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Sweet, spicy, tangy and delicious, these Grilled Chile Lime Chicken Wings will be the life of your next cookout! Enjoy them as an appetizer or alongside your favourite side dish. Whatever you do, be sure to try topping the wings with some chopped cashews and scallions for extra crunch and flavour!
What You Need for Grilled Chile Lime Chicken Wings
- Chicken Wings: feel free to use whole wings or split wings (meaning the drum is separated from the flat). Either way will be delicious. To be honest, you can use this same recipe to grill chicken thighs, drumsticks or breast. Just keep in mind that cooking times may vary depending on the size of the chicken pieces and whether or not they are bone-in.
- Seasonings: Because these grilled wings are tossed in a very spicy and flavourful sauce, I like to keep the seasonings fairly simple. A little bit of granulated garlic, granulated onion, paprika, salt and pepper is more than enough to get lots of flavour and a delicious crust.
- Sambal Oelek: The real star of the show here is the Sambal Oelek, a vibrant, spicy, red chile paste. The most common brand is Huy Fong Foods – the same company that produces the most common type of sriracha. Unlike sriracha, Sambal Oelek is sugar-free.
- Honey: To balance the heat from the sambal, I add a bit of all-natural honey to the sauce. You can substitute maple syrup or agave nectar if you don’t have any honey.
- Limes: Lime juice adds a delicious, tangy element to the sauce and helps cut through the richness of the fatty chicken wings. Lime zest imparts an amazing aroma and flavour.
- Cashews: For added crunch and garnish, try topping the wings with some finely chopped, unsalted and roasted cashews. If you can’t find roasted, unsalted cashews, simply buy the raw, unsalted cashews and add them to a dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes until lightly golden.
- Scallions: Finishing the wings off with some thinly sliced scallions adds flavour and makes for a nice presentation.
Do these Chicken Wings Have to be Grilled?
No grill? No problem! Just place the chicken wings on a metal sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roast in a 425F oven for around 30 minutes or until crispy and cooked through.
The secret to crispy wings in the oven is NOT to flip them halfway because opening the oven door will let heat escape. The heat conducted from the sheet pan should be enough to brown one side of the wings. The heat from the oven will cook the other side.
More Chicken Wing Recipes
There are also a couple of delicious chicken wing recipes in my cookbook!
Grilled Chile Lime Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1.5 tablespoons sambal oelek
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Zest of 1 lime
- Juice of ½ a lime
- 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
- ¼ cup unsalted, roasted cashews, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat Traeger Grill to 425F. Rinse chicken wings in cold water and pat very dry with a paper towel.
- In a bowl, combine the wings, avocado oil, paprika, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Place the wings in the center of the grill in a single layer and cook until crispy and 185F internal, around 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the sambal, honey, lime zest, lime juice, and garlic. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Once the wings are cooked, add them to the bowl with the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the cashews and scallions. Serve immediately.
Notes
About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
