required, and you can cook about 2 pounds of wings at once.

What has honey in it at chipotle? ›

Honey is one of the ingredients in our Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette, which we make from scratch in small batches every morning.

Which chicken is spicier at chipotle? ›

The al pastor option is spicier than Chipotle's standard chicken option. It's grilled and seasoned with a marinade of the chain's signature adobo, morita peppers, ground achiote and a splash of pineapple. It's the second time in less than a year that the burrito chain has tried out a new chicken option.

Should I flour my wings before baking? ›

Wings are coated in a seasoned all-purpose flour mixture and refrigerated before baking for the crispiest results. You'll need cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt. You can adjust the measurements to suit your taste.

Show Me More ›

How do restaurants get their wings so crispy? ›

Coating wings in cornstarch or baking powder before frying not only helps seals in the meat's juices, but also gives them a crispy, golden-brown exterior.

Explore More ›

Is baking soda or powder better for crispy batter? ›

Baking powder is better for recipes that contain little or no acid ingredients. Baking soda helps make fried foods crispy and light. It is also useful for cleaning and removing stains.

Discover More ›

Do you put sauce on before or after cooking? ›

Sauces are best applied near the end of cooking to prevent burning.

Learn More Now ›

How do you get sauce to stick to baked wings? ›

However, there's a simple technique that can help the maximum amount of sauce coat every inch of the wing's surface area: Dusting chicken wings with flour before cooking. This easy step transforms the wings into a canvas that both promotes a crispy texture and ensures that the sauce clings irresistibly to every inch.

Learn More Now ›

Do you add sauce to chicken before cooking? ›

Add raw chicken to sauce and simmer or cook separately and then add to sauce. For dishes like stir fry and curry, most cooking videos I watch use the former method.

Discover More ›